Kansas City Chiefs 2015 Draft: The Good and the Bad

The Kansas City Chiefs may not be tabbed with the best group of rookies coming out of the 2015 NFL draft. However, once the NFL season is in swing for a couple of weeks, fans may be pleasantly surprised by Kansas City's draft picks.

Entering with 10 draft picks and walking away with nine, the Chiefs addressed several key needs. The team managed to find players who can start or be instant contributors. 

With starter potential and depth support, the Chiefs have some bright-eyed talent who hope to learn from the veterans, adapt to the NFL style of play and make an impact to help the team return to the postseason.

Chiefs Draft Picks

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Round 1, 18th overall: CB Marcus Peters, Washington

Round 2, 49th overall: C Mitch Morse, Missouri

Round 3, 76th overall: WR Chris Conley, Georgia

*Round 3, 98th overall: CB Steven Nelson, Oregon State

Round 4, 118th overall: ILB Ramik Wilson, Georgia

*Round 5, 172nd overall: ILB D.J. Alexander, Oregon State

*Round 5, 173rd overall: TE James O'Shaughnessy, Illinois State

*Round 6, 217th overall, DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Southern Miss

Round 7, 233th overall: WR Da'Ron Brown, Northern Illinois

*compensatory

The Good: Starters and Depth Potential

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The point of the draft is to always find possible starters with your first couple of picks and add depth with players brought in on the third day of the draft.

As mentioned in the first slide, the Chiefs managed to find some players who can carry starting duties this year either right away or at some point during the season. The team also selected players who can provide strong depth.

Potential starters

CB Marcus Peters: Andy Reid and John Dorsey did their due diligence on Peters, who had off-the-field issues entering the draft. Those issues aside, the Chiefs picked up a talented corner with major upside. The transition from college to the NFL is always a challenge, but Kansas City's dominant front seven will help make that transition a little easier. With 11 interceptions in his college career, Peters can help the Chiefs improve in interceptions after they tied for the fewest with two other teams, snagging just six.

C Mitch Morse: A versatile offensive lineman who played all over the offensive line at Missouri, Morse is better suited as an interior lineman and will serve as a center.

WR Chris Conley: Conley caught just 36 passes for 657 yards as a senior at Georgia, but he made the most of each catch. He finished third in the SEC in yards per catch, averaging 18.3 yards per reception in 2014. The No. 2 wide receiver spot may go to either Albert Wilson or Jason Avant to kick off 2015, but that position is still wide open, and Conley could finish the year as a starter.

ILB Ramik Wilson: Like wide receiver, the inside linebacker spot next to Derrick Johnson is up for grabs. Josh Mauga is likely to open the season as the starter, but the Chiefs were impressed with Ramik Wilson and picked him up. He led the SEC the past two years combined in tackles with 243. He enters the league with a dominant presence on the gridiron and would add to a strong front seven.

Depth supporters

CB Steven Nelson: The Chiefs return Sean Smith and Phillip Gaines and added Peters in the first round. Husain Abdullah had some flashes in his first year as a primary safety, while the team added Tyvon Branch this offseason. If Eric Berry returns, Nelson, who was taken late in the third round, adds to a stacked group of defensive backs. Last year, the Chiefs finished second against the pass; adding Nelson for support to an already great group may help them finish first this year. 

ILB D.J. Alexander: His closing speed is what impressed a lot of NFL teams. Expect him to not only see a couple of plays per game on defense but also be one of the key defenders on special teams.

TE James O'Shaughnessy: He ran a 4.68 40-yard time at his pro day, similar to Travis Kelce's 4.61. If O'Shaughnessy can pick up the NFL game and develop, Alex Smith may see some success with him during his rookie year.

DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches: The Chiefs have a solid core of defensive linemen anchored by nose tackle Dontari Poe. Nunez-Roches provides depth that was missing prior to the draft.

WR Da'Ron Brown: The Chiefs have plenty of wide receivers to work with in OTAs and training camp, but only five or six will make it into September.

The Bad: Order of Position Need in the Draft

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By all means, the Chiefs did not have a bad draft. What surprised me the most is the order general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid went with in first four picks, going cornerback, offensive lineman, trading up for a receiver and cornerback again.

Cornerback, offensive lineman and wide receiver were three of the biggest needs, but people may have had those positions in a different order when it came to the team's problem areas.

Here is a look at the first two rounds and whom the Chiefs passed on.

Round 1, 18th overall: CB Marcus Peterson

Who the Chiefs passed on:

• C Cameron Erving, 19th overall
• WR Nelson Agholor, 20th overall
• WR Dorial Green-Beckham, 40th overall

Entering the draft, it did not feel like cornerback was an overwhelming top position need for the Chiefs. They had an empty spot at center (addressed later), and we all know how much room for improvement the team has for its wideouts. For a team whose defense never surrendered more than 29 points in a game, it was a surprise to see Kansas City go defense in the first round.

Round 2, 49th overall: C Mitch Morse

Who the Chiefs passed on:

• TE Maxx Williams, 55th overall
• TE Clive Walford, 68th overall
• WR Tyler Lockett, 69th overall
• WR Jaelen Strong, 70th overall

I threw tight ends on this list because a two-tight end set has helped Smith in the past, and the Chiefs must have considered Maxx Williams, who fell deep in the draft. A pass-catcher would have been nice, but with a big hole at center, the Chiefs made up for it by grabbing Morse after passing on Cameron Erving in the first round.

Overview: The Chiefs Got Better

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We won't know for sure until the rookies hit the field, but for now, the Chiefs found ways to improve. That is the ultimate goal for every NFL team in the draft. 

The Chiefs tackled holes that desperately needed a starter or additional personnel. Fans can expect Peters and Morse to start going into Week 1 of the season.

Finding a center and adding more defensive backs is something the Chiefs needed and accomplished in the draft.

The wide receiving corps remains a question. With Jeremy Maclin signed earlier this offseason, the Chiefs avoided drafting a wide receiver until the third round. At this point, it is certain that Maclin and Kelce, barring injury, are the top two targets for Smith. 

Overall, Dorsey, Reid and the rest of the staff got what they needed. Now, it is up to Reid, the coaches and the players to get the team into the playoffs and give the fans a postseason win. Come this January, it will have been 22 years since that happened.