The Kansas City Chiefs had a great first couple days in the 2020 NFL Draft, so how did their picks grade out?
The Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs ended up bringing most of the gang back together in free agency, restructuring the contract of Sammy Watkins and franchise tagging defensive lineman Chris Jones. They even brought back wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for one year.
Entering the 2020 NFL Draft, the needs were pretty clear for the Chiefs. The defense needed some help in the secondary and on the front seven, and the offense needed some help on the interior of the offensive line. Now, while needs are important to address in the draft, it’s also important to find good value and select good football players. That’s how good teams stay good.
The Chiefs found a lot of value in some of their selections, and with just five entering the weekend, it was important to find contributors on every day. Let’s find out if they did just that by grading the entire Chiefs draft. Off we go.
Kansas City shocked us all at the end of the first round, despite the overwhelming amount of mock drafts that had the Chiefs selecting a running back with the 32nd pick. A lot of those mocks had them going with Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, but they called an audible and went with LSU back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Edwards-Helaire was this writer’s top running back in the class, and it’s hard to argue with the pick. He’s the best receiving back in the class and is great at creating separation on angle routes over the middle of the field. Edwards-Helaire’s lateral quickness is astounding, and he makes defenders miss with ease while staying balanced in his compact frame. He’s also extremely tough and will pick up extra yardage after contact. He will be dangerous in the Kansas City Chiefs offense. Still, not sure I can hand an “A” grade to a first-round back.
Grade: B+
The second day of the 2020 NFL Draft was a day of great value for the Kansas City Chiefs. They started out by selecting Mississippi State linebacker Willie Gay Jr. in the second round. After day two, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid stated that they had a first-round grade on Gay Jr. so it was an easy selection for them.
Gay Jr. has a lot of tools that the Chiefs haven’t had in quite some time at the linebacker spot. He has the range and speed to play to the sidelines and fly downhill to make tackles. Gay has the ability to explode through gaps and make plays in the backfield, and he’s a violent finisher. He also tested very well athletically, and if his off the field stuff is clear, he will make a big impact in year one.
Grade: B+
This was the best value for the Chiefs on day two. The offensive tackle class brought a ton of value in the 2020 NFL Draft, and Kansas City nailed it with this selection. Lucas Niang fell because of a hip injury, but there’s so much to like on tape. He has the ability to play the swing tackle spot for the Chiefs with his athleticism and movement skills, and he has great balance and a good anchor in pass protection. His hands are a bit inconsistent at times, but overall, Niang is a very good prospect.
He will likely sit in 2019 barring an injury but will be the depth piece the Chiefs need if either Eric Fisher or Mitchell Schwartz goes down. He may kick inside during the year as well.
Grade: A
The Kansas City Chiefs finally made a move for a defensive back on day three, which probably upset some Chiefs fans with it being such a huge need. They selected L’Jarius Sneed out of Louisiana Tech in round four.
Sneed is another versatile piece to add to the Chiefs secondary. He’s a good athlete who has the speed and range to play on the back end. He moved from corner to safety after three seasons in college, and it proved to be a good move. Sneed produced as well in one season at safety as he did for three seasons at corner. While Sneed still needs to work on route recognition, he can be interchangeable with Tyrann Mathieu working in the box or at the nickel spot.
There were a couple of others on the board that make this pick a bit of a reach.
Grade: C+
The Chiefs finished out their draft by selecting Michigan defensive end Michael Danna. After four seasons (counting the redshirt) with Central Michigan, where he picked up eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss as a redshirt junior, Danna transferred to the Michigan Wolverines.
He wasn’t extremely productive in his only season with the Wolverines, registering just three sacks and three tackles for loss, but a crowded room limited opportunities. The Chiefs are hoping he has his best football ahead of him.
Grade: C+