Kansas City Chiefs draft picks unlikely to start in 2017
By Ben Almquist
Kansas City Chiefs Rookies
Ukeme Eligwe – ILB
While he has drawn high praise on Special Teams, it seems very unlikely that Ukeme Eligwe will break into the Kansas City Chiefs starting lineup on defense. The Chiefs seem very pleased in pairing Derrick Johnson and Ramik Wilson together as the starting inside linebackers. That pushes Eligwe down in the competition.
Rookie ILB Ukeme Eligwe, who drew praise a few days ago from Toub AND Sutton, does a nice job filling and sticking Ware in the hole.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) August 3, 2017
The Chiefs have also added Kevin Pierre-Louis and Josh Mauga this offseason, so Ukeme Eligwe has some competition. Just earning a roster spot at this point isn’t a given, though it would seem he has an edge on Special Teams. A position many thought was a weakness has turned out to have some quality options.
How Does He Get On The Field?
Ukeme Eligwe will certainly be getting on the field for Special Teams. However, beyond that it gets very murky. The Chiefs have their starters, and it appears they may even have some specialists identified. That limits the opportunities that Eligwe will get. He’ll need the injury bug to hit in order to get a chance…and we don’t want that.