Kansas City Chiefs 7-Round 2022 Mock Draft: A Tyreek Hill Replacement

I swear I did not do this on purpose. With the Kansas City Chiefs third pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, I have them selecting a third straight Nittany Lion — Jaquan Brisker. Free agent Tyrann Mathieu is not expected to return following the signing of former Texans safety Justin Reid. Pairing Reid with Juan Thornhill is enough to get excited about. I wouldn’t stop there, though. Reid has missed seven games over the past two seasons and even if both safeties remain healthy, do you really want to see Daniel Sorenson out there again?

Here is where Brisker comes in. Much like his former teammate, Arnold Ebiketie, Brisker is a bit older than some of his 2022 NFL Draft contemporaries. This should not dissuade a team like the Chiefs who are looking for guys that are ready to win immediately. Brisker has the versatility to play either safety position, and can even play in the slot if you ask him to. The Chiefs have an unenviable task of replacing franchise legends — Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu — but if they come away with Jahan Dotson and Jaquan Brisker, you couldn’t ask for much better.

This might be later in the draft than you expected when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs drafting a cornerback. After losing Charvarius Ward to the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City needs to find a running mate with L’Jarius Sneed. My gut says they will use some of their remaining cap space to add a veteran cornerback, whether that be in free agency or via a trade. When that happens, it will likely provide a short-term solution, which leaves the door open for a redshirt type of season for a rookie.

For my money, Tariq Woolen is the best athlete available in the draft. Woolen, like Cowboys’ cornerback Trevon Diggs, began his collegiate career as a wide receiver. While at UTSA, Woolen flipped over to the other side of the ball and became an absolute menace in coverage. The kid can keep pace with any wide receiver in the NFL, but he still has to shed some of his wide receiver tendencies. After taking three guys that can start day one, the Chiefs go with a developmental cornerback that has the potential to be a superstar.