Kansas City Chiefs target defensive help on day two
By Scott Steehn
The Chiefs end the night by picking OLB Dorian O’Daniel, their third defensive player in as many picks.
With the last pick of the evening, the Chiefs chose OLB Dorian O’Daniel, a 6’1″ 223 pounder from Clemson. In 2017, he led the Tigers with 103 tackles, 11.5 for loss and five sacks. Accordingly, he was named second-team All-ACC after his senior season. He has a tremendous motor and is a sure tackler.
Though he’s undersized for a linebacker and a little slow for a full-time safety he has the kind of tenacity and skill set that will be hard to keep off of the field. Also, he is an absolute beast on special teams, recording 48 special teams tackles in his career. Even if he never cracks the starting lineup on defense, he’s the rare player who may have a long NFL career as a special teams player.
Can he contribute right away? – 100% yes…on special teams. Cracking the starting lineup may be a tall order, especially as a rookie, but he has an opportunity to make an immediate impact on the kick coverage teams.
Why was he still available? – He lacks the size of a classic OLB and the speed of a safety. Projected more like a day three pick.
Who did we pass up? – Maurice Hurst – DT – Michigan, Deon Cain – WR – Clemson, Parry Nickerson – CB – Tulane
O’Daniel has the physical ability to make plays sideline-to-sideline. He has good football speed with the ability to change direction on a dime. Even though he doesn’t fit squarely into a traditional role, O’Daniel is the kind of player who plays with a lot of heart and passion. Every team needs at least a couple of those guys, and O’Daniel would seem to fit that role perfectly.