Kansas City Chiefs: Insight into 2019 NFL Draft with Dane Brugler
By John McCarty
The Athletic’s lead draft analyst Dane Brugler answers some questions and provides insight into the upcoming Kansas City Chiefs draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs are an interesting team to follow for the 2019 NFL Draft. After back-to- back years of trading up, last year multiple times, will the Chiefs do that again?
Will the Chiefs move back into the second round as they did in 2016 when they landed Chris Jones? Draft Analyst Dane Brugler from The Athletic sheds some light on what may happen with the Chiefs on draft night.
Is one position group (or groups) the focus more than others for the Chiefs leading up to the draft?
It’s all about defense. Pass rush, corners, safeties, being the main focus. Ideally, you draft the best defensive talent, but with Steve Spagnuolo now in the fold as defensive coordinator, the draft board should reflect what best fits his scheme and philosophies. More zone coverage and never enough pass rush are the two keys to his scheme.
Is there a specific player or players attached to the Chiefs more than others?
Temple cornerback Rock Ya-Sin is a popular pairing with KC. The Chiefs have shown interest and many around the league believe he will be drafted in the 25-32 range.
Where do you view the Chiefs biggest area in need of being addressed?
Secondary. An upgrade at strong safety and depth at cornerback are both crucial needs.
If you had to guess one player being selected by the Chiefs during the draft, who would that be?
I’ll say Ya-Sin. I know the Chiefs like him and the value is right with their first round pick. Great backstory and terrific player. Doesn’t have elite speed, but finds the football and plays physical. When he was a junior in high school, he thought he would be a wrestler in the Olympics right now. Instead, he has a chance to be a first round pick.
Opinion of the cornerback group as a whole? Any immediate contributors?
Despite this corner class not having a top-25 lock, I like this group. Players like Sean Bunting and Justin Layne aren’t getting enough buzz – both are top-50 picks. There are a lot of “potential” prospects in this corner class like Houston’s Isaiah Johnson, Auburn’s Jamel Dean, Kentucky’s Lonnie Johnson – all guys with size and speed, but need work if they’re going to survive vs. NFL corners. I expect all three to be top-80 picks.
Thoughts on the Chiefs moves thus far this offseason?
Tyrann Mathieu is obviously the headliner and gives the defense an immediate boost. After that, the Chiefs made some nice depth additions, but not sure anything that will move the needle in the AFC West.
Bashaud Breeland is a quality pick-up. We’ll see if Emmanuel Ogbah is extra motivated since he is in a contract year, but he has been a bust up to this point.