Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft Roundup: What the Experts Are Saying
The 2016 NFL draft is less than one week away, and there are several different ways the Kansas City Chiefs could go with the No. 28 overall pick.
By now, you've likely come across more than a few mock drafts. How many have you read? Ten? Fifty? Maybe more?
Mock drafts pop up all over the place this time of year, and whether it be Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Bucky Brooks or some other expert, there is rarely agreement among them.
Here we are going to round up some of the most recent expert mock drafts and talk about who they have the Chiefs selecting before analyzing those choices and deciding whether they make sense for the 28th pick in the draft.
Which expert do you agree with? Or do you want the team to go in an entirely different direction? Read on for more.
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson
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In one of the most recent expert mocks out there, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com projects Shaq Lawson as the Chiefs' first-round choice. He reasons that Lawson could be seen as the eventual replacement for Tamba Hali.
Though Lawson played defensive end at Clemson, he did stand up as a pass-rushing linebacker as well. Many scouts project him as a linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. That would make him a fit in Kansas City, but will he be available that late in the first round?
Justin Houston is going to miss significant time next season, even if it's not the entire season. That leaves the Chiefs with the prospect of starting a guy like Frank Zombo or Dee Ford in his place. Lawson could be a significant upgrade over either of them.
During his college career, Lawson totaled 20 sacks and a whopping 45.5 tackles for loss. Though Lawson can rush the passer, defending against the run is his strong suit. He is arguably the best run-defending defensive end in the entire draft. Though the Chiefs gave up just 98 yards per game on the ground last season, that could be appealing.
As a pass-rusher, Lawson will get to the quarterback. He has the strength to bull rush tackles, but he also has a spin move that would make Dwight Freeney proud.
Lawson would be a terrific pick for the Chiefs if he were sitting there at No. 28, but there are teams that run a 4-3 defense that will look at him too. It seems unlikely he will be there when the Chiefs go on the clock as he has the talent to be a top-15 pick.
Cris Collinsworth, Pro Football Focus: WR Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi
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When we started to hear about the prospects for the 2016 draft, Laquon Treadwell was easily the No. 1-rated wide receiver set to be chosen. Now he seems to have fallen behind guys like Josh Doctson and Corey Coleman. In this mock draft, Cris Collinsworth of Pro Football Focus even has Notre Dame's Will Fuller going ahead of Treadwell.
Collinsworth sends Treadwell to the Chiefs with the No. 28 pick, and fans in Kansas City should be jumping for joy if that comes to fruition. Until he ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, many likely considered him a top-10 pick.
Treadwell wouldn't need to have blazing speed in Kansas City's offense as he would be a perfect fixture in the passing game that Alex Smith likes to run. Aside from his speed, everything else he does is terrific. He plays the wide receiver position well with great footwork and route-running, and the yards he could add after the catch could be huge in this offense.
Treadwell would be a terrific complement to Jeremy Maclin, and with the emerging Albert Wilson, the Chiefs would have a formidable trio. However, much like Lawson, it doesn't seem like Treadwell is going to drop that far. If he does, the Chiefs shouldn't think too long about taking him there.
Todd McShay, ESPN: CB William Jackson III, Houston
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William Jackson III is rising up many boards in a strong cornerback class. Assuming that Jalen Ramsey and Vernon Hargreaves are the first two cornerbacks off the board, Jackson or Eli Apple should be next.
The Chiefs certainly have both players on their board, and many mocks out there have projected each of them to Kansas City. In Todd McShay's mock draft 4.0, he has the Chiefs landing Houston's Jackson.
The Chiefs will be looking for a new cornerback after Sean Smith left for the Oakland Raiders via free agency. Can the team again find the first-round gold it struck in last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year, Marcus Peters?
That would be an exciting scenario for the Chiefs to consider, but there are several teams ahead of them in the draft order who could be looking for a cornerback. Teams like Oakland and the Miami Dolphins should be looking for depth in the secondary.
Jackson came to Houston after transferring from Trinity Valley Junior College. It didn't take long for him to make an impression with the Cougars, and in 2015, he had five interceptions and 23 passes defensed. Two of those interceptions came in Houston's upset win over Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Either Jackson or Apple will likely be off the board when Kansas City's turn comes up. But if one of them is still there, the team should consider taking him. The thought of having Jackson line up on the other side of Peters would make Chiefs fans forget about Smith pretty quickly.
