Kansas City Chiefs Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
The Kansas City Chiefs and their fans feel a championship is near. There may just be a piece or two that is missing from a Super Bowl run.
Will the Chiefs find those missing pieces in the 2016 NFL draft? How will the team navigate its draft board after having its third-round pick stripped after violating the league's anti-tampering policy?
Those are just two questions that will be answered in this draft, but we also want to know who the team picks, right?
That's what we're here for. Check back frequently as we will not only tell you who the Chiefs picked but also provide analysis and grades for each one.
Enjoy the draft, and keep it right here as we follow the Chiefs through the entire process!
Chiefs Draft Board
1 of 10Here is a look at each of the picks the Chiefs have in this draft.
Though the team has no third-round pick, it does have two choices in the fifth round. Will this prompt the team to try to move back into the third round via trade? Or is it content to wait 67 picks between its second-round and fourth-round selections?
Defensive line, cornerback and offensive line help could be positions the team could be looking to target. Where else would you like to see the Chiefs go? Wide receiver? Maybe a backup quarterback?
Here, you'll be able to get a quick look at which picks the Chiefs have made as well as any remaining picks the team still has.
Round 2, Pick No. 37: Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State
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After trading out of the first round, the Kansas City Chiefs made their first selection of the 2016 NFL draft by taking defensive tackle Chris Jones out of Mississippi State. If you were watching the draft at that moment, Jones was ecstatic about it.
Though both Jarran Reed and A'Shawn Robinson from Alabama were on the board, the Chiefs favored Jones.
Jones should be versatile enough to play all over the defensive line for the Chiefs. He is a disruptive player who can stand up against the run and has the ability to rush the passer, though consistency and effort will be lingering question marks.
Jones keeps his pad level a little high, and when you watch his game tape, there are plays he clearly takes off. The Chiefs apparently felt that his overall talent outweighed those concerns.
After the recent retirement of Mike DeVito, the Chiefs were looking for help along the defensive line. Jones fills a need, and he should be expected to come in and start on day one.
Still, Reed and Robinson seemed to be better players and potentially better fits for the team. We'll see how Jones performs as a rookie, but the Chiefs believed he was the best player on the board, despite all of the other players who were still sitting there at the time.
Grade: B-
Round 3, Pick No. 74: KeiVarae Russell, CB, Notre Dame
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After addressing the defensive line with their first pick, the Chiefs found a player to help shore up one of the other areas of need: the secondary.
KeiVarae Russell made 37 career starts at the University of Notre Dame and had five interceptions during his time there. The Chiefs may have just gotten a steal with the No. 74 overall pick in this draft.
A terrific athlete, Russell was actually one of the top running backs in the nation in high school. Brian Kelly and his coaching staff at Notre Dame saw him as a better fit in the secondary, and he was an immediate starter.
Versatile enough to be moved over to one of the safety positions, Russell could still be the starter on the other side of Marcus Peters when the Chiefs open the season next year.
Russell shows good play recognition and possesses the kind of recovery speed you want to see in a cornerback drafted this high.
The Chiefs just missed on players who could have come in and helped in the second round, such as Mackensie Alexander and Cody Whitehair. The team traded out of the round, giving the No. 59 overall selection to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, acquiring an extra fourth-round selection in the process.
When you consider all of that and the fact that the Chiefs still got a guy such as Russell, this is a great pick.
Grade: A-
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Round 4, Pick No. 105: Parker Ehinger, OL, Cincinnati
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Reid and general manager John Dorsey clearly see something they like in Cincinnati's Parker Ehinger, as they chose him a full two rounds before most analysts had him projected to go.
The team needed to address the offensive line in this draft, and with its first pick in the fourth round, it has done that. But how much of a project player will Ehinger be?
At 6'6" and 310 pounds, Ehinger has the size to be a physical difference. He played all four years for the Bearcats and played at multiple positions, including tackle. It's questionable as to whether he's quick enough to play tackle at the professional level, so it remains to be seen where the Chiefs project him, though he was announced as a guard.
It would make sense to start his career on the interior of the line, but his athleticism and strength will be called into question. Offensive line coach Andy Heck could turn this kid into an effective lineman, but how long that will take is the question.
The Chiefs did need an offensive lineman, but this guy likely would have been available later. A player such as Christian Westerman seemed like a better choice in this spot.
Grade: C-
Round 4, Pick No. 106: Eric Murray, CB, Minnesota
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Though the Chiefs selected a cornerback in the third round by taking Russell out of Notre Dame, they felt it necessary to back that choice up with another cornerback at pick No. 106.
Eric Murray is a physical, aggressive cornerback who is also durable. He started 39 straight games for the Golden Gophers. In his four years at the school, he posted 142 tackles and 24 passes defensed.
He shows great technique in press-man coverage and is not afraid to come up and make tackles in the run game. At the professional level, he will first have to prove himself as a slot corner in sub-packages, but he should be a great fit there.
In addition, Murray was a terrific special teams player in college, and the Chiefs will be able to take advantage of him there as well.
