With the NFL draft creeping up, the rumors have started taking full swing. Thursday morning, ESPN's Matt Miller and Jordan Reid released an article sharing the buzz they are hearing from all 32 teams in the league, and the Kansas City Chiefs had one intriguing nugget regarding their potential plans.
ESPN's report revealed that there's interest in multiple WRs in the top 10. It won't be a shock if the New Orleans Saints drafted Ohio State WR Carnell Tate at No. 8, and WR is definitely in play for the Cleveland Browns at No. 6.
With interest for receivers seemingly picking up in the top 10, that is great news for a Chiefs team in the 9th slot, and pushes more high-end defensive pieces down the board.
In the Chiefs section of the article, Miller wrote, "In talking to sources both in Kansas City and around the league, there seems to be no strong indicator of where the Chiefs will go with either of their first-round picks. The Chiefs will see how the board falls and have needs at core positions such as offensive tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, defensive tackle and cornerback."
While things are still up in the air, the possibility of Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr., LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs being on the board appears more likely.
Chiefs Could Benefit from WR Interest in Top 8 of Draft
Any of those additions would be welcome in the KC Kingdom and would fill in some holes. The pass rush needs help, and Bain Jr. would make an impact. Even though he has 30 7/8" arms, which are historically short, he is still a game wrecker. Bain Jr. uses his power to attack leverage angles with heavy hands, winning with clubs, chops, and rips. He can also be a stout run defender.
During his collegiate career, Bain Jr. had 33.5 TFLs and 20.5 sacks. The Chiefs want to get to know him better and are hosting him for a top-30 visit.
Meanwhile, the secondary has seen a massive overhaul this offseason, with Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook, and Jaylen Watson no longer in the fold. Delane would provide KC with a cornerback who has the potential to be a lockdown defender in the NFL.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler released his draft guide this week. In there, his takeaway on Delane was, "Delane plays with the route anticipation and temperament to stay attached in coverage and squeeze catch windows. He projects as a starting outside NFL cornerback, with the skill set to move inside over the slot."
Delane is extremely disciplined and has great ball skills (18 pass deflections over the last two seasons). Despite being 5'11", his intelligence makes up for his average size. Considering that McDuffie was also 5'11", Delane's height shouldn't deter Kansas City.
And lastly, Downs is one of the best players in this entire draft class. He's the ultimate chess piece who can line up all over the formation. Downs is an elite tackler and thrives around the line of scrimmage. He also has great awareness in coverage and has not allowed a TD over the last two seasons.
If the Chiefs can come away with one of these three defenders at No. 9, that would be a massive win, and the rumors around WRs could make this more realistic.