Kansas City Chiefs: 2020 NFL Draft Big Board 3.0

It is now draft week! Just a few short days remain until the Kansas City Chiefs make their first selection of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday – hopefully anyway.

Before Thursday gets here, we have one more Kansas City Chiefs Draft Big Board for you! Some of the prospects are unchanged from the previous big boards, but there will be some new faces as well.

Be sure to check out the Chiefs Draft Big Board version 1.0 and 2.0 as well because there are many great prospects featured in those articles as well that didn’t quite make the cut for the 3.0.

Without further ado, let’s jump right in with targets for Round One.

Targets for Round One (Pick 32)

The biggest change from the previous two big boards is that Kenneth Murray is being omitted from this big board. There has been a little bit of hate going around Chiefs Twitter about Murray as a prospect recently and I want to preface his omission by saying this has nothing to do with my feelings of him as a prospect.

Murray is still a great prospect and I would still love to see him sporting a Chiefs uniform next season. The reason for his omission is more about my dwindling confidence in him making it to 32 (even though apparently the media as a whole are way off on mock draft predictions this season). No offense to Murray, but let’s jump into some targets for pick 32.

1. Patrick Queen, LB LSU

Queen has now made it onto all three Chiefs Draft Big Boards and at this point, everyone knows who Queen is and what he’s all about, so no need to go into too much depth here. He would obviously fill a huge hole for the Chiefs though who have a need at linebacker and more specifically could use one who can cover. Will he make it to pick 32 though?

2. Jeff Gladney, CB TCU

Gladney has also made it onto all three Chiefs Draft Big Boards. He has been a personal favorite of mine since very early on in the offseason. Toward the beginning of the offseason, I was very confident in him making it to 32, now it is looking less likely, however again, we could be way off on our mock drafts this year. Maybe there is still a chance that he is a guy who falls on Thursday.

3. Cesar Ruiz, G/C Michigan

Ruiz made his first appearance on the second version of the Chiefs draft big board and he remains a target for the Chiefs for version three. Ruiz is a day one starter in KC whether it is at guard or center.

I love his versatility and his mobility for this offense. He also displays good instincts and is a great finisher. You have to protect the franchise, so Ruiz has to be pretty high on Veach’s list of prospects he’d love to take at 32.

4. Grant Delpit, S LSU

Delpit also made his first appearance on the last Chiefs Draft Big Board and is a guy who is not necessarily in a position of need, but if he is the best player available at 32, you take him.

With Delpit, Tyrann Mathieu, and Juan Thornhill manning the middle of the field, the Chiefs would – without a doubt – have the best and most versatile safety group in the league.

Now, traditionally speaking, one might say “you can only play two safeties at a time,” but that is incorrect. Last season down the stretch Coach Spagnuolo very frequently had a three safety unit on the field and at times there were even up to four safeties on the field at once.

Drafting Delpit allows the Chiefs to seamlessly replace Kendall Fuller and continue the three safety schemes. It also allows Mathieu to man the slot where he loves to play and where he thrived last season. I am completely sold on Delpit at 32.

5. Jaylon Johnson, CB  Utah

I’m kind of late to the party here, but I have been falling in love with Johnson as of late. He might be a slight reach here at 32, but as I mentioned with Damon Arnette in the first version of the Chiefs Draft big board, these dudes are far underrated and could be sleepers for round one value and at the minimum should be considered as trade back options.

Johnson has a good build for an NFL corner. He is very sticky and not afraid to get physical. He has the upside to be a difference-maker in the NFL and has the potential to run with some of the top wide receivers in the league.

Veach could make Chiefs Kingdom very happy with this pick if Johnson was able to tap into this potential in Kansas City.