The only thing that brings this pick down from an "A" grade is the fact that the team should add a wide receiver before this draft ends. Aside from that, this was a great selection.
Grade: B+
Round 4, Pick No. 126: DeMarcus Robinson, WR, Florida
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The Chiefs staff must have done some digging into this pick and come out satisfied that it had a player who can overcome the issues he had off the football field in Gainesville.
DeMarcus Robinson is an athletically gifted player with the physical traits to be an exciting receiver at the next level, but he comes with the same number of character concerns. During his college career, two different coaches suspended him a total of four times. That's not good.
The Chiefs needed a receiver in this draft, and they're taking one they are hoping can realize his full potential as a professional. He could turn into a serious deep threat for the team.
Off the snap, Robinson has the quickness to shake defensive backs and get free or run right by them. He has questionable hands, with 11 drops while at Florida, but the Chiefs were willing to overlook that. Still, the red flags are evident.
Here's what one NFL wide receivers coach had to say about him, courtesy of NFL.com: "I think he's going to struggle off of press, and he didn't make big plays that were there for him sometimes. He's way faster on tape than in timing. He got suspended four times. I'm too old for that (expletive). If you get suspended that much, you are crying out to teams that you won't ever change."
The Chiefs hope that he will change. Still, a guy such as Rashard Higgins from Colorado State would have been a much better choice.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick No. 162: Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford
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If you'll remember, I mocked Kevin Hogan to the Chiefs with this exact pick in my Day 3 mock draft. For the reasons stated there, this was a great pick.
Hogan is a gritty quarterback who knows what it takes to win, something he did a lot while at Stanford. Though he's not as talented as Andrew Luck, he plays a lot like him. Though he isn't the most mobile guy, he can make plays with his feet as well. Coming from David Shaw's pro-style offense won't hurt either.
In Kansas City, he'll come in and compete with Aaron Murray and Tyler Bray for the backup job. It's not at all far-fetched to believe he'll win that job easily. From that moment, the team can groom him to be Alex Smith's eventual successor.
While at Stanford, Hogan played in 51 games and threw for 9,385 yards and 75 touchdowns. He finished his college career with a 154.6 quarterback rating.
Hogan is a polished, intelligent quarterback. He'll be able to come in and work with quarterbacks coach Corey Matthaei to refine his game, and there will be no immediate rush to get him on the field.
There's no way you can hate this pick.
Grade: A+
Round 5, Pick No. 165: Tyreek Hill, RB, West Alabama
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The Chiefs are certainly favoring pure talent over character concerns in this draft.
Running back Tyreek Hill began his college career at Oklahoma State, but the program dismissed him after an arrest on domestic violence charges in late 2014. According to NFL Draft Scout, he eventually pleaded guilty to those charges and was put on probation until August 2018.
While at Oklahoma State, Hill flashed signs of being an electric playmaker, particularly as a return man. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and had 740 yards on kick returns to go with 256 yards on punt returns.
How he'll fit on the Chiefs roster remains to be seen, but the team had both Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West play well in the absence of Jamaal Charles last season. It seems it will be tough for Hill to crack the roster as anything more than a No. 4 running back or kick-return specialist.
Grade: D
Round 6, Pick No. 178: D.J. White, CB, Georgia Tech
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Another cornerback. This makes three now, and it seems the team agreed with all the experts who said the secondary needed help. But did it need this much help?
D.J. White out of Georgia Tech is a defensive back who succeeds with instincts and football IQ over physical talent. He is solid in coverage and always alert. His recovery speed could be his biggest area of weakness, however.
White tested well at the combine, posting a 4.49 40-yard dash and a stellar 132-inch broad jump. He was also a team captain and three-year starter for the Yellow Jackets.
After selecting two defensive backs in earlier rounds, the Chiefs are flooding the secondary at this point, ensuring there will be no holes.
This wasn't a bad pick because White has the tools to become a solid NFL player, but the Chiefs should have looked at adding another player to the offensive line before drafting a third cornerback.
Grade: B-
Round 6, Pick No. 203: Dadi Nicolas, DE, Virginia Tech
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The Chiefs decided to use their final pick of the NFL draft—barring a trade to get back into it—on a player who projects as developmental linebacker, but one with a lot of upside.
Dadi Nicolas never seemed comfortable playing defensive end at Virginia Tech, but he could have the skills to be a pass-rushing linebacker in Kansas City's 3-4 scheme. First, he'll need to gain strength to play at the professional level and learn how to set the edge.
Nicolas, who was born in Haiti, could become the understudy to Tamba Hali. At Virginia Tech, Nicolas totaled 165 tackles and 17 sacks. He played in 37 games for the team from 2013 to 2015.
In Kansas City, he'll likely begin his career as a situational pass-rusher, but the team likely has long-term hopes for him as an eventual starter if it can develop his skills.
Nicolas is a long-strider who has some quick moves and a nice burst. He could turn into a productive pass-rusher. He'll have to get better at taking on blocks rather than being quick to avoid them. He'll need to refine his technique and get stronger, but if that happens, this could become a good pick, particularly at this stage in the process.
Grade: B-
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