Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Shaq Lawson

The Kansas City Chiefs pride themselves on great defense. Will they continue that trend in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by going with a defensive stud? If so, they should consider drafting Shaq Lawson out of Clemson.

The KC Chiefs hold the 28th overall pick in this year’s draft, and there’s really no clear cut position for them to target this year. They’re a team with a great defense, but could potentially be losing some key players to free agency this offseason.

If the Chiefs want to keep their defense strong, then they should take a hard look at drafting Shaq Lawson with their first round pick.

Lawson, a junior out of Clemson, recorded 12.5 sacks last season and 20 overall. He had 123 tackles in three years with the Tigers, and would be a great addition to a Chiefs defense that has been one of the best in the NFL over the past two years.

Lawson is fantastic against the run and good at blocking off the edge, according to CBS Sports. He is considered the third best defensive end in a very defensive heavy draft, and is considered to be a top 15 prospect.

Looking at that last sentence, it might seem like there’s not a chance Lawson falls to the 28th pick, but that’s the beauty of the NFL Draft. You just never know what’s going to happen. Remember last year how the Chiefs got Marcus Peters 18th overall? Yeah, that was a steal.

Lawson is the perfect size for an NFL defensive end, and with the Chiefs potentially losing guys like Mike DeVito and Jaye Howard to free agency, they will need a new guy to replace them.

More from KC Kingdom

"I see Shaq as an outside linebacker in a 3-4. He’s not the guy you want to turn loose against the quarterback, but he is the guy that will make it hard for tight ends to block him in the run game. We knew we couldn’t run at him and it changed how we called plays.” — ACC offensive coach-Quote above courtesy of NFL.com"

The Kansas City Chiefs need to keep their defense strong if they want their “window of contention” to stay open for a few more seasons. They had one of the best defenses in the NFL last year, but with strong defensive players like Howard, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Sean Smith, and Eric Berry potentially leaving, Kansas City needs to do its best to bring in some strong fresh blood.

While Shaq Lawson will be a popular commodity come draft day, there is a chance he could slide to the 28th pick. NFL.com states that he shows obvious signs of fatigue throughout games and that his sack total will likely decrease in the pros.

Both Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of CBS Sports have Lawson being selected in the top 20 picks. Bruglar has him going tenth overall to the New York Giants and Rang has the Detroit Lions selecting him with the 16th overall pick.

Next: Chiefs Turn Heads With First Round Pick

Would you want the KC Chiefs to call Shaq Lawson’s name on draft day?

Home/Chiefs Draft Analysis