Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: DeForest Buckner

The Kansas City Chiefs are a team known for their dynamic defense. Could they continue that tradition by drafting DeForest Buckner in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft?

The KC Chiefs have had one of the best defenses on the field the past two years. With them potentially losing a number of free agents this offseason, should the Chiefs go for a big name on defense with their first round pick?

There don’t seem to be a whole lot of cons on Buckner, but it’s unlikely that he’ll still be on the board by the time pick 28 rolls around.

If they decide to do this, one of the best defensive ends on the board in DeForest Buckner. Buckner, a senior out of Oregon, was one of the few bright spots for the Ducks’ defense in 2015 (remember that collapse in the Alamo Bowl?). He’s the second rated defensive end and eighth best overall prospect available in the draft.

What Buckner provides teams with is that he can chase down runners and has the perfect size of an NFL defensive end. He’s always making plays and bringing down the ball carrier, as evidenced by his ten and a half sacks last year.

Buckner had a total of 18 sacks in four years at Oregon and had 232 tackles. He defended ten passes and forced two fumbles. Buckner could have been a high draft pick in last year’s draft, but opted to return to Oregon after they fell just short in the National Championship in 2015.

There don’t seem to be a whole lot of cons on Buckner, but it’s unlikely that he’ll still be on the board by the time pick 28 rolls around. He’s one of the best defensive talents in this draft, and Kansas City is picking fourth to last in the first round.

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CBS Sports has Buckner being selected as early as the third pick (by San Diego) and as late as the ninth pick (by Tampa Bay), which doesn’t bode well for Kansas City’s chances of landing him.

Despite the Kansas City Chiefs’ love for bolstering a fantastic defense, DeForest Buckner will likely don another team’s jersey in 2016, but you never know. He could crash and burn at the combine, or there could be off the field drama occurring before the draft takes place.

If everything continues to go as is, however, Buckner probably won’t be hearing his name called by the KC Chiefs during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

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Would you want the Kansas City Chiefs to trade up and grab DeForest Buckner in the 2016 NFL Draft, or do you want them to target a different position?

Analysis courtesy of CBS Sports

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