Kansas City Chiefs 2014 Draft Recap: Fan Grade Poll

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The Kansas City Chiefs selected cornerback, Phillip Gaines, with the 87th pick of the 2014 NFL draft on Friday night. Gaines certainly fills a position of need but I’ll be honest, I didn’t see this coming.

Either way, Gaines is the newest Chief, so let’s get to know him. Nolan Nawrocki of NFL.com has this to say about Gaines,

"Nice length. Terrific timed speed, blazing sub-4.4 times at the combine. Can be deployed in zone coverage. Plays the pocket. Good production on the ball, with 35 passes defended the last two seasons. Tough and competitive. Is hardworking and well respected by coaches and teammates. Recorded second-quickest three-cone drill among cornerbacks at the combine (6.62 seconds)."

The kid looks like he can play but I just felt like there were better corners on the board. I guess that’s why they don’t pay me to make these types of decisions.

More from Chiefs Draft Analysis

Phillip Gaines was originally projected to fall in the 4-5th round so maybe you can say this was a reach?

Remember Chiefs fans, when we first started speculating on the NFL draft, most of you believed the Chiefs needed to go defense early and often.

Gaines blazed a 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine, but NFL.com suggests he doesn’t quite play up to his timed speed and lacks power and strength due to poor development.

The remaining upside that Gaines could tap with an NFL training program and technique work might be the reason for Dorsey’s selection. Gaines already possesses many traits that cannot be coached or developed, such as: instinctive ball skills, long arms, straight-line speed, and agility. What he needs is more refinement.

One of the shortcomings the Chiefs had at their corner position was lack of top-end speed. Receivers could run away from the guys the Chiefs had on their roster last season. Gaines might be a move to address that problem.

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