Kansas City Chiefs: Post-free agency, full AFC West mock draft

Kansas City Chiefs

Number of Draft Picks: 5

Of all the AFC West teams, the Kansas City Chiefs have the fewest draft selections to make in 2020, but that may not be such a bad thing.

First of all, by signing a majority of their pending free agents, the team has few holes to fill. Secondly, like this franchise has done under this regime, they can use these picks to draft a bit for the future. As in, they don’t have to pick guys to plug-and-play.

At the very end of the first round, the Chiefs can decide between several needs. The first option is less of a need and more of a luxury: should the team take Georgia running back DeAndre Swift? If not, other options include Big 10 EDGE rushers A.J. Epenesa of Iowa and Zack Baun of Wisconsin. Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene is also available.

I have them going with Cesar Ruiz out of Michigan. For the Wolverines, Ruiz started 13 games at center in 2020 and gave up a grand total of zero sacks. The Ringer ranks Ruiz as the draft’s top interior offensive lineman and sixth overall offensive lineman.

He’d immediately replace the departed Stefen Wisniewski while perhaps giving the Chiefs a future replacement for Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.

Toward the end of the second round, the Chiefs still have plenty of options. Unfortunately, Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis is off the board, going one pick before the Chiefs get back on the clock.

Still, I anticipate general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid to focus on the interior defensive line at this juncture. Among the available players: Justin Madubuike of Texas A&M and Davon Hamilton of Ohio State. Either one fits, but I’ve got it being the 6-foot-3, 304-pouder out of College Station.

The Chiefs hit on another need in the third round by getting some secondary help. They do this, though, by passing up on Memphis running back Antonio Gibson, St. John’s offensive tackle Ben Bartch, LSU offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles, and Wyoming linebacker Logan Wilson.

Instead, the team opts for Darnay Holmes, a 35-game starter for the Bruins over the past three years who collected 120 tackles and eight interceptions in that time. He also defended 17 passes, recovered two fumbles and forced two fumbles.

In the fourth round, the Chiefs could address running back by taking Boston College’s A.J. Dillon or pick up a linebacker by selecting Joe Bachie Jr. out of Michigan State.

Yet, I believe the Chiefs will pick up a wide receiver here, especially with Sammy Watkins and/or Demarcus Robinson potentially departing the team after next season. You can’t keep the band together forever.

But who’s the pick? Well, there seem to be two options.

The first is Tyler Johnson who played for Minnesota. Johnson’s 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and he surpassed 1,000 yards receiving each of the past two seasons with the Gophers. Last year, he caught 86 passes for 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 2018 and 2019 combined, he caught 25 touchdown passes.

The other option is from Texas: the 5-foot-10, 210-pound Devin Duvernay. Duvernay exploded for the Longhorns in 2019, hauling in 106 receptions (up from 41 in 2018) for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown.

Between these two, Johnson seems to have more playmaking ability, so that’s the pick. He may not make the field much in 2020, but he could prove vital in 2021.

The team’s last draft selection comes at No. 177, which is in the fifth round. Vanderbilt running Ke’Shawn Vaughn is on the board still as is Shaquille Quarterman, a linebacker out of Miami (Fl.). I see Veach and Reid taking a flier on an EDGE rusher out of a smaller school, going with Derrek Tuszka from North Dakota State.

Last year for the Bison, the 6-5, 246-pound EDGE rusher picked up 13.5 sacks to go with 48 total tackles, including 19 tackles for loss. For his career, the 34-game starter appeared in an additional 19 games and collected a total of 133 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, six passes defended, and 29.5 sacks.

Worth the flier.