2017 NFL Draft Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Jordan Willis
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the market for a pass rusher. Local prospect Jordan Willis of Kansas State could be the right fit.
Last season was not a good one for the Kansas City Chiefs pass rush, and the team is clearly looking to change that. The Chiefs have interviewed a number of edge players for the NFL Draft. One player getting some notice is Kansas State linebacker Jordan Willis.
The Kansas City pass rush should not be in the state that it is. However, age has caught up to Tamba Hali, and Justin Houston has been dealing with injuries. That left 2014 1st round pick Dee Ford as the Chiefs primary guy last year. Unfortunately, Ford has been very disappointing outside of a five game stretch last year.
The Chiefs should be better at getting after the passer in 2017 with a healthy Justin Houston. However, there is clearly need for a more reliable option on the roster. Kansas City personnel have already been interviewing many of the top pass rushers in this year’s draft class.
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The pass rush is vital to the continued success of the Kansas City defense, so it makes sense to invest there. This year’s draft class has a lot of top end players to get after the quarterback. It would not be the least bit surprising to see the Chiefs use their first round pick on one.
Jordan Willis – OLB – Kansas State
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Over the past few weeks, Jordan Willis has started to get some hype as a potential first round pick. Willis was a favorite of K State coach Bill Snyder. However, Willis has spent most of his career under the radar, being passed over for all conference honors in 2015. He’s been a late bloomer on most draft boards, but is a very talented player.
Jordan Willis is a relentless attacker who consistently finds his way into the backfield. Good recognition skills to read the play early and adjust. Explosive out of his stance to get upfield on the tackle. Has the strength to move linemen when he gets them going. Plays with solid leverage. Excellent tackler who wraps up every time.
The only real negative on Jordan Willis is that he isn’t very agile. When he gets moving in one direction, it’s hard for him to change. He’ll show his pass rush move early, and can get hung up if the blocker is ready for it.
Jordan Willis is best suited for a 3-4 defense, which is perfect for Kansas City. The few concerns about his game will be largely mitigated form the two-point stance. He’s a tireless and productive player, which is what the Chiefs really need right now.
The pass rush simply did not do what it needed to do for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016. So it should be no surprise that the Chiefs are looking at players to fix that. The pass rush is vital to the success of the Kansas City defense, so getting a boost there will have far reaching effects.