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Kansas City Chiefs: Way Too Early 2018 NFL Mock Draft

By Leigh Oleszczak

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell speaks during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Commissioner of the National Football League Roger Goodell speaks during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Jerome Baker (17) (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Jerome Baker (17) (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

ROUND 2: PICK 22 (54TH OVERALL) – JEROME BAKER, LB (OHIO STATE)

We all watched how poor of an effort the Chiefs pass rush would give on a week to week basis this past season and it’s time to make that unit younger. The Chiefs do so with their first pick in the draft and add outside linebacker Jerome Baker to their ranks.

Baker, a junior at Ohio State this past year, declared early for the draft and will head to the pros this year. Baker spent three years with the Buckeyes, but was only a starter for the previous two seasons.

During his time at Ohio State, Baker totaled 159 tackles, seven sacks, and two interceptions. This past season he had 72 tackles (eight for loss) with three and a half sacks, three defended passes, and two recovered fumbles (one of which he took for a score).

The Chiefs need help on defense in 2018 and drafting Jerome Baker is a great starting point. Something that stood out to me, however, when reading more on Baker is that sometimes he didn’t appear to give it his all.

The Chiefs need help on defense in 2018 and drafting Jerome Baker is a great starting point.

Patrick Murphy of Bucknuts wrote up on what the Buckeyes would be missing without Baker next season. While most of what Murphy wrote was overwhelmingly positive concerning the linebacker, there was this blurb,

"The simple answer is the team’s top tackler over the last two seasons. Baker may have had his ups and downs during his time in Columbus — there were games where he just didn’t seem to be as engaged — but he found a way to get to the ball carrier frequently and, most importantly, bring him down."

Obviously the rest of that paragraph was good to read, but if the Chiefs are ever down by a significant amount of points, would Jerome Baker be the type to  not try as hard? Having Andy Reid as the head coach makes me less anxious about drafting someone with that reputation and for the most part, this is a player that seems capable of bringing a lot of potential to a rebuilding defense.

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