Kansas City Chiefs 2020 NFL Draft Capsule

TEAM DRAFT NEEDS

Cornerback
Bashaud Breeland re-signed, but only for one year, and the group of Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton and Keith Reaser isn’t inspiring. Kansas City should upgrade by the end of Round 2, with Clemson’s A.J. Terrell, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs or LSU’s Kristian Fulton all options at No. 32 overall.

Interior offensive line
Right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has had injury issues, while left guard Andrew Wylie was hurt and then lost his job to Stefen Wisniewski last year. Center Austin Reiter is entering the final year of his contract, meaning at least one addition is needed inside. Andy Reid can find bargains up front, though, so an early pick might not be necessary.

Defensive tackle
The Chiefs want to keep Chris Jones, but he’s going to be awfully expensive after receiving the franchise tag. It’s possible he gets traded or plays 2020 on the tag and hits free agency again next spring. Even if Jones signs a long-term deal, Kansas City could use another interior lineman with pass-rush upside.



Linebacker
Reggie Ragland left for Detroit, Darron Lee remains a free agent, and Dorian O’Daniel lost his defensive role completely. The Chiefs were exploited often by running backs in the passing game and sorely need a better coverage option. LSU’s Patrick Queen would fit perfectly at No. 32.

Running back
Damien Williams is entering a contract year, and Darwin Thompson (2019 sixth-rounder) did little as a rookie. Even if the Chiefs extend Williams, they could use another backfield member, perhaps one with some physicality.

Tight end
Travis Kelce is locked in, but there is little behind him, and Reid likes to mix multiple TEs into his offense.

FIVE-YEAR DRAFT HISTORY

It’s hard to quibble with the Chiefs’ approach. The whole 2015 class has moved on, but each of the top four picks were major contributors before leaving via trade or free agency.

The 2016 class netted elite talents on both sides of the ball in Chris Jones (second round) and Tyreek Hill (fifth), and the bar was raised even higher with the trade-up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017. Kareem Hunt was also a great find that year (third round), but off-field concerns led to his release.

The impact has been less of late, with Breeland Speaks disappointing and this year’s class producing only one starter so far, but the 2019 first-rounder was used to acquire Frank Clark. The biggest complaint would be limited later-round impact.

Best pick: QB Patrick Mahomes, R1 2017: Mahomes was hardly a consensus top-10 prospect, with major mechanical issues, but Andy Reid saw brilliance and is now reaping the benefits.

Worst pick: CB KeiVarae Russell, R3 2016: Third-round picks usually get some time to prove themselves, but Russell was cut less than five months after draft day.

2019 STATISTICS

• TOTAL OFFENSE: 379.2 (6th)
• RUSHING: 98.1 (23rd)
• PASSING: 281.1 (5th)
• TOTAL DEFENSE: 349.6 (17th)
• RUSHING: 128.2 (26th)
• PASSING: 221.4 (8th)

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)