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2020 NFL Draft crushes for the Kansas City Chiefs

By Lyle Graversen

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 26: A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes tackles Drake Anderson #6 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 26, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 26: A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes tackles Drake Anderson #6 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 26, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 27: Austin Jackson #73 of the USC Trojans blocks A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half of the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl at SDCCU Stadium on December 27, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 27: Austin Jackson #73 of the USC Trojans blocks A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half of the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl at SDCCU Stadium on December 27, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Edge – A.J. Epenesa – Iowa

Look, I’ll be honest, I grew up an Iowa Hawkeye fan, but I promise that isn’t why I love Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa so much. What I love is that he’s an absolute bully at defensive end. He isn’t going to fly around the outside like a Dee Ford; he’s going to shove the offensive tackle off balance and then power right past him. I believe that adding Epenesa to K.C.’s defensive front along with Chris Jones and Frank Clark would give them one of the most physically imposing fronts in the NFL. They would have both the strength to hold up against the run and the ability to get after the quarterback. Having a front like that to go along with one of the most explosive offenses in all the NFL would make the Chiefs an absolute nightmare for opposing teams.

While the Chiefs currently have Tanoh Kpassagnon and Alex Okafor to play on the edge opposite Clark, I don’t know if either of them will be the long-term answer there. A foundation of Clark, Jones, and Epenesa, who could all potentially be locked up for the next several years (assuming a deal with Jones gets done), would provide the Chiefs defense with a dominant foundation opposite of Mahomes and their elite offense. At 6-5 and 275 pounds he also has the potential to kick inside at times in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, similar to how players like Justin Tuck did in New York.

Check out how Epenesa can manhandle opposing linemen in the clip below.

Six months ago the idea of Epenesa falling to the back of the first round would have been laughable, but a subpar combine performance and other prospects rising up the board now make it a possibility. I still doubt that he makes it all the way to pick 32, but if he does I will be screaming for the Chiefs to take him. I may not have defensive end at the top of my needs list, but getting a dominant player like Epenesa at the back of the first round would be an absolute home run.

Honorable Mention: Trevis Gipson – Tulsa

While Trevis Gipson doesn’t offer the physically dominant upside of Epenesa, he is an edge prospect that is flying under the radar coming out of Tulsa. I really believe that if he played for a dominant program in the national spotlight, he’d be getting more attention.

At 6-3 and 261 pounds with long arms and good natural bend around the edge as a pass rusher, Gipson has the natural tools to be successful in the NFL. He was asked to play the run a lot in Tulsa’s three-man front, which didn’t always put him in the best position to rush the passer. Still, he ended last season with 8 sacks, 28 hurries, and 15 tackles for loss. Compare that to first round prospect K’Lavon Chaisson who ended the year with 7 sacks, 21 hurries, and 13.5 tackles for loss on more snaps than Gipson and you can see why Gipson is an intriguing prospect.

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