Kansas City Chiefs: Grading each selection in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Cullen Jekel
Round 3, Pick 84: Khalen Saunders, Defensive Tackle, Western Illinois
With the 84th pick of the draft, the Chiefs selected The Draft Network’s 87th ranked prospect. After selecting players from well-known, Power Five conferences with the team’s first two selections, Veach dipped into the “unknown” ranks by grabbing a physical beast from the Western Illinois Leathernecks.
Saunders should become a situational piece along the defensive line in 2019. Hell, with being selected in the third round, he needs to at least become a rotational player in 2019. He may have a higher ceiling than that, but with his clearly evident need to improve his technique, it’s going to take some time.
By selecting Saunders, “The Aaron Donald of the FCS,” the Chiefs all but shut the door on a reunion with Allen Bailey. With this team in a win-now mode, it would have behooved Veach to instead have selected defensive end Jaylon Ferguson, who went with with the next pick, or San Diego State tight end Kahale Warring, who went two picks later, while re-signing Bailey, a more polished, albeit more expensive, rotational piece for the defensive line.
Saunders looks like a decent selection, but not for a team in such a competitive window as they Chiefs organization finds itself.