Yes, another draft article. I told you I was going to have a ton of content on the NFL Draft. This will more than likely be the last one anyway so suck it up. Now that that's out of the way, the Chiefs, as I said in my last article, had a killer draft. It's very, VERY hard to find flaws in any of these guys and where they were picked. However, there's still talking points I'd like to hit on with each of at least the first two days worth of picks, so let's get started.
Round 1
Trent McDuffie, CB
Good: McDuffie is a gritty, physical corner who forces turnovers and makes up for his lack of size with good speed and body control. Another UW corner taken by the Chiefs, he mirrors the style of play that Marcus Peters had, minus the disciplinary issues.
Bad: His size. He's small for a CB1 and that's more than likely where the Chiefs will want him at. He also didn't see a lot of NFL caliber players in college, though did see some such as Drake London of USC.
X-Factor: His anticipation and timing will decide if he is a good or great corner. He doesn't do well on the trail, but if he keeps the guy in front of him and improves on his timing he will get a lot more turnovers and passes defended. It's good right now, just inconsistent, and if he improves on it he could be an All-Pro level corner.
George Karlaftis, EDGE
Good: Physicality is a strength for Karlaftis as well. His bull rush and explosiveness are impeccable, and carries himself as a pro level lineman as well. Great for pass rushing which is exactly what the Chiefs took him for. His physical strength is uncanny and can move offensive linemen with ease.
Bad: His run defense and footwork leave something to be desired though, however. His movement is very choppy and not all that fluid, and his agility isn't quite what you'd expect from an EDGE. Running backs could find his gaps in play and exploit them regularly, which will need to be improved upon.
X-Factor: If Karlaftis can find a way to vary the ways he gets off a block, not just bull rush, then he will become an integral part of the Chiefs defense. He will need footwork improvement though, which at the NFL level can be done.
Round 2
Skyy Moore, WR
Good: His route running is some of the best I've seen in this draft. The snaps in footwork create the separation and he plays with great pace and energy. He's also excellent at high pointing the ball and working the ball at the point of the catch, being very physical in contested catch situations.
Bad: His size causes issues in creating separation when the catch is contested. He's also NOT Tyreek Hill (Believe it or not folks), as he's not a huge deep threat. Expect slot type routes mostly for him until he improves this.
X-Factor: If Skyy Moore can improve his deep play capabilities, I think he will be an absolute stud. Obviously his size plays a factor, but when you look at guys like Tyreek Hill, they use both physicality AND separation to be great wide receivers at under 6ft tall. He will need to utilize his speed, not just his agility and strength.
Bryan Cook, S
Good: This dude can absolutely WALLOP people in the open field, shades of Ed Reed come to mind when watching him. He is a high energy player with great tackling skills. He uses his size to his advantage. Not to mention that he can match over the slot AND flat to cover both tight ends/running backs and slot receivers. Expect him to make plays in the run game as well as the pass game with good play recognition and ball production.
Bad: His speed and play at the line of scrimmage are his two weaknesses. He needs to be more physical off the snap, and doesn't have the speed to cover deep balls. Pretty much his only flaw in play recognition too is his anticipation, as the ball hawk mentality has made him susceptible to route fakes.
X-Factor: Cook will bring an attitude to this defense that has had lots of trouble making tackles and being physical. If he can be the same ball-hawking, headhunting enforcer that he was in college, he could bring a dog mentality to a Chiefs defense that needs it badly.
Round 3
Leo Chenal, LB
Good: His run game and tackling were some of the best in the nation last year for Wisconsin. Like Bryan Cook, he's physical and plays with an enforcer mentality. The stats don't lie either, as 115 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 8 sacks is pretty good for a final college season.
Bad: He's a bowling ball, as in he's beefy but short, which makes his lateral movement and pass coverage nothing spectacular. He also needs to play more intelligently. Recognizing blocking schemes, eyeing misdirection and cutback, and kind of put an organization to the chaos.
X-Factor: Leo is surprisingly fast, and ruthlessly strong and physical. If he can top it off with becoming more of a student of the game rather than a meathead who crashes into things for fun, he has the potential to be a feared linebacker throughout the land.
In terms of the other rounds, I very much like what the Chiefs are doing in bolstering the positions they need bolstered the most. Darian Kinnard has potential to start in the interior or exterior of the O-Line, Isiah Pacheco is a speed back that could be great in passing downs (and benched more than Derrick Henry!!!) and drafting defensive backs to compete and possibly be the next La'Jarius Sneed is a great move. Again, I am beyond excited to see what this draft class does, they have a lot of skill and attitude between all of them and they'll bring a much needed boost to a team that most of the NFL though would be in rebuild this year.
Burn Notice: 9/10 Okay FINE I'll write about the Royals and SKC soon, but gosh I'm so tired of writing with frustration being the main motivator... ugh...
Comments