KC Chiefs: Three most intriguing players heading into 2020 season
By Chris Clark
Most Intriguing KC Chiefs in 2020 – Willie Gay Jr.
Many Chiefs fans were a little surprised that Brett Veach didn’t take a cornerback higher in the draft. Thankfully, the 2020 draft was a bit of a luxury draft with the team being pretty stacked for some years to come.
And yet, they didn’t ignore another position the defense that could use an injection of more talent – the linebacker group. Selecting an athletic linebacker late in the second round seemed to fit the bill for a defense on the rise.
Willie Gay Jr. left Mississippi State with 99 total tackles and six sacks. That’s not bad for only playing three seasons, with one being a partial season. That partial season makes him one of the reasons he’s a more intriguing player on this roster. After missing eight games in 2019 due to suspension, the Chiefs took a calculated risk in drafting a player with potential character concerns.
Thankfully, Kansas City is a solid organization where a player like Gay can land and find solid footing. If Andy Reid can help keep his nose clean and get his talent on the field, Brett Veach may very well end up with one of the steals of the draft.
There’s no doubt that Steve Spagnuolo knows the potential that he has in the talented rookie and will find a way to maximize that talent. Gay very well could be what this position has been missing since the days of Derrick Johnson.
Even Johnson himself concluded that Gay’s athleticism is similar to that of the one that made him an all-time great Chief. With 4.4 forty-yard speed, he has both closing speed and the ability to cover in passing downs.
It’s intriguing to know if Willie Gay Jr. will be the next all-time great Chiefs defender much like Johnson was. The path to that greatness begins on a defense that could put the league on notice in 2020.