Kansas City Chiefs: What each drafted player can provide in 2019

Rashad Fenton

Many people thought that the Chiefs first pick in the draft would be a cornerback, but it ended up taking the Chiefs all the way until pick 201 to select a cornerback. With this pick, they took Rashad Fenton.

Fenton doesn’t stand out physically or athletically, but showed decent ball skills last year as a starter at South Carolina. He had three interceptions and six passes defended last season as a senior.

With the Chiefs in 2019, Fenton could possibly crack the cornerback rotation next season. The Chiefs don’t have a star cornerback so they’re going to have to rely on being solid from top to bottom, so Fenton just needs to have a goal of coming ready to play whenever he’s called on, even in limited snaps.

Darwin Thompson

The Chiefs added another offensive weapon at the end of the sixth round. At pick 214, the Chiefs selected running back Darwin Thompson. Thompson is a smaller back at 5’8″ and 200 pounds, but he doesn’t play small.

I’ve been comparing him to a miniature Kareem Hunt. Now, don’t expect Hunt production, but the terrific contact balance that Hunt was known for is also present with Thompson. Thompson’s contact balance and strength allows him to break tackles and stay on his feet despite his smaller size.

Thompson may never be a bell cow back, but he has the potential to rotate in for the Chiefs and bring big-play potential. He had 1,044 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns last year as well as 23 receptions for 351 yards and two more touchdowns. This amounts to 6.8 yards per carry and 15.3 yards per catch.

The pass-catching, in particular, could earn him some playing time in 2019 for the Chiefs. If his contact balance and shiftiness can translate into big plays in the NFL as they did in college, he could be a tremendous addition to the offense next season.