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Kansas City Chiefs: What does Breeland Speaks bring?

By Travis Steffen

OXFORD, MS - OCTOBER 14: Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Breeland Speaks celebrates after a Vanderbilt Commodores safety during the third quarter of a college football game on October 14, 2017, at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium in Oxford, MS. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS - OCTOBER 14: Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Breeland Speaks celebrates after a Vanderbilt Commodores safety during the third quarter of a college football game on October 14, 2017, at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium in Oxford, MS. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Kansas City Chiefs added another second-round talent in the 2018 NFL Draft to the outside linebacker position in Breeland Speaks. What will he bring?

OXFORD, MS – OCTOBER 14: Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Breeland Speaks celebrates after a Vanderbilt Commodores safety during the third quarter of a college football game on October 14, 2017, at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium in Oxford, MS. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS – OCTOBER 14: Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Breeland Speaks celebrates after a Vanderbilt Commodores safety during the third quarter of a college football game on October 14, 2017, at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium in Oxford, MS. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Breeland Speaks with their second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Just a year ago, the team selected Tanoh Kpassagnon for the outside linebacker position as well. One thing this tells us is that Kansas City is all in on getting bigger and stronger at the outside linebacker position.

There have been many comparisons to Speaks measurements and athletic traits to former Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali. It’s too early to make a full comparison, but when you take a look at each players college film, there are some similarities there as well. His relentless motor to never give up on a play is one of the biggest traits that jump out.

Tamba Hali wasn’t gift wrapped and ready to dominate in the NFL right away either. Hali progressed over his first couple of seasons and developed into the dominant edge rusher we all remember him by. He complimented his brute strength that worked in college alongside his high motor with elite hand fighting skills that elevated his game to the next level.

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Both players are around the same size coming out of college as Speaks measured in at 6’3″ and 283 pounds while Hali measured 6’3″ and 275 pounds. Both players ran a 4.87 40-yard dash which is pretty solid for their size. Veach spoke about Speaks coming in and it proved that he wants more power than speed at the position, meaning that outside linebacker Dee Ford’s style of game will not excel in what Veach wants the defense to do.

"“You can run a 4.4 and a 4.5, but I think everything in this league starts with the power game, the power rush player. I would take a 4.7 guy that can power rush, as opposed to a 4.5 guy that really can’t. So this guy can do that. He can rush the quarterback with power. He can kick inside if he has to, and again, he goes all day.”"

When watching Speaks on film from last season, I couldn’t believe how Ole Miss lined him up. Speaks spent time lining up as a three-tech defensive end, standing outside linebacker, and even are an inside linebacker. There wasn’t an area I didn’t see Speaks blitz from. Let’s take a look at the film and see what the Chiefs are getting from Speaks right away.

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