The Kansas City Chiefs just electrified their fanbase by selecting the fastest player in the history of the NFL Combine. An incredible pick for the Chiefs at No. 28, Worthy offers a new level of talent to the receiver room that could be just what they need to venture for the coveted threepeat.
While we are excited about the newest member of Chiefs Kingdom, it's already time to start thinking about tomorrow when the second round gets underway.
With a ton of talent still on the board, we are checking our boards carefully. Who is still available? Were there any first round talents that fell to the second? We discuss the best players remaining on our board.
1. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
I am pretty surprised at the way that this cornerback group fell out of the first round. The cornerback that is most surprising for me to have fallen into the second is Kool-Aid McKinstry. A great coverage cornerback, McKinstry is very capable of sticking to receivers in man coverage and not moving out of the hip pocket of receivers on deep routes. With great timing and instincts, McKinstry was going top ten in some mock drafts. Now, he finds himself atop our board for day two.
McKinstry has very little chance of falling past the Packers at pick 41. It would also not be a surprise to see some teams jostling for positioning to trade up for a potential steal. Either way, I don't expect him to be around long.
2. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
I can't believe that both McKinstry and DeJean fell out of the first round. DeJean has some injury concerns coming into the draft process, but is arguably the most versatile defensive back of the past few years. A tremendous athlete, tackler, and playmaker, it is honestly stunning to see him still available at pick 33, even if he won't last long after that.
To take some of the sting out of the Michael Penix pick for Atlanta, if I am the Falcons general manager, I am looking to position myself for a trade up in any way that I can. DeJean is a first round talent and would immediately make their defense better. DeJean makes for a nice fit and could add some juice to a defense that seems to be ascending.
3. Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia
Honestly, I am not stunned that McConkey was not a first round pick. McConkey has some excellent burst and refined technique but is lacking the size and overall ceiling that some of the other talented receivers that went in round one have. It seems likely that McConkey comes off the board early in day two. With a good understanding of leverage, McConkey could contribute as a rookie and improve consistently throughout his career.
In round two, I would expect some teams like the Washington Commanders, who have two picks in the early part of round two, the New England Patriots who are void of offensive talent, and the Buffalo Bills who could use a new identity at receiver to be interested in McConkey. No matter where he goes tomorrow, he will be ready to contribute in some capacity in his rookie year.
4. Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
If we had a draft guide that we released that had our input, this would certainly be a "my guy." There were a few mock drafts that had Kneeland sneaking into the later part of the first round. Some even had the Chiefs taking him. There is a lot of reason to like Kneeland. He is a very strong player with a slight yet powerful frame. While I believe many teams to have been scared off by his smaller size, there will be some teams that look back and wonder why they didn't just take the risk on a guy with his skillset.
He could go at any time to start the second round, but there is a chance we see a team picking in the middle of the second round move up to nab him before he falls into the hands of a rival team. Look for teams like the Packers, Steelers, and Bengals to have an interest if he begins to fall out of the top couple of picks in the second.
5. Jer'Zhan Newton, Defensive Tackle, Illinois
Newton might not be the flashiest player in the draft. He might not have electric speed or dynamic pass-rushing ability, but if you want a guy that will almost certainly be a long-time contributor and eventual dominant run stuffer, Newton would make a ton of sense. Newton is tough to move and even tougher to get outside of to set the edge. Newton should certainly come off the board early in the second.
Based on the needs of some of the teams picking early in the second, the fit with the Los Angeles Chargers seems to be extremely viable. There are some older guys along the defensive line and they could use a talented run stuffer that could contribute in year one. Newton adds both physicality and a mental toughness that has been noticably lacking from a team like the Chargers. Don't be surprised if the Raiders also fall in love with his game and make a run at him.
6. Jackson Powers-Johnson, IOL, Oregon
A number of linemen went in the first round, but one of the best interior guys is still there. Jackson Powers-Johnson has a very good anchor combined with his footwork and technique. With a physicality that "pops" on tape, it is a bit of a surprise that someone wasn't willing to take Powers-Johnson at the end of the first round. As a fan of a team that features Trey Smith, I don't know how a team that needs help on the interior could pass that up.
It's anyone's guess where he ends up and when, but there aren't many teams that could say that they don't have use for the skill set that Powers-Johnson possesses. I would have to believe that teams like the Cardinals and the Titans would be looking to beef up the interior of their line early in the evening on Friday.
Other top players available:
7. Jonathan Brooks, RB, Texas
8. T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
9. Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M
10. Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
11. Braden Fiske, DT, Florida State
12. Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
13. Payton Wilson, LB, NC State
14. Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
15. Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan