Kansas City Chiefs 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Michael Dickson

The Kansas City Chiefs may be moving on from Dustin Colquitt. If they make that decision, then Michael Dickson of Texas is the clear option moving forward.

One of the biggest pending free agents for the Kansas City Chiefs is long-time punter Dustin Colquitt. It might surprise you to know this, but Colquitt is tied for the longest tenure in Kansas City with linebacker Derrick Johnson. However, the Chiefs need to think about the future. That may mean drafting Michael Dickson of Texas.

Dustin Colquitt has been with Kansas City for 13 years. That’s a long career in the NFL, especially with just one team. With Colquitt hitting free agency at this exact point, it make sense that the organization would start thinking about their next 13 years.

Punter, and the other core special teams positions, are different than other spots on the roster. Teams generally can’t afford to keep a “player in waiting” on the roster at those spots. We saw the Panthers try that with a kicker this past year, and look how that turned out. Harrison Butker is now playing for us.

So what can the Chiefs do to look to the future at punter? Glad you asked…

Michael Dickson – P – Texas

NFLDraftScout.com Scouting Report

This may have been the best possible time for the Kansas City Chiefs to need a punter. It’s actually a good draft class (lol), and Michael Dickson is the best of the bunch. The Australian-born punter had an excellent season that culminated with an MVP performance in the Texas Bowl, and winning the Ray Guy Award.

Michael Dickson seems to do everything you want as a punter. He’s got a tremendous leg and can change field position with a single kick. Excellent precision to put the ball where he wants it and pin the opponent in bad position. Has the ability to hang the ball in the air, allowing his coverage team to run under it.

Stat To Know: Dickson downed 10 of his 11 punts in the Texas Bowl inside of the 20.

I really can’t say that I’ve found any “holes” in Michael Dickson’s game. As far as punters go, the Aussie seems to check all of the boxes. I’m sure there are others out there that can get into the deep nuances of the position and point out something I’m just not aware of…but I’m really just not going to get that deep into punter game tape.

The Next 13 Years

Dustin Colquitt has been one of the most important, and popular, members of the Kansas City Chiefs for the last 13 years. If he is truly done in Kansas City, he will get a heart-felt goodbye from the team and the fan base. However, part of being a general manager means forgetting the past 13 years, and thinking about the next 13 years.

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It’s not a stretch to say that Michael Dickson is the most highly touted punter prospect since Dustin Colquitt himself. That’s tremendous praise, and if Dickson lives up to the hype, the Chiefs could be set at punter for the long-term once again. That’s a sound strategy for shoring up your special teams core.

The importance of a good punter is often overlooked by football fans. That shouldn’t be the case in Kansas City as we have had a great punter to watch over the past decade plus. Chiefs fans know the importance of being able to flip the field. That’s what Michael Dickson brings to the table. It would be foolish to pass that up in my book.

The NFL Draft is all about the future of an organization, and punter is definitely a spot where the Kansas City Chiefs need to think about that future. It’s rare that a punter comes with such high accolades across the board. Michael Dickson appears to be the perfect prospect at the position at the perfect time for the Chiefs.