Chiefs News: Three things to know about BoPete Keyes
Chiefs news highlights the final member of the Chiefs’ 2020 NFL Draft class and it’s Bopete Keys of Tulane, who Kansas City traded up to get in the seventh round despite not having anymore picks remaining.
For those who turned the 2020 NFL Draft off as soon as the Kansas City Chiefs made their fifth round selection, the team traded into the seventh round to nab BoPete Keyes who spent four years at Tulane. Some might have wondered why the team didn’t draft a cornerback – even though fourth round pick L’Jarius Sneed is likely going to play corner – so the team traded into the seventh round and added Keyes.
The Chiefs have a decent situation at corner heading into 2020 with Bashaud Breeland returning, Charvarius Ward coming off a nice year, and 2019 sixth rounder Rashad Fenton playing well in his rookie season. Adding Sneed and Keyes to that group should be fun.
Here are some things you might not know about the Chiefs’ newest draft pick.
LATE COMER TO FOOTBALL
It’s always interesting to see when players got into football. Some have played their entire lives and others – like Bopete Keyes – didn’t start playing until later on. In the case of Keyes, he did not start playing until his junior year of high school.
New #Chiefs CB BoPete Keyes (Tulane, No. 237 overall) said he didn't start playing football until his Junior year of high school...said he's ready to get to work.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) April 25, 2020
For not getting into football until his junior year, Keyes must have been pretty good in his final two years of high school ball to get a scholarship to Tulane. While it’s not a Power-5 program, Tulane has been respectable in years past.
UNCLE IS A CHIEFS FAN
It’s cool whenever a team can draft someone who either is a fan of the team themselves or have a family member who is into the team. Keyes’ uncle apparently is a huge Chiefs fan, as BJ Kissel tweeted after the Chiefs brought in the Tulane corner.
Now his uncle will have an even bigger reason to be a Chiefs fan!
WANTS TO PLAY WITH THE HONEY BADGER (BUT WHO DOESN’T?)
One of my favorite things I saw on Keyes this evening was from Kent Swanson, which is tweeted below. It’s how Keyes really wanted to play with Tyrann Mathieu and said so during the Combine and now he’ll get a chance to. Football is cool like that.
Thakarius Keyes on what it'd be like to be a Chief when I talked to him at the Combine: "I would love to play with Tyrann Mathieu. He's kind of like a role model on the field and also how he is off the field."
— Kent Swanson #KirklandKing (@kent_swanson) April 25, 2020
Analysts appear to be really high on this kid and we’re all starting to get a sense of why the team felt the need to trade a 2021 sixth rounder in order to move up and nab Bopete Keyes. Seventh round picks can be very hit and miss, but Keyes has a lot of hype.
Let’s hope he lives up to it.