The NFL draft is finally upon us, with the first round taking place on Thursday night. After months of speculation and rumors, fans of teams will finally get answers regarding what their favorite franchise will do. The Kansas City Chiefs have two picks on night one, but there are reports that they are looking to move up.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero was a guest on "The Rich Eisen Show" and suggested that Kansas City could move up for an offensive tackle.
"If somebody moves up right now, I would go with the Chiefs," Pelissero said.
Pelissero added that since the Browns, who pick at No. 6, seem poised to take a tackle, the Chiefs may want to get ahead to take their tackle of choice. It doesn't help that ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted he wouldn't be shocked if four tackles go in the top 15-17 picks.
Given that the Chiefs have a big hole to fill at that spot along the offensive line, this projected deal has Kansas City trade with the New York Giants for the No. 5 overall pick. In return, the Chiefs give New York the No. 9 and No. 74th overall picks. According to the Rich Hill Trade Value Chart, Kansas City's picks combine for 451 points, while the 5th pick is 468 points.
In this package, the Chiefs pick their tackle of choice, and we have them taking Utah OT Spencer Fano.
Chiefs Trade Up to Draft Utah OT Spencer Fano
With the Chiefs having a massive hole at right tackle after releasing Jawaan Taylor, adding a player like Fano would be a home run. The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranks Fano as his No. 1 tackle prospect, and his takeaway on him was, "Fano has the feet, demeanor, and recovery balance of a starting NFL tackle. He also has a knack for losing slowly, despite possessing average length and core strength. He has the talent to be an immediate NFL starter at right tackle or guard."
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah ranks Fano as his No. 13 overall prospect and the 2nd-ranked tackle. In his breakdown, he wrote, "He has excellent strength and quickness. In the passing game, he is quick out of his stance and easily covers up speed rushers or rides them upfield. While he has short arms for the offensive tackle position, he’s still able to stall bull rushers thanks to his core strength and knee bend...In the run game, he can latch/turn/dump defenders at the point of attack."
Those two highly respected draft experts believe that Fano has the tools needed to succeed at the next level. Although some people think he should move inside to guard, he would give the Chiefs a day 1 starter at a position of need.
Kansas City has had trouble at the tackle spots over the last few years, and with Patrick Mahomes returning from the first major injury of his career, keeping him upright is a major priority. Fano would be someone who answers the call.
He's regarded as one of the best tackles in this class, and with several other teams having a void along the offensive line, moving up to secure the player you want seems like a logical approach. Especially since the talks around the NFL are that tackles will fly off the board in the first half of Round 1.
The Chiefs are going into the draft with clear holes at receiver, edge, and tackle, and in this scenario, they move up to grab one of the best tackles in the class.
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