2015 Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft: Early-Offseason 7-Round Predictions
With the Kansas City Chiefs unable to extend their season into January, the front office now has its entire focus on the 2015 offseason. After making the playoffs in the first year under the John Dorsey-Andy Reid era, Kansas City fell short in 2014.
The 2015 offseason is a crucial one, as the Chiefs must do everything they can to fill in the missing pieces and get back into the postseason. That means the Chiefs must have a strong 2015 draft to help construct a complete football team for next season.
After some activity this year in free agency (hopefully), the Chiefs will see if any glaring holes or needs that were not addressed during free agency can be filled through the draft.
Here is your early Kansas City Chiefs 2015 NFL mock draft.
Note: This mock draft excludes possible compensatory draft picks. There will be another mock draft released once compensatory draft picks have been announced.
Round 1: WR DeVante Parker, Louisville
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Kansas City's first draft pick should be on the offensive side of the ball, and the team must target either an offensive lineman or wide receiver. If the team selects a player in either of those positions, a glaring need will be filled. For now, the Chiefs are slightly more desperate for help at the wide receiver position.
You have already heard the statistic from every NFL pundit about how the Chiefs went the entire season without a touchdown pass to a wide receiver. DeVante Parker played only six games as a senior due to a foot injury, but he still performed at a high level in his final season with Louisville.
In the final six games, including the loss in the Belk Bowl to Georgia, Parker quickly collected 43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns. His only bad game came against Notre Dame, where he pulled in four catches for 65 yards but still got into the end zone with a touchdown grab.
Parker concluded his college career as a reliable pass-catcher with 33 total touchdown receptions. This gives quarterback Alex Smith a viable option through the air, especially on third down when the team seeks to pass in order to move the chains.
The Chiefs were 29th in 2014 in the passing game and must use this draft pick to bring in a wide receiver to improve the offense.
Other options:
WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma/Missouri
T Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
Round 2: LG A.J. Cann, South Carolina
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Since he redshirted in 2010, A.J. Cann has started 38 of 39 possible games for South Carolina, all at left guard, where the Chiefs need a new starter. With Jeff Allen out for the 2014 season, Mike McGlynn, Jeff Linkenbach and Zach Fulton served as active interior guards for the Chiefs, but none of the three helped Smith much in pass protection.
Though he will likely be available midway through the second round, Cann is a player who will be an immediate starter for the Chiefs and can make an impact after getting through some early rookie hurdles for a lineman.
Linkenbach allowed 2.5 sacks in three starts, while McGlynn gave up seven in 13 starts and rookie Fulton, who started all 16 games as a sixth-round draft selection, surrendered 3.75 sacks, all according to STATS LLC.
If the Chiefs are confident that Fulton can do better in his second season, Cann might be the new left guard. That makes Allen a backup guard, or he perhaps could be released.
Bottom line, Smith was sacked 45 times in 15 games, the fourth most in the league, while backup Chase Daniel took four sacks while filling in for Smith in Week 17 against San Diego.
Other options:
G Tre Jackson, Florida State
WR Nelson Agholor, USC
CB Jalen Collins, LSU
Round 3: WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
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If you're in Kansas City and you followed local college football, Tyler Lockett is a name that may ring a bell. That is because Lockett led the Big 12 in receiving yards with 1,515 and tied for first with 11 touchdown grabs. He finished third in the nation in receiving yards.
Lockett is smaller than the ideal NFL wide receiver at 5'11" and 175 pounds. However, his speed makes him a threat for opposing defenses, which offensive coaches in the NFL love.
When catching a ball in space, Lockett will find ways to collect yards after the catch, which will translate into first downs and eventually more scoring drives for the Chiefs.
He showcased his speed as a return specialist while being a big asset on offense at Kansas State, which helped the Wildcats in plenty of games.
Lockett could be used as the backup returner in case De'Anthony Thomas or Knile Davis go down with an injury. As for his offensive duties, Lockett can be used as a slot receiver.
Yes, this mock draft features two wide receivers in the first three rounds. But we have seen NFL teams draft two players from the same position in back-to-back picks or early in the draft. For the Chiefs, two good, young wide receivers in the early goings of the draft is never enough.
Other options:
G Laken Tomlinson, Duke
WR Tony Lippett, Michigan State
CB Cody Riggs, Notre Dame
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Round 4: ILB Ben Heeney, Kansas
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The Kansas Jayhawks saw limited success during the past three seasons, mostly guided by Charlie Weis, and very few players were noticed. However, one player rose above the others and excelled. That Jayhawk was Ben Heeney.
Although Heeney may be projected to drop further down in other mock drafts, he would be a great pickup in the fourth round and will turn into a valuable asset for any NFL team. For the Chiefs, Heeney can help them do a better job at stopping the run, which was the only glaring weakness for the defense this past year.
According to the NCAA's statistics page, Heeney was second in the 2014 college football season in solo tackles with 7.3 per game. Solo tackles are crucial in the stats books for college football, as they show that players have the ability to wrap up a ball-carrier and drag him down. For many NFL players and teams today, tackling is an issue.
In a conference where there are plenty of good running backs, Heeney did well, limiting his missed tackles. His closing speed on running backs is really good and benefits a defense.
Derrick Johnson and Joe Mays both suffered injuries, and the Chiefs dealt with backup inside linebackers for most of the season. Heeney, a possible dark horse in the draft and a player who could start right away, would help the Chiefs immensely against the rush if he plays beside Johnson.
The Chiefs were 28th against the run and allowed the third-highest yard-per-carry average in the league.
Other options:
DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA
ILB Ramik Wilson, Georgia
SS Durell Eskridge, Syracuse
Round 5: DT Chucky Hunter, TCU
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With Allen Bailey recently receiving an extension and Mike DeVito set to return, Jaye Howard will likely return to his backup role. As for Pro Bowl nose tackle Dontari Poe, Nicholas Williams is his backup.
If the Chiefs drafted Chucky Hunter, they would get a talented defensive player who played under Gary Patterson.
Hunter would provide good depth for the Chiefs and is a nice pickup in the fifth round, as he will occasionally see time on the field as a rookie.
Other options:
DE Corey Crawford, Clemson
CB De'Ante Saunders, Tennessee State
Round 6: CB Josh Shaw, USC
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Josh Shaw went through a dramatic moment in his life when a big event turned out to be false, grabbing the nation's attention. Though it may drop his draft stock, Shaw could be a steal in the sixth round.
He recorded six interceptions in 2012 and 2013 combined. Though he only appeared in three games last season, he had a strong showing against Nebraska in the National University Holiday Bowl with nine tackles to help USC pick up a narrow 45-42 victory.
The Chiefs are very thin at cornerback behind Sean Smith and need to add some depth. Shaw could help provide solid depth and could build his way up if he does well.
Other options:
RB David Cobb, Minnesota
S Damarious Randall, Arizona State
Round 7: OLB Shaquille Riddick, West Virginia
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Shaquille Riddick had a good 2014 season with West Virginia, collecting seven sacks, including three against Baylor.
While playing as a defensive lineman, Riddick would fit Kansas City's 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker. With the Chiefs looking to make some changes to possibly free up cap space, Riddick could be considered in the draft.
With Justin Houston possibly returning and rookie Dee Ford expected to get more playing time in his second season, Riddick would play mostly on special teams, with a couple of defensive snaps per game if needed.
Other options:
DE Henry Anderson, Stanford
DE Brock Hekking, Nevada
All statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless noted otherwise.
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