Kansas City Chiefs 2015 NFL Draft: Aggregating Report Cards from Around the Web
The 2015 NFL draft has come and gone. Like every other team in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs went through the selection process with a unique strategy.
The Chiefs came away with nine draft picks. They grabbed a pair of cornerbacks, two wide receivers, two linebackers, a guard/center prospect, a tight end and a defensive tackle.
Of the group, first-round cornerback Marcus Peters, second-round offensive lineman Mitch Morse and third-round receiver Chris Conley have legitimate chances to start this season. The rest of the haul seems to be geared toward providing depth at key positions.
While the team did find a potential starting center, No. 2 wide receiver and added needed depth in the secondary and at linebacker, the team also failed to address its 28th-ranked run defense. You can't, of course, hit on every need in every draft.
So did the draft strategy pay off? Realistically, it's far, far too early to judge a draft class that hasn't even been fitted for uniforms yet. However, that never seems to stop an analyst from making an immediate judgement call.
For an immediate grade on how the Chiefs fared in the 2015 NFL draft, we'll compile the opinions of other analysts around the web and add out own take.
Sports Illustrated
1 of 6Chris Burke: B
Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated liked the new cornerbacks brought in by Kansas City and the upside of their new wide receiver. Even though first-round pick Marcus Peters is a gamble, Burke seems to believe he is worth the risk:
"Assuming the Chiefs keep Marcus Peters in line, that pick at No. 18 will be a boon for their defense. Third-round CB Steven Nelson is a quality player, too, especially if the Chiefs use him in the slot. LB Ramik Wilson (No. 118) brings some depth and young talent to a spot lacking in both. And WR Chris Conley has massive upside, though opinions on his overall value varied a bunch.
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On the other hand, Burke seems to believe that the selection of guard/center prospect Mitch Morse was a bit of a reach in the second round.
"The head-scratcher of Kansas City's weekend: Mitch Morse at No. 49. Morse can play all five positions across the line, so he has serious value. Yet, Andy Reid's claim that Morse would start off competing as the backup center tempers the expectations."
Burke is correct in saying that expectations for Morse should be tempered. In reality, the expectations for this entire draft class should be tempered quite a bit.
Peters is a gamble because of his off-field issues. Morse is a gamble because he might not be able to perform at the position the team needs most. It's disappointing to see the Chiefs ignore their run defense.
A good, but not great grade is probably the right call.
CBS Sports
2 of 6
Pete Prisco: C
Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com seemed to like what the Chiefs did early in this draft. He especially seemed to like the selection of Peters in Round 1.
"I liked the move to get Peters and fourth-round corner Steven Nelson. They will really help upgrade the secondary. Second-round pick Mitch Morse could compete at both guard and center. There is nothing spectacular here, but Peters has a chance to be a star."
Prisco also seemed to like the Day 3 selection of linebacker Ramik Wilson, writing: "Linebacker Ramik Wilson was a good tackler in a big-time conference in the SEC at Georgia. He has speed and range, which the Chiefs will love."
Curiously, Prisco had nothing really negative to say about the Kansas City draft, and he didn't even list a player as a "questionable selection." Yet he only gave the Chiefs an average draft grade.
I agree that the Chiefs had an average-to-good draft, depending on how you view the risk involved with Peters. However, I find it odd to see the draft class spoken so highly of and then awarded an average grade. It almost feels like Prisco is trying to talk himself into liking these players more than he actually does here.
Rotoworld
3 of 6
Evan Silva: B-
Evan Silva of Rotoworld.com seems to believe that the Chiefs had a strong draft, even if it wasn't a flashy one. However, he did include the predraft trade to acquire guard Ben Grubbs as part of his grade.
"Included in Kansas City's "grade" is a pre-draft trade that netted LG Ben Grubbs at the cost of a fifth-round pick, which New Orleans turned into Fresno State NT Tyeler Davison. The Chiefs continued to prioritize front-five upgrades with zone-blocker Morse, who could easily start at center as a rookie. Peters' off-field concerns are well documented, but he is an ideal fit in Kansas City's press-coverage scheme.
