Rock Ya-Sin (CB)
In the 2019 NFL Draft, reports suggested that the Chiefs were fairly high on Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin. He ultimately went at 34th overall to the Indianapolis Colts and the Chiefs drafted Mecole Hardman with their top pick. Ya-Sin’s recently spent time in the AFC West as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. He has the length that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo typically covets and has played most of his snaps in the NFL on the outside. Certainly, the Chiefs have had a major infusion of talent at corner with the selections of Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams, but Ya-Sin would give them another veteran option to play on the outside.
Shaq Lawson (DE)
A year ago, Shaq Lawson recorded 3.5 sacks and 9 quarterback hits in 6 starts for the conference-rival Buffalo Bills. He’s the kind of low-profile, former No. 1 draft pick that Brett Veach generally salivates over. Fortunately for the Chiefs, he’s still available to start the month of April and can likely be had for the modest one-year deal they gave to Carlos Dunlap in 2022. Charles Omenihu and George Karlaftis are your likely starters this season, but Lawson could provide some valuable snaps as a rotational pass rusher. With he and Mike Danna bringing up the rear, the Chiefs could continue to boast one of the league’s most fearsome pass rushes.
Conclusion
I’m sure these aren’t the sexy options you were hoping for, but this is a bit of a dull spot in the offseason. A few more interesting options could shake loose after the draft and once teams open training camps, but for now, this is the best of the bunch for my money. None of these players are cornerstone pieces you build a roster around, but they would help Kansas City go into the draft with a “best player available” strategy. The trick to a consistent draft is never having to reach to fill a need. Whether or not the Chiefs will add more bodies before April 27th remains to be seen, but if they do, there are a handful of options on the free-agent menu.