Kansas City Chiefs: Grading each 2021 NFL Draft selection
By John Newman
Scouting Report. Cornell Powell. 879. Pick Analysis. Wide Receiver. Clemson. 181. player
Similar to the Gray pick earlier, Clemson wide receiver Cornell Powell was a smart pick for the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round. He didn’t get a lot of reps early in college, due to the depth of the Clemson pass-catching unit. But in 2020, he saw the field more than in any other season, serving as a solid outside receiving option for Trevor Lawrence. Playing in Clemson’s pass-heavy offense should prepare him well for the Chiefs playbook in 2021, making him a potential competitor for one of the starting receiver positions in training camp.
There are some things about the Powell pick you can criticize the Chiefs for: He turns 24-years old in October, the fact he is a one-year receiver that wasn’t particularly fast in college. It also doesn’t help that he only averaged a little over two receptions a game until the end of October last season. Which is why he fell so far in the 2021 NFL Draft.
But considering the players left on the board, it makes sense for the Kansas City Chiefs to take a flyer on Powell. He has experience playing for an elite passer and his age gives him more experience in the locker room than most rookies. For the Chiefs, he’ll be a solid contributor on special teams in 2021 and could potentially muscle his way onto the receiver depth chart before the season starts. Never hurts to give Mahomes more targets to throw to, should the injury bug make the rounds on the offensive side of the ball this year.
Grade: B
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 226. Guard. Tennessee. Trey Smith. player. 839
This sixth-rounder was almost universally accepted as an elite offensive line prospect coming into college before blood clots threw his entire NFL future into doubt. Tennessee guard Trey Smith looked to have a promising career ahead of him, something which the Kansas City front office believes could still be in the cards.
Smith was the number one high school prospect out of Tennessee in 2017 and ranked fourth-highest in the nation for offensive linemen, according to 247 Sports. Those blood clots were discovered in 2018 and removed in 2019, allowing Smith to come back to the team and play throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons as a left guard. The fact a medical condition from two years ago could plummet Smith’s 2021 NFL Draft stock proves how safe teams were playing it in this year after COVID-19 affected every level of football decision-making last season.
Related Story. Trey Smith is an elite offensive line prospect. light
The Chiefs have their offensive line settled for this season, but Smith could be a depth piece, someone the coaching staff works with behind the scenes until it becomes clear how much the previous medical condition affects his ability to play in the NFL. Sure, he might never suit up for the Chiefs if his prior medical condition forces him to leave the sport. But the value was there in the sixth round and it makes sense for the front office to target a position so essential to the running of the Mahomes-led offense.
If he is medically cleared to play and can seamlessly integrate into the Kansas City offense next year, it could be seen as one of the biggest steals of the 2021 NFL Draft in a few years. Low-risk, high reward pick here.