KC Chiefs: Grading the 2014 Draft

Round One: Dee Ford

Grade: B+

The Chiefs may have been planning for the future when they drafted Dee Ford, who was known as an explosive pass rusher out of college. Ford looked mostly like a bust in 2014, but that’s mostly because he never got a chance to play.

Ford totaled three tackles in limited action but did show flashes of his pass rush ability with 1.5 sacks. The Chiefs didn’t really need help on the edge as they had two of the premier pass rushers in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.

Justin Houston was a free-agent last season and Tamba Hali is entering free-agency now. Dee Ford was mostly insurance in case the Chiefs weren’t able to sign either Houston or Hali to a contract. Dee Ford seemed like a reach at the time, but he guarantees the presence of pressure off the edge for years to come.

While the sacks were impressive it was the defended pass in the open field that may have shown just how talented and smart Ford is.

2015 was mostly like 2014 for Dee Ford until the Chiefs played against the Buffalo Bills. Justin Houston hyper-extended his knee and Ford was thrust into action. Ford started for most of the rest of the season and showed the pass rush ability that he is capable of.

Even though it was against a depleted San Diego team, Dee Ford stepped up in a big way. Ford recorded three sacks in that game and played a big role in defending a would be touchdown pass that would have tied the game.

While the sacks were impressive it was the defended pass in the open field that may have shown just how talented and smart Ford is. If he continues to develop and can earn more playing time, the Chiefs will have a very dynamic player on their hands.

If Hali sticks around, the Chiefs will have some great third-down packages to flash on defense. He’s not there yet, but if Ford turns out to be the player I think he is, he’ll earn an ‘A’ grade by the end of next season.

Next: No Pains No Gaines