Kansas City Chiefs' Initial 2015 Round-by-Round Draft Big Board
After helping the Kansas City Chiefs improve from two wins to 11 wins in 2013, general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid helped the franchise take a big step in the right direction. The new regime, however, took some criticism when the Chiefs won nine games and experienced a two-game step back this past year.
Going into the third year in the Dorsey-Reid regime, the duo must come away with a strong draft to help the Chiefs return to the playoffs.
Kansas City proved it's capable of competing with some of the best teams in the NFL, finishing above .500 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
On paper, the Chiefs are a few pieces away from returning to the postseason and need to draft wisely. With good coaching, a solid draft will benefit the Chiefs and increase their chances of playing football in January.
Here is a list of players the Chiefs should target in each round.
Round 1
1 of 7
Players to consider
- WR DeVante Parker, Louisville
- WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
- WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma/Missouri
- T Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
- G Tre Jackson, Florida State
The Kansas City Chiefs desperately need a wide receiver and an offensive lineman. As long as the Chiefs address either of those positions, they fill a glaring need. Addressing a need is only half of the job, though; picking the right player is the other half.
When it comes to wide receivers, the Chiefs have a good chance at snagging a possible rising star in DeVante Parker. Dorial Green-Beckham, who came into college football with a lot of hype, has not had the best experience due to off-the-field issues.
If the Chiefs forgo taking a receiver, they have options in offensive linemen with quality, reliable pass-blockers in Cedric Ogbuehi and Tre Jackson
Round 2
2 of 7
Players to consider
- G. A.J. Cann, South Carolina
- WR Nelson Agholor, USC
- CB Jalen Collins, LSU
- CB Marcus Peters, Washington
- CB Ronald Darby, Florida State
Out of offensive lineman and wide receiver, whichever position the Chiefs don't take in the first round they must strongly consider in the second round or take a cornerback. While some cornerbacks would be good to pick up in the second round, and the Chiefs need to add depth, they could use better linemen or receivers, depending on what they don't take in the first round, or if they could not fill that gap in free agency.
If A.J. Cann is available, the Chiefs must take him right away. While available, he started 38 of 39 games for South Carolina 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 quarterback Alex Smith much in pass protection.
Round 3
3 of 7
Players to consider
- WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
- G Laken Tomlinson, Duke
- WR Tony Lippett, Michigan State
- CB Cody Riggs, Notre Dame
- WR Josh Harper, Fresno State
As you have noticed by now, there are a lot of wide receivers on this list, and rightfully so. It's not that the team should take a wide receiver every round, but Kansas City should consider plenty throughout the entire draft.
In fact, if the Chiefs took a pair of wide receivers in the first three or four rounds of the draft, it would not be a bad move. If they could get a speedster such as Tyler Lockett or Josh Harper to line up in the slot, it would give Alex Smith another target who will help the team gain yards after the catch. That will ultimately benefit the Chiefs in trying to move the chains and eventually getting to the end zone, after they had to settle for several field goals in 2014.
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Round 4
4 of 7
Players to consider
- ILB Ben Heeney, Kansas
- DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA
- WR Antwan Goodley, Baylor
- ILB Ramik Wilson, Georgia
- SS Durell Eskridge, Syracuse
By the time a team reaches the fourth round, it becomes challenging to find a starter, and most of the draft picks for every team from here on out translate into players being drafted to provide depth on the roster. But in the fourth round, a team could get one player who is worth taking and could start early in his career.
Ben Heeney got little attention in Kansas due to the team's poor performance, but individually he excelled. His closing speed on ball-carriers was impressive, and his ability to wrap up and tackle is what every NFL coach is looking for. Heeney would benefit the Chiefs and help them improve against the run.
The Chiefs can also get some defensive help from Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Ramik Wilson to fill some depth gaps on defense.
Round 5
5 of 7
Players to consider
- DT Chucky Hunter, TCU
- DE Corey Crawford, Clemson
- CB De'Ante Saunders, Tennessee State
- TE Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State
- WR Jamison Crowder, Duke
The Kansas City Chiefs have a good idea of who their starting defensive linemen are. Pro Bowl nose tackle Dontari Poe anchors the line with Allen Bailey and Mike DeVito beside him and possibly Jaye Howard being active in the rotation. But who else comes in for a few snaps when the starters need a rest?
The Chiefs have few good defensive linemen and need to recruit better talent behind the starting line.
Chucky Hunter saw a lot of success under Gary Patterson's defense at TCU, while Corey Crawford could also be helpful.
Either way, the late rounds become hard to project, and the Chiefs will use these picks to seek depth.
Round 6
6 of 7
Players to consider
- CB Josh Shaw, USC
- RB David Cobb, Minnesota
- S Damarious Randall, Arizona State
- G Adam Shead, Oklahoma
- OLB Paul Dawson, TCU
The majority of this draft board focuses on the offense, specifically wide receiver and offensive line. The Chiefs do need a couple of pieces to fill on defense, though. Is Josh Shaw a possible candidate to help add support to Kansas City's thin secondary?
Shaw saw some success at USC; despite an off-the-field issue, he could help provide depth for Kansas City's defensive backs. The Chiefs need some help, especially since parting ways with Brandon Flowers.
Round 7
7 of 7
Players to consider
- OLB Shaquille Riddick, West Virginia
- DE Henry Anderson, Stanford
- DE Brock Hekking, Nevada
- DT Brandon Ivory, Alabama
- RB Malcolm Brown, Texas
Projecting the draft in the seventh round is always a mystery to everyone. But if a player with some potential may have slipped is available, teams take the gun or take a pick on someone to play behind another starter or serve as a third backup.
Shaquille Riddick could be one of those players, especially if the Chiefs let Tamba Hali go.
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