Kansas City Chiefs: Winners and Losers from 2019 NFL Draft

The 2019 NFL Draft has come and gone. Some of the excitement was taken away for Kansas City Chiefs fans, with the first round pick being sent to the Seattle Seahawks in the Frank Clark trade.

Still, the draft is a ton of hope for most NFL franchises, and not every future Pro Bowler or Hall of Famer was selected in the first round. The Kansas City Chiefs still made six selections, and that could mean different things for different people.

Here are the winners and losers of the 2019 NFL Draft for the Kansas City Chiefs

Winner: Patrick Mahomes

Let’s be honest here, when isn’t Patrick Mahomes winning something? Kansas City’s newest and brightest star is the Steph Curry of the NFL, and the Chiefs are well aware of what his talent brings to the table. That is why they decided to invest their first pick in a shiny new toy in the form of Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

Hardman ran a 4.33 40 yard dash at the NFL combine, which reportedly upset him, as he was expecting to run in the 4.2’s. A receiver upset with running a 4.3? Sign me up.

Hardman is not polished as a route runner just yet, but his natural speed, burst, and twitch will manifest on the field almost immediately. Expect Andy Reid to find ways to slowly incorporate Hardman into the offense, finding creative ways to get him the ball while masking his deficiencies as a route runner early on.

Hardman isn’t the only weapon the Chiefs added.

Running back Darwin Thompson from Utah State was selected by the Chiefs with their second sixth round pick. A sixth round running back may not move the needle for most people, but Thompson may just be my favorite pick of the draft. I am that excited about him.

Thompson stands at 5’9, and comes in weighing 200 pounds. This may seem small by NFL standards, but Thompson isn’t lean. He is built like a brick house, and his tape shows him punishing runners who don’t sell out to stop him.

Pair this power with his above average vision and quickness, and Thompson has  a chance to contribute right away. His style is a beautiful mix of Tariq Cohen’s elusivness and speed with Maurice Jones-Drew‘s power and balance. While Damien Williams‘ starting role shouldn’t be in jeopardy, keeping Thompson off the field is going to be harder and harder as the year goes on.