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Chiefs News: Three things to know about Willie Gay

By Leigh Oleszczak

STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 11: Mark McLaurin #41 and Willie Gay Jr. #6 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs celebrate after a sack during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Davis Wade Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - NOVEMBER 11: Mark McLaurin #41 and Willie Gay Jr. #6 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs celebrate after a sack during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Davis Wade Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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Willie Gay highlights Chiefs news, as he was their second round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft at pick 63. What should fans know about the Chiefs’ newest linebacker?

The Kansas City Chiefs surprised some people when they decided to add a weapon with their first round pick rather than addressing the defense. The first defensive player they grabbed in the 2020 NFL Draft was Mississippi State linebacker Willie Gay, who can hopefully play an immediate role in this defense.

The linebacker position was one of the weakest on the roster and got worse this offseason. No, Reggie Ragland wasn’t the greatest linebacker in the world, but losing him is a depth piece that is now elsewhere. The Chiefs have Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson, but neither is exactly a world class talent at the position.

With 2020 very well being Hitchens’ final year as a Chief, finding someone who can step into his role (and doing a better job) was key in this year’s draft. Gay could be that guy.

Here are some things to know about the Chiefs’ second round pick.

ATHLETIC AS THEY COME

One of the most reported things on Gay is that he’s quite the athlete. Don Kleinman tweeted that he’s one of the most athletic linebackers in the draft and added “Nice pick for KC”. Brandon Kiley had an informative tweet on Gay where he compared him to linebackers and safeties.

Kiley also mentioned Gay’s Combine numbers, which is a clear indicator of how athletic the newest Chiefs linebacker truly is. It’s no wonder Brett Veach wanted to draft this kid and you best believe that Steve Spagnuolo will come up with some clever packages to use him in.

HIGHEST CAREER COVERAGE GRADE

Even with all of the impressive Combine numbers, one stat stood out to me above the rest and that’s this:

Gay might not have had the flashiest numbers in college, but he was great in coverage and the Chiefs need a coverage linebacker who can do a bit of everything. Willie Gay looks to be that guy from his collegiate career and is someone that can hopefully step in and be a big contributor right off the bat.

THE REASON HE WAS PROBABLY STILL THERE IN THE SECOND ROUND…

While Gay fell to the end of the second round, there’s a clear reason as to why. He was suspended due to an academic violation and also got in a fight with quarterback Garrett Shrader and injured him. Matt Derrick tweeted that while the issues were well-documented, one of the issues was “blown out of proportion”.

The Chiefs have drafted players with way worse marks on their resumé, so while the off the field issues aren’t anything to scoff at, Andy Reid is the perfect person to help reel this kid in.

Must Read. Best Second Round Picks EVER. light

Some of the Twitter GMs out there have compared Gay to Chiefs legend Derrick Johnson and if that’s the kind of player Kansas City is going to get, then oh my. Let’s buckle in for what should be a fun career for Willie Gay as a member of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs!

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