Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Noah Spence

The Kansas City Chiefs are always looking to bolster their defense. Could Noah Spence be someone they take a look at in the 2016 NFL Draft?

The KC Chiefs hold the 28th overall pick in the draft this year, and if the last two years are an indication of anything, John Dorsey will go with a strong defensive player to keep this unit scary.

One of the best defensive ends available in the 2016 NFL Draft is Noah Spence out of Eastern Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky wasn’t Spence’s first school. He originally was a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes, but repeated failed drug tests got him banned from the Big Ten. That was when he transferred to Eastern Kentucky, and he still was able to put up stats.

Spence finished his one season with the Colonels racking up 22 and a half tackles for loss (63 tackles total), 11 and a half sacks, and three forced fumbles. Spence opted to forego his senior season and enter the draft this year.

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Combine Results

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• 40-yard dash – 4.80 seconds
• Bench press – 25 reps
• Vertical jump – 35.0 inch
• Broad jump – 121.0 inch*
• 3-cone drill – 7.21 seconds
• 20-yard shuttle – 4.35 seconds

*=Combine top performer

Combine results courtesy of NFL.com’s Draft Tracker

While Spence would be a great addition to the Chiefs defense, his off the field issues should be concerning to most. He failed drug tests in both 2013 and 2014, which got him banned from the Big Ten. He then was arrested in May of 2015 for alcohol intoxication and second-degree disorderly conduct, all of these according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.

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Zierlein does go on to say that NFL teams are excited for Spence’s recovery. He seems to really think the kid can turn it around, and it sounds like if he does indeed do that, that maybe things will pan out for him in the pros.

"His issues are well-­documented, but his recovery and turnaround is what has NFL teams excited. Spence has been accountable for his actions and worked just as hard off the field as he has on the field to change his life and attack his problems. His inability to hold the point of attack combined with his ability to rush the passer make him a logical choice as a 3-­4 rush linebacker. The speed of the game make take a year or two to get used to, but Spence should become a starter early in his career.– Zierlein"

Really, most of the knocks on Spence are about his off the field issues. Analysts aren’t saying many bad things about his on the field performance, which is good to see. That also means that teams will be high on the kid though.

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Drafting Noah Spence could be risky, but for the most part, it sounds like he’d fit right in with the Kansas City Chiefs’ dominant defensive front. He’s a young, powerful prospect who really could flourish in the right system.