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Pete Prisco, NFL Draft Scout: CB Mackensie Alexander, Clemson
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OK, so here's another cornerback option. In his April 20, 2016 mock draft, NFL Draft Scout's Pete Prisco has the Chiefs taking Mackensie Alexander out of Clemson. This is because he has both Jackson III and Apple being chosen long before the Chiefs come on the clock.
Alexander was part of a defense that reached the national title game last year, and he came to Clemson as the nation's No. 4 overall recruit in 2013. His man-to-man coverage skills could have him go anywhere toward the end of the first round or the beginning of the second.
At 5'10", Alexander doesn't possess ideal height, and that could be a concern against the big, strong receivers he'll face at the professional level. It certainly didn't bother him in college, as his coverage skills were nothing short of elite.
This would be a good pick for the Chiefs, but they don't need to grab a cornerback in the first round. If Apple and Jackson have both been taken, the Chiefs might be better off addressing a different position of need.
Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Scout: CB Eli Apple, Ohio State
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Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout put out his latest mock draft on April 21, and he has the Chiefs taking the aforementioned Apple. As you can see, cornerback is a popular pick to mock to the Chiefs in the first round.
Between Jackson III and Alexander, Apple may be the best of the bunch.
Apple started 14 of 15 games as a redshirt freshman for one of the top programs in the country in 2014, helping the Buckeyes win the national championship. He also took the honor of intercepting the last pass of Marcus Mariota's career in that championship game.
At 6'1" and 200 pounds, Apple not only has better size than Alexander, he is better in run support. He is also a good press corner with solid ball skills. His game would seem to transition to the next level quite well while Alexander may have a more limited role learning zone coverage.
Between Apple and Jackson III, it's a toss-up as to who would be a better choice. Both guys have the ability to give the Chiefs a terrific combination on the outside of the secondary, and as teams such as the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos have shown in recent years, that makes a huge difference in a run to the championship.
The problem is there are plenty of teams who would love to have one of these cornerbacks. Could the front office in Kansas City consider a trade in the first round to ensure they get either Jackson III or Apple? That's not out of the realm of possibilities.
Mel Kiper, ESPN: SS Vonn Bell, Ohio State
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ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper put out his mock draft 4.0 earlier in April, and he had the Chiefs selecting another member of the Ohio State secondary, Vonn Bell.
Though Kiper may have invented the job of "draft analyst," fans may be scratching their heads over the idea of this pick. Yes, Husain Abdullah chose to retire last month, but it still doesn't seem that safety should be a first-round concern.
Eric Berry and Ron Parker are still on the roster, and both show all the signs of having good football left in them. In addition, the draft has guys like Karl Joseph, T.J. Green and Darian Thompson, who all may be better prospects than Bell.
Bell's tape shows good skills in coverage, but he doesn't seem to be the tackler that he should be for a safety. He isn't quite as aggressive as he could be, but if he does land in Kansas City, the Chiefs could definitely take advantage of his coverage ability in formations with five defensive backs.
That said, if he is selected with the No. 28 overall pick, it should mean that every other player listed before him on this list has been taken. The Chiefs can find a safety in one of the later rounds, as cornerback and a defender who can get after the quarterback should be prioritized.
Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated: CB Eli Apple, Ohio State
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Apple is the only player to make our list twice, after Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated sends him to Kansas City in his latest mock draft.
Is this a sign? A couple of our experts like the idea of a tag team in the secondary of Peters and Apple. Opposing quarterbacks likely wouldn't be too thrilled about it, but that's the point.
The Chiefs have Phillip Gaines and Marcus Cooper on the roster, but Apple would come in and make them both nothing more than added depth. In three seasons with the Chiefs, Smith had five interceptions and 43 passes defensed. That won't be easy to replace, but the Chiefs need to do so, particularly with Smith landing with a division rival.
Apple—or one of the other corners on this list—seem to fit that bill. It's a deep draft for players at the cornerback position, so the Chiefs should be able to capitalize on that.
Will the Chiefs choose to target a new player for the secondary in the first round? Seventy-one percent of the experts on this list feel that they will, but what is your take?
In just a few short days, we'll all find out the answer to that question.
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