Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Kenny Clark

After a dominant defense won Super Bowl 50 for the Broncos, many believed that could be the way the Kansas City Chiefs get over the hump and win a Super Bowl. Could that be the route they take in the draft?

Kansas City has had a very good defensive line the last few seasons and has done a very good job of that with the re-signing of Jaye Howard. With former Pro Bowler Dontari Poe still performing at a high level, and probably coming back stronger after his back surgery last year, the defensive line is not a priority, but it never hurts to add talent.

The talent in this situation being Kenny Clark. Clark is a defensive tackle out of UCLA, where in 2015 he had 73 tackles and five and a half sacks.

According to NFL.com, he has the strength and instincts to be a good tackle. With his wrestling background, Clark has a lot of power at the point of attack. He shows very good awareness when it comes to the runners direction and also when there is a screen. Clark’s size allows him to fight through double teams and get through to the runner.

According to CBS Sports, his size could prevent him from going in the higher rounds of the draft. He is not small, but he is average for the position. Initially he will be a two-down player, but very well could develop into a three down player that could wreak havoc in all stages of the game.

Combine Results

40-yard dash – 5.06 seconds
Bench press – 29 reps
Vertical jump – 28.5 inch
Broad jump – 102.0 inch
20-yard shuttle – 4.62 seconds

Combine results courtesy of NFL.com’s Draft Tracker

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It would be interesting to see Kenny Clark in Kansas City, where they have a base 3-4 defense. That would likely put him in the nose tackle or one of the end slots. The nose position to date is probably the one that needs the least help with Jaye Howard and Dontari Poe leading the way.

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If Clark was able to play defensive end like he did for the Bruins, then he could find himself thrust into the lineup. Allen Bailey is very good, but Mike DeVito is still not re-signed. That could make Kenny Clark worth a look from the KC Chiefs.

Clark would be a very good addition to an already potent Kansas City Chiefs defense. He would need to take some time to get bigger and work on some of his mechanics to become a better than average player in the NFL.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared him to Indianapolis Colts David Parry, who in his rookie year recorded 15 solo tackles and one sack. If Kenny Clark was to provide a similar rookie season for Kansas City, they would be looking for more out of a defensive lineman.

Kenny Clark could be a very good player for the Chiefs, but they should not waste a high pick on Kenny Clark. If he is still available in the second round, then yes, draft him.

Next: An Unrealistic Mock Draft

Would you want the KC Chiefs to select Kenny Clark in the 2016 NFL Draft?

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