KC Chiefs add interior offensive lineman in Mel Kiper mock draft 2.0
Mel Kiper released his second mock draft for the 2020 NFL Draft and he has the KC Chiefs addressing the middle of their offensive line, something they most definitely need to do this spring.
With the 32nd pick in Mel Kiper’s second mock draft (must be subscribed to read the entire mock draft), the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs select Cesar Ruiz, an offensive lineman out of Michigan.
Ruiz is an interior lineman, having played both guard and center during his two seasons at Michigan. He mostly spent time at center, starting 26 games there and spending the other five games at right guard for the Wolverines, proving he’s a versatile player. The Chiefs could definitely use a versatile lineman to plug into the interior of their line.
This offseason will consist of the Chiefs having to make some tough decisions, with several of those tough decisions pertaining to the offensive line. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – the Chiefs’ starting right guard for the past five years – has an opt-out in his contract this year with an $8 million cap hit.
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According to stagdsp of Arrowhead Pride, the Chiefs can also save money by releasing Austin Reiter and Andrew Wylie, and not picking up Cameron Erving‘s option. Whether or not they actually part ways with all four of those players remains to be seen, but if the goal is to sign Patrick Mahomes to a long-term deal and potentially keep Chris Jones or one of the two cornerbacks (Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller), then the team needs to cut costs wherever they can.
If the Chiefs do decide to cut multiple offensive linemen, then Ruiz would be a great first round pick because he could be plugged in just about anywhere along the line. Kansas City could re-sign Stefen Wisniewski to play left guard and have Ruiz play center or right guard depending on what they decide to do with Reiter and LDT.
Per Joe Marino of The Draft Network,
"Ruiz does have room to grow with some timing elements in pass protection and he could benefit from dropping some bad weight on his frame. Ruiz projects as an early impact starter in the NFL with the upside to become the pillar of an NFL offensive line for years to come."
I’m all for the KC Chiefs drafting an offensive lineman and Cesar Ruiz would be an excellent pick at the end of the first round. He’s versatile and has the potential to be a mainstay on the Chiefs’ offensive line for the next half decade.
Brett Veach needs to decide this offseason which of the offensive linemen are returning in 2020 and which ones will be cut. The line played well at the end of the regular season and in the first two playoff games, but had a tough time protecting Mahomes in the Super Bowl.
LDT would be the toughest player to part ways with, but it wouldn’t be entirely crazy to opt out of his contract honestly. What are your thoughts on the offensive line for next season and would you be on board with the Kansas City Chiefs selecting Cesar Ruiz with the 32nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft?