Kansas City Chiefs: Supplemental Draft possibilities

The Kansas City Chiefs will have the opportunity to take a cornerback in the Supplemental Draft on Wednesday. What would it take?

The Kansas City Chiefs have another opportunity to bring talent to the roster through the Supplemental Draft on Wednesday. The two players that are receiving the most attention are cornerbacks, an area that the Chiefs could use some more help at. Let’s take a look at the two cornerbacks that Kansas City could be interested in and what it would mean for the Chiefs.

Both Sam Beal and Adonis Alexander are cornerbacks that would likely have had their names called during a regular draft. Beal, out of Western Michigan, is the front-runner and his being projected to go in the high second or early third-round. Teams turn in what pick from next years draft they would be willing to give up for these players and whoever has the highest bid, wins.

Beal has earned a great deal of attention and even been called “the Best Supplemental Draft Prospect Since Josh Gordon” by Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Coming off his best statistical season at Western Michigan, Beal earned All-MAC second-team honors. While Beal decided not to enter the 2018 draft, while being considered for being drafted in the Top 100, he wasn’t expected to be able to play football for Western Michigan due to his academics.

During his final season at Western Michigan, Beal recorded two interceptions and ten pass breakups in ten games. The question marks don’t come from his play but his off the field abilities and what has happened from Supplemental Draft players in the past. Josh Gordon is by far the most significant prospect to come out and have success as one of the best wide receivers in the league.

Unfortunately, Gordon has faced numerous suspensions and struggled to be available for the Cleveland Browns. While Beal’s issues were his academic hours and scores, it still leaves a question mark if he will need extra attention to keep in line.

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Standing at 6’1″, Beal has the height to get teams excited about a tall, lengthy, and physical ball hawk. He will need to put on some weight as he lost ten pounds for his pro day workouts. There’s no doubt that he can play at the next level, but what would it mean in 2018? Would he be able to make a difference for the Chiefs right away?

Given that we are in July and Beal has not spent any time with the team, he would already be behind going into training camp. Rookies have already had rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp with the team and learned the new system they will be playing in. Beal will have some significant catching up to do.

That doesn’t mean that he couldn’t become a contributor down the stretch for the Chiefs. The cornerback position is one of the top concerning position groups for Kansas City and adding another talented player wouldn’t hurt. Beal would likely have to sit for at least the first half of the season and learn the new system, but if the Chiefs are struggling or someone goes down with an injury, it could be beneficial to have Beal ready to go.

Another perspective to look at is the Chiefs have two second-round picks for the 2019 NFL Draft. Acquiring another second-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams for former cornerback Marcus Peters, this could be an opportunity for general manager Brett Veach. Instead of waiting till next offseason to use that pick, he could draft Beal with a second rounder now and develop him for a season.

While this wouldn’t make Beal someone that could help the Chiefs needs right away, it would be ahead of the game for the 2019 season. Giving Beal a full season to learn and get some reps with the defense in 2018 could be a good move by the Chiefs. Cornerbacks David Amerson and Steven Nelson will both need new contracts after this year or will be let go. Beal could find himself replacing one of them next season and having the experience and playbook already down.

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I wouldn’t get my hopes up about grabbing one of these guys on Wednesday, but it’s entirely something to think about. The Chiefs need cornerbacks and giving him time to develop for a season before they desperately need him could become beneficial for Kansas City.