Kansas City Chiefs: Wish list for 2019 NFL Draft
By John McCarty
There are tons of talented prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. Here are the prospects who make my draft wish list for the Kansas City Chiefs in this April’s draft.
The NFL Draft is a crazy strange event that has created a cottage industry of insiders and experts evaluating incoming talent and where that prospect should go and what they can do. What makes the NFL in general so unique is two people can view a team, player or in the draft a prospect and come away with two vastly different opinions. Kansas City Chiefs fans know that all too well.
With that in mind, here is my wish list, players that I believe will benefit the Chiefs not only in 2019, but in seasons beyond.
Who do I like as options in the first with perhaps a few surprises
Irv Smith Jr, Tight End, Alabama:
Irv Smith has been a draft favorite of mine for the Chiefs since the very start of the process. With Demetrius Harris, Chris Conley and Anthony Sherman all possibly (likely) leaving in free agency, and Travis Kelce getting older, the opportunity for an immediate impact in both the running and passing games exists. Smith is a talented, young tight end capable of lining up in the slot as a receiver (replacing Conley) while also blocking/running routes from a traditional inline tight end position (replacing Harris/Sherman).
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Safety, Florida
Extremely athletic and versatile safety prospect, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is capable of playing almost all safety positions and can provide depth playing slot cornerback. The only true issue to his game is tackling, which ranges from ‘non-existent’ to ‘tries’.
While his tackling improved dramatically as a junior, his earlier seasons left much to be desired. To have a great athlete on the back of the defense that can play some corner as well as eraser in the back would be a welcome change. Concerns about his tackling (teams are going to run a lot at the Chiefs until they show they can stop it) is an issue, but if he is on the board in the second round, that would be a great pick.