Kansas City Chiefs: Way Too Early 2016 NFL Mock Draft

Round 7 – Pick 217: Ryan Malleck (Tight End, Virginia Tech)

With their final pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select… Ryan Malleck, tight end, Virginia Tech.

The Chiefs need to pick up another tight end, whether it’s in free agency or in the draft, and here in the final round they do so. They select Ryan Malleck, who joins Travis Kelce, James O’Shaughnessy, and Demetrius Harris as the KC Chiefs tight ends.

Malleck is a seventh-round projection, but could bring something vital to the table. He is a very good blocker along the line, which is something that tight ends should be able to do.

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We’re not talking elite tight end with Malleck, and no one would expect a seventh-round pick to jump out and be the leading receiver for the Chiefs, but it’s a position the Chiefs need to work on.

Malleck had less than 300 yards receiving in 2015 and only two touchdowns, but a lot of that stemmed from his quarterback being hurt for the first month of the season. The two never really got into much of a rhythm after that.

By the time the final round begins, teams are looking for a shot in the dark with their selections. Sometimes, teams get steals in the final round, other times (and more often than not), they never see much success with their seventh-round selections.

With tight end being a position in need of an upgrade, this pick could benefit the team.

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