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Silva is another guy who seems to think that the risks with Peters are a lot lower than some of the predraft talk would have indicated. At least, he seems to believe the potential reward far outweighs the risk:
"Vertical stretcher Conley's fit on the Chiefs is questionable considering Alex Smith's risk-averse tendencies, but was a value pick in round three. Nelson, Wilson, Alexander, and Nunez-Roches are physical role-player types. O'Shaughnessy is an underrated flex tight end prospect. This draft wasn't flashy, but I thought it was strong.
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Silva brings up an interesting point in the fact that Smith isn't exactly known as a downfield risk-taker. On the other hand, Smith hasn't really had a target who can stretch the field quite like Conley since he arrived in Kansas City.
Overall, it's another above-average grade for the Chiefs draft.
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ESPN
4 of 6
Mel Kiper: B-
ESPN NFL analyst Mel Kiper Jr. also believes that Kansas City put together an above-average draft. Though he seems to believe the Chiefs may have graded a couple of their picks higher than most, he liked the decision-making:
"The Chiefs had Marcus Peters as the top cornerback in the draft, and I think that made it easy for them. Peters has had some issues, but if he plays to his potential, K.C. might have gotten one of the top overall players at any position. They had Mitch Morse graded well above where I did, but I think he'll compete to start at either guard or center, which adds to his value.
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Kiper also seems to believe more than most that the Chiefs were in need of defensive playmakers. Even though the defense ranked second overall against the pass last season (203.2 yards per game allowed), the team did only come away with six interceptions:
"We talk about the Chiefs' wide receivers not catching TD passes last year, but the front office was just as concerned with their defense's not catching interceptions, and that was a focus. I think the defense got better over the past three days."
While I still believe the Chiefs should have done more to address their defensive front and offensive line, Kiper does point out how the pieces fit into the team's identity. Once again, we have an above-average grade.
NFL.com
5 of 6
Bryan Fischer: B+
College Football 24/7writer Bryan Fischer (via NFL.com) seems to like the Chiefs' draft more than most. He doesn't seems to really see any risk with the pick of Peters and he appears confident in Morse's ability to lock down a starting job as a rookie:
"Andy Reid got tremendous value at pick No. 18 and might have landed the top corner in the draft. Given the rough and rowdy division the Chiefs play in, Peters' ability to cover and be physical with receivers will be a nice fit. Morse will probably be a center and can be the final piece along the Chiefs' interior line. Conley was a workout wonder at the combine and will find a nice home on offense and special teams. Nelson is a scrappy corner who is a great value just within the top 100 picks.
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Though Fischer doesn't really mention anything noteworthy about Kansas City's Day 3 selections, it feels as if he likes what the team did from top to bottom. A B+ grade feels a little high considering the Chiefs invested so little into their offensive and defensive lines. However, it isn't wildly off from the grades of other analysts, either.
Final Grades
6 of 6
| Outlet | Grade |
| Sports Illustrated | B |
| CBS Sports | C |
| Rotoworld | B- |
| ESPN | B- |
| NFL.com | B+ |
| Bleacher Report | C+ |
The general consensus here is that the Chiefs had an above-average, but not a stellar, draft. This is the conclusion that I came to following the end of Day 3.
Overall, the Chiefs got a couple of potential playmakers, filled a major need or two and picked up some developmental prospects with potential. I would have like to see a bigger investment in the offensive and defensive lines.
According to Pro Football Focus, The Chiefs ranked just 28th overall against the run in 2014. This means that their 28th-place ranking in terms of yardage allowed is no mirage. More help against the run would make for an even more balanced and dangerous defense. Outside of a couple of developmental linebackers and a backup nose tackle, this area was largely ignored.
The Chiefs also ranked just 19th in run-blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. Considering Kansas City ran the ball 100 times more than it called pass plays last season, you would think the team would want to find enough help to improve this ranking. Add in the fact that starting center Rodney Hudson walked away in free agency, and the need on the offensive line should become apparent.
Yet, the team selected one, and only offensive lineman in the entire draft. Sure, the team got a couple players at the right positions and added some potentially serious talent, but the Chiefs could have done a better job of addressing the primary needs. Adding a guy like defensive tackle Angelo Blackson or defensive end Trey Flowers at the end of Round 3 instead of a second cornerback, for example, would have made more sense.
For a team that should contend for a playoff spot in 2015, though, this was far from a disappointing haul.
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