KC Chiefs 7-round mock draft: Fixing Kansas City’s defense

3.94: Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor

The Chiefs in this mock draft are selecting Jalen Pitre, a safety from Baylor, with their third-round pick.

Can I just say how much I love this pick? I can? Cool. I love this pick. I mean, Jalen Pitre is one of my personal favorite players in this draft and the fact that in this mock draft we were able to get him in the third round is awesome.

Measurables

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 196 lbs.

Hand Size: 9 1/8 inches

Arm Size: 30 7/8 inches

Wingspan: 73 2/8 inches

Strengths

As I previously stated, Pitre is probably my favorite pick in this mock draft I’m doing. I mean, what’s not to love about his game? He does it all. Pitre was a huge part of the Baylor defense that dominated the Big 12 this year and having him suit up in red and gold would be just spectacular.

Pitre is an incredibly athletic linebacker/safety hybrid. With great athleticism that corresponds to multiple different parts of his game, there isn’t a whole lot of question marks within his game.

Pitre plays his game with high intensity and speed. With Pitre’s athleticism being through the roof, and with him being in a position where speed is important, it’s not outrageous to think that his speed would be good regardless. However, that’s not what makes his game so special.

The best part of his game is his instincts. Pitre did a great job this past season with diagnosing plays, finding gaps, and making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

I don’t generally enjoy looking at statistics as a scout because they are oftentimes not a good deciding factor when scouting. You like to look at the film more than stats, but just this once we can look at stats. Pitre this past season played in 14 games for Baylor. In those 14 games Pitre finished with 75 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 7 passes defended, and finally 18.5 tackles for loss.

Below I have some clips that show his ability to get in the backfield and make tackles. Just so you have a visual to show you the player we’d be able to get if we drafted him.

Now that we’ve covered his instincts, let’s talk about his ball skills. Over the last two seasons with Baylor, Pitre has recorded 4 total interceptions and 9 passes defended. He doesn’t exactly have the best ball skills in the world, but he does show the ability to develop those traits. Below I have posted one of his interceptions from this past season against Iowa State.

Pitre would be a great addition to the Chiefs’ defense if they were able to land him.

Weaknesses

The only real concern I have with Pitre is his frame. Pitre has been one of the best safeties in college football after this season, but his measurements don’t exactly read “NFL starter”. However, do you know who else had similar measurements? Tyrann Mathieu. Which, in case any of you fellow Chiefs fans are at all curious, is my pro comparison for Jalen Pitre.

Pitre isn’t exactly the biggest player in the draft, but that didn’t stop him from constantly making plays to help his team. However, playing at a Big 12 school is much different than playing at the NFL level. It’ll get a lot more physical, you’ll have a lot more guys fighting for yards, and it’s going to be his job to stop them.

Players at the next level are going to be a lot harder to tackle and bring down, and that is why his frame is my main concern for him.

How He Fits With the Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have a real need for some defensive back help. With Mathieu’s future uncertain, along with Chavarius Ward and Daniel Sorensen, the Chiefs will be thin in the secondary

Now, maybe you guys trust Juan Thornhill to take the necessary step up if the Chiefs are unable to re-sign Mathieu, but I don’t think he has what it takes to lock down the safety position. However, say the Chiefs do re-sign Mathieu, the Chiefs will still need to add another defensive back. That’s where Pitre comes in.

Jalen Pitre’s talent could allow him to jump in on day one and make an impact. However if not, he will still be able to learn behind a guy who understands how to adjust for the size concern. There is no wrong way you can go if you draft him which is why he is the perfect fit.