We really need an all-big ugly draft.

We need OT's, DE's, DT's.

We're in good enough shape everywhere else that we could afford to not even look at anything else until third day.

Yeah, yeah, I know, BAA, have to see how the draft falls, must be prudent, yeah, yeah.

I'm just sayin'.
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DT Gervon Dexter, Florida

Allow me to soothe the savage nerves of the grown men of ChiefsPlanet, who belly-ached my warnings of a Bengals loss, dismissing it as the paranoia of a pessimist with delusions of grandeur. The loss was not a fluke; it was the result of the Bengals wisely capitalizing on a few weaknesses the Chiefs exhibit across the board. One of those weaknesses was the Chiefs' willingness to plug in Mike Danna at DT regularly in """"obvious passing downs"""", which apparently includes 2nd and 7, now, Spags? C'mon. The Bengals ran power right at him. (Of course, they ran power with success at everyone.)

Truth is, the Chiefs plug Danna in there because they miss Tershawn Wharton, but I don't know if Wharton solves the problem either. The Chiefs ideally need a run plugger on this team who can shoot gaps for a passrush. And Gervon Dexter is the perfect fit for that role.

At a Chris Jones-ish 6'5", 320 lbs, he's more of a notched-down Fletcher Cox: strong and shockingly quick in the passing game, but still a load to move against the run. It's still unclear to me if he is any kind of a plugging 1-tech like Spags traditionally likes, but Tershawn Wharton out-snapped all the run-pluggers anyways. If you're going to emphasize the need for that second penetrative tackle, why not find a guy who can fill that role and keep your DL's size maximized to dictate to the offense? I think Dexter would be an outstanding get for this team, and even more urgent if they don't think Jones is financially extend-able.
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S J.L. Skinner, Boise State

Watching the Chiefs fall this past week, I kept thinking back to watching JL Skinner lay some lumber for Boise State all year. Teams just absolutely do not care about challenging the Chiefs across the middle: S Juan Thornhill is not remotely physical enough to punish the middle of the field. To Veach's credit, that's exactly what we acquired S Bryan Cook for, but it's unclear to us outside Arrowhead One Drive if they think Cook is ready to ascend into the space that Thornhill will soon vacate. Maybe, at the end of the day, Cook is a third safety. Time (and the coaching staff) will tell.

If he isn't, let me try to fix all of our Thornhill problems with Skinner. Skinner is everything we ask Thornhill to do and hope Cook can someday do. He's long at 6'4" but a track star, built for tight end coverage. He spent a lot of time as a two-deep safety in Cover Two, where his speed translates. And he patrols the middle of the field to "tax" teams that try to challenge us there. All those hits that WR JuJu Smith-Schuster gets, Skinner can deliver to other teams. He can be part of the solution at safety. (Again, this is all based on how Cook continues to progress.)

That said, the Combine and Senior Bowl will be critical viewing for him. He is faster-than-quick, so will he be a liability in coverage against slot receivers? I have him right now as a 3rd, but I could see that dropping as far as the 5th if he tests poorly, or a 2nd if he answers those concerns unquestionably.
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OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma

One of the most underrated storylines of this season has been a roster, assembled by Brett Veach, at war a little bit against Andy Reid's tendencies. (Really it's been like that for a couple years.) The offensive line is big, mean, powerful, and not as smoothly athletic as Reid's lines in the past, backed up by less dynamic RBs who thrive plowing downhill. All of this is represented by the 350 lbs monster at LT, who the Chiefs are probably exploring replacing. But including Brown, the Chiefs OL is loaded with young, powerful talent that will have long careers in the NFL.

So what will it be? Can Reid continue to field a power OL that he's not used to? Or will he make motions towards re-athleticizing the line?

Harrison is an Eric Fisher clone, and drafting him would return the Chiefs left side of the line to the athletic zone blocking that Reid likes (or, at least, hates less than all other forms of running). Literally everything you read about Harrison is Fisher. He's a fantastic athlete (Fisher was probably better there), he's got some technique work to clean up. He's going to mirror very well, he's going to struggle with power. He's going to wall off run defenders, but he's not going to plow through them. etc etc

If you took 2013 prospect Eric Fisher, probably dialed the "technique" knob up a notch, and the "athlete" knob down a notch, you get Harrison. I think he's a 1st round pick, and is very possible in our neighborhood of our pick if we want him. But I don't know if he's what this offensive line, or Andy Reid, wants right now.
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WR Rashee Rice, SMU

The depth chart for the WR room for 2023 as it stands on this date in history: Valdez-Scantling, Toney, Moore, Justyn Ross. Justin Watson is a safe re-sign, which I would. JuJu would bring this WR corps close to completion, and I'd absolutely extend him. The Chiefs need his toughness, his fantastic hands, his YAC, his rapport with Mahomes.

But holy smokes. If JuJu is a bridge too far, allow me to sell you a guy with the JuJu skillset and Pro Bowl upside. Rashee Rice is a fantastic, big-bodied, angry-as-hell, hard blocking, jump ball dominating, alpha personality pissant who will put your DB in the turf first chance he gets. His film is so much fun, don't let the small school deter you: this is a guy who would start on any offense in college football. And in Kansas City? He'd pair with Kadarius Toney to give you the angriest WR room in the NFL.

That said, he's going to go dormant for a year, Skyy Moore style, as Andy Reid basically teaches him how to play an NFL route tree. His responsibilities at SMU have been extremely straight forward; he's never had to make the myriad of calculations that Reid asks of you. I trust Reid for that development, however, and this guy could be a Pro Bowl replacement for JuJu in Year 2. Slam dunk pick at the end of the 1st (if you're not already eyeing a more critical position for the team).
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DE Princely Umanmielen, Florida

I really like a lot about this guy as a player. As a prospect, he's a dicier proposition but still worth investment. He seems to have a great, warm personality and plays really fast and long on the field. He's still relatively new to college football and may not declare this year, but I like how fast he's acquitted himself in Florida's defense.

Anyway, the fit is not very clean with Kansas City. He's 6'3", 250 lbs, but has a lot of room to build. He's going to take a lot of development in technique and at this point I simply wouldn't trust him for an entire rookie season against the run. I like the speed he plays at, but he is probably at a Mike Danna level of athleticism, not the elite athletic prospect of Joshua Kaindoh.

He is such a competitor, smart player, however. I'd really like one of our 5 7ths that we'll probably have spent on him to see what we can harvest here.
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Agreed, he's right near the top of my list. I've advocated for Andre Carter a few times already but Tuli might be a better fit. First, he's 290 lbs which is a better DE frame for Spags I think than Carter at 260 lbs. Additionally, Tuli plays with a hand in the dirt more often, and can even slide inside to DL. Tuli's burst and speed really stand out on his tape!
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He reminds of Cameron Jordan, and if that's who you get... hell yeah.
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One of my favs. Appreciating the write-ups man.
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Verse is staying at FSU.
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Andre Carter is my draft crush this year. I think he's got a chance to be a special player.
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Thanks!

A shame; we need as many back-of-the-1st DE prospects as we can get to declare.
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No problem! You were on the Rice train before I was but I'm there now, depending on what we do with JuJu.

I do assume, kccrow, that you're off the Rice-in-the-first train if JuJu re-signs?
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Couple I like and where. I'm pretty much only looking at positions of need - OT, DE, DT, WR, Safety.

Will McDonald IV - DE - R1 - I don't care about anything but speed and bend at this point. Is he a reach at the back of the 1st? Probably. Could he make it to our second pick? I doubt it, and I wouldn't risk it. He's not a 3-down DE at all but he has explosiveness. He also has enough experience playing in a 3 front and not sucking against the run to think the fact he's undersized won't be a liability there. He's a rocket and he's exactly the sort of threat we don't have and need on our DL. Gutted Verse didn't declare but I suspect he was going higher, ao I think he might be the best speed-first DE left at that pick.

Laiaitu Latu - DE - 1st/2nd - He's probably the only guy I want outside of the blue-chip guys based on his technique rather than explosiveness, though he seems to have plenty of that. Like McDonald, first is probably a reach, but I think when all's said and done he rises and doesn't get to our 2nd pick. The guy is a perfect versatile piece for Spags and Cullen, and seems to win in multiple ways.

Karl Brooks - DE - 4th onwards - Again I don't know he falls this far, there's too much athleticism, production and versatility...BUT, small school, who knows, and he's definitely unrefined and probably carrying a little excess weight, so maybe. But man he could be something. Not many guys that size move like that. He's a jumbo end/DT really and although he'd need time I think he could be moulded into a really destructive rusher from all angles, and possible a true 3-down contributor.

Other guys I like - Nolan Smith but doubt he falls to us, Felix Anudike-Asomah.

Calijah Kancey - DT - 2nd onwards, ideally 3rd - He's absolutely not the nose tackle we need, but there's nothing else like him in this draft IMO. If you can pick up a run-stuffer later in the draft then he'd be a nightmare alongside Jones on passing downs. Technique and get-off are unreal, he's waaay too much for college IOLs and I'm betting he's too much to handle for a lot of NFL guards too. Worst scenario and I honestly think he can be lined up as an edge that prospers. If the size puts teams off and he's there in the 3rd I'd run it in.

Mazi Smith - DT - 2nd or 3rd - Probably the value pick and the highest ceiling. A true freak, a brick wall in the run game and all the tools to make it as a rusher. If he puts it together learning alongside Jones we have a player. Still kinda inconsistent so there's a chance he's there back of the 2nd, but I wouldn't bank on it. I just wouldn't want to pull the trigger earlier.

Moro Ojomo - DT - 3