Kansas City Chiefs: Drafting projects instead of starters could hurt the team

The Kansas City Chiefs love for drafting out of position defensive players has resulted in multiple players providing limited impact in desperate times.

During the Andy Reid era, especially recently, the Kansas City Chiefs have shown an interest in drafting players on defense and then changing their position. In three of the past four drafts, the Chiefs have used draft picks on defensive players and immediately changed their position.

With a defense that is struggling mightily and appears destined to continue to struggle, one has to wonder what exactly the Chiefs are looking for and how they value their defensive draft picks. Because to this point, this organization can’t draft defense.

It started with Dee Ford. A pass-rushing defensive end at Auburn, questions were entering the draft whether Ford could be stout enough and provide enough run defense to be an every-down player in the NFL.

While he appeared to be a good athlete, the Chiefs were trying to find someone to replace Tamba Hali and their inability to do so here hindered their cap for seasons to come. They viewed Ford as someone that could make the change. Unfortunately, Ford’s failure to stop the run hinders the entire defense when he’s on the field, and his injury issues (another concern coming out of Auburn) have created problems with roster space.

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Now Ford enters what is likely his last season with the Chiefs and is guaranteed his 2018 salary. Now the Chiefs are stuck with Ford and his 8.718 million salary in 2018, a number that likely hindered what the organization could do during the offseason. Had the Chiefs just drafted a player that appeared to fit in the 3-4 outside linebacker spot during the draft, this situation could have been avoided.

No worries, during the 2017 draft, the Chiefs drafted in the second round Tanoh Kpassagnon, a defensive tackle/defensive end from Villanova. A massive beast of a human being, Kpassganon appeared pegged as a defensive end in 3-4 defensive front scheme (what the Chiefs run).

Soon after arriving in the Midwest, the Chiefs decided to move the 6 foot 7, 290-pound lineman to outside linebacker. Kpassagon disappeared for the 2017 season, save for his appearance in the ‘backup bowl’ in the Week 17 game in Denver.

Kpassagnon has certainly appeared to take strides and with his athleticism and strength to appear that he should be the starting outside linebacker opposite of Justin Houston this season. Whether or not the Chiefs put Kpassagnon ahead of Ford remains to be seen. Kpassagnon still plays like he would be a better defensive end than linebacker with his size and his strength far better suited to playing along the line. However, at least for 2018, Kpassagon is playing on the outside and should be starting due to a lack of anyone else, especially over Ford.

Have no fears, after trading star-crossed cornerback Marcus Peters to Los Angeles during the early part of the offseason with a massive hole of talent at the corner spot outside of the recently acquired Kendall Fuller, the Chiefs entered the 2018 draft in the catbird seat able to find a plethora of talent in the vicinity of where their draft selection was slated. With big-time prospects Josh Jackson (Iowa), Carlton Davis (Auburn) and Isaiah Oliver (Colorado) still on the board and fits to what the Chiefs are trying to do, the Chiefs traded up for…Breeland Speaks.

Speaks is a very raw defensive lineman that is a good athlete but not overly explosive and doesn’t always play with good pad level. (Draft combine profile here). He also has had issues in the past with controlling his emotions on the field. Also, had minimal production at Ole Miss. So the Chiefs decided to take a player both in size and athleticism that is almost identical to Allen Bailey and moved him to outside linebacker?

While Chiefs fans see Speaks unable to run down Chase Daniel in a preseason game or get somersaulted by offensive lineman and destined to do very little in 2018, the Packers, Buccaneers and Falcons appear ready to benefit from production from three players that all individually would be likely the, at worst, the third corner on the roster. Now the organization is in scramble mode trying to find bodies to play corner in a league that’s all about passing the football. Confidence and good feelings are not a part of the Chiefs’ sense of the upcoming 2018 season.

The Chiefs have four picks in the top three rounds in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft and will have a slew of issues and holes that will need to be addressed. At this point, it’s hard to imagine how the Chiefs will not be targeting cornerbacks early and often. Maybe they will look to add someone off the waiver wire during the upcoming cut-down weekend. Maybe there will be an athletic punter available Veach and associates believe can cover Keenan Allen.