Kansas City Chiefs: Rashaan Evans goes at Chiefs traded pick
By Britt Zank
With the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes II. TheTennessee Titans also took Rashaan Evans at 22.
No, that paragraph wasn’t wrong, there were two players chosen with the 22nd pick in the draft this year. That pick was traded by the Kansas City Chiefs last season as part of the trade package to the Buffalo Bills to move up and get Patrick Mahomes II. Easily the most exciting pick in recent Chiefs memory, possibly the most important as well.
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Mahomes will start this season as the team’s franchise quarterback who many believe has the ability to lead them to the promise land that is playoff success. It was well worth the pick and if he is as advertised, it will be considered a steal ten years from now.
Someone had to actually make the pick this year though, and it ended up being the Tennessee Titans. The Bills had the pick from the Chiefs, but they traded it to the Baltimore Ravens (and 65th pick) for the 15th overall pick. The Ravens then traded the pick (and pick 215) to the Titans in return for picks 25 and 125. Pick number 22 was traded three times and owned by four different teams.
While the pick took a long road to selection today, the pick was finally made by the Titans and that pick was Rashaan Evans. Evans is the next inside linebacker from the linebacker factory that is the University of Alabama.
I’m surprised he fell that far down in the draft as I think he’s the best middle linebacker in the draft. He’s a 6’2 235 tackling machine that immediately upgrades one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.
He could use to put on some muscle and bulk up to around 250, but even now he’s a plug and play starter. He sheds blockers well and can move sideline to sideline with good speed. He’s not going to be shutting down Antonio Brown or anything, but he is someone who you do not have to worry about in coverage.
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Evans is a player the Chiefs could have used as a replacement for Derrick Johnson. In theory, they could have saved the money spent on Anthony Hitchens and plugged him in next to Reggie Ragland. The extra money could have been used to sign a free agent safety, corner or another area of need for the team.
That being said, the Chiefs made the best pick they could have made. They locked up a franchise quarterback for the next four seasons. After going against the grain of how to build a Super Bowl champion for nearly 35 years, the Chiefs finally chose the right path.