3. Jamaree Caldwell, DT, Oregon
Caldwell has a similar skillset to what I mentioned with the previous guys, he is a massive guy who is also an impressive athlete. Caldwell has a very compact build, at six-foot-one inch and 340 pounds, and uses that size to win with low leverage. He is a solid run defender and does a good job eating blocks on the inside, but his lack of length can make it hard to wrap up and tackle. Despite the lack of length, Caldwell is a more than capable pass rusher because of his quickness and ability to win laterally as well.
Caldwell would be a great fit next to Chris Jones on the Chiefs defensive line because of his ability to absorb contact and eat blocks. He would allow Chris Jones to face more one-on-one situations on the inside in pass-rush situations, as well as setting up linebackers to blow up run lanes. Caldwell is a fit in the Chiefs 4-3 defense because of his ability to rush the passer and his quickness off the ball. He is currently projected to go around pick No. 125 and I think he would be a perfect pick up for the Chiefs early on Day 3.
4. Omar Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
Norman-Lott came on to the scene at Tennessee over the last two seasons after transferring from Arizona State. Norman-Lott is an undersized defensive tackle, but is an incredible athlete and pass rusher who displays elite burst and quickness at the line of scrimmage. He weighs in at six-foot-two inches and 295 pounds, which can limit his ability against the run as well as his ability to win with power. But his lateral speed and pass rush moves are valuable and would be incredibly valuable on the Chiefs defensive line next to Chris Jones.
He displays tons of upside as a pass rusher and despite his lack of size and power, he has a variety of ways he can win on the interior. Norman-Lott keeps lineman on their toes, and does a great job setting up his other pass rush moves throughout the game. He has several elite pass rush moves including a good swim, spin and club move to keep hands off him and win early with speed.
He uses these speed moves to keep lineman on their toes and he knows how to take advantage of that to set up a bull rush as well. While he doesn’t have dominating power, he knows how to use his power and when to attack. The Chiefs need a true run stuffer to add on the defensive line, but they can bring back Derrick Nnadi or Mike Pennel to stuff the run and add Norman-Lott to make one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Right now, Norman-Lott is projected to go around pick 75 and he would be a good grab for them in the 3rd round with either of their two picks.
5. JJ Pegues, DT, Mississippi
Pegues is one of my favorite guys in the draft and is a unique prospect on the interior of the defensive line. Pegues committed to Ole Miss as a four-star tight end prospect and quickly transitioned to defensive line in his sophomore season. Pegues made a name for himself quickly, getting 3 sacks as a junior and then 7 over his last two years.
Pegues has great size, at six-foot-two inches and 325 pounds, but moves like he is significantly lighter and you can see his tight end background on film. The name of the game of Pegues' prospect profile is his athletic upside. He is still a raw defensive lineman, and he lacks variety in his pass rush moves and doesn’t quite know how to use his size yet.
Pegues is currently projected to go around pick 125 and would be a great pick up for the Chiefs on Day 3 as a raw defensive prospect with upside to crack the starting lineup in the future.