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KC Chiefs: Deshaun Watson to Chiefs in Latest Mock Draft

By Leigh Oleszczak

Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) could be on the KC Chiefs draft radar - Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) could be on the KC Chiefs draft radar - Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports /
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The KC Chiefs have a lot of different directions they can go when it comes to the 2017 NFL Draft. Will they finally decide to draft a quarterback in the first round? The latest mock draft says yes.

Erik Lambert of NFL Mocks has put out his most recent mock draft and has the Kansas City Chiefs taking Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson with their first round pick.

Say whaaaat? The Chiefs drafted a quarterback in the first round?! You’re crazy, Erik!

That’s not quite my mentality, but I’m sure a lot of fans are reacting that way whenever they see a quarterback mocked to Kansas City in round one. That’s probably because the Chiefs haven’t selected a signal caller in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1983.

This could be the year that changes though. Lambert writes,

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    • "The Kansas City Chiefs need to start thinking about bringing in some young competition. Especially if the team makes an early exit from the playoffs. Smith remains the competent, efficient and opportunistic game manager he’s always been but if he can’t break through to a Super Bowl this year, it’s time to consider a change.Deshaun Watson has enjoyed a stellar career at Clemson, showcasing his natural athletic ability mixed with big-game poise and productivity. Some worry about his streak accuracy and good-not-great arm strength but he seems to do just fine against the best programs in the country."

    While it’d be cool to see the Chiefs finally make that type of gamble in the first round, I’m still not sure this is the route we’ll see them go in for this draft. This year’s crop of quarterbacks really aren’t that spectacular and the Chiefs could probably get just as decent of a prospect in the second or even third round.

    Watson would be a nice fit for Andy Reid though and Lambert mentioned the Watson-Donovan McNabb comparison in his write-up. Reid made McNabb a stellar quarterback and could do the same with Watson for sure.

    Another question to consider is if Watson would even be on the board by the time the Chiefs pick. Lambert had them selecting 30th in this particular draft, which if that were the case, it’d mean they lost in the AFC Championship Game.

    With Watson being one of the more high-profiled college quarterbacks this year, I highly doubt he drops to the last three picks of the first round. What do I know though? I’m no Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay.

    John Dorsey (who is a top choice to be the future Packers general manager, which could end up changing things) has typically gone with addressing depth in the draft. Quarterback would be the best possible depth to draft, as Alex Smith is nearing the end of his tenure in Kansas City and will need to be replaced in the next few years.

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    While I don’t SEE the Chiefs drafting a quarterback in round one, they should definitely consider it. After rumors swirled that they wanted to select Paxton Lynch last year, maybe Dorsey and Andy Reid are going to shake things up in 2017.

    If Watson is still available when the Chiefs are on the clock, then they should absolutely go for him.  Here’s a team who hasn’t gambled on a quarterback in 34 years. It’s time to stop relying on castoffs from other teams and develop your own signal caller.

    CBS Sports has Deshaun Watson as the second best quarterback prospect, but the National Championship Game has yet to take place. He could jump to the top prospect or drop depending on his performance in that game.

    There are some questions about Watson’s durability and accuracy, but he’d likely have a year to sit behind Smith before taking over full-time.

    One last thing we’ll have to keep an eye on this offseason is what the Chiefs do with backup quarterback Nick Foles. He only signed a one-year deal with the team in August, but there is a second-year option ranging from $6.75 to $16 million.

    If the Chiefs pick up that option, then their chances of going with a quarterback in the first round will probably drop a bit. That’s not to say they wouldn’t draft one in the second or third round though.

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    At the end of the day, this is still really way too soon to be seriously speculating about what the KC Chiefs will do in the 2017 NFL Draft. They still have a playoff game (or three, hopefully) to compete in and that’s the only thing on their minds right now.

    Would you want the Chiefs to draft Deshaun Watson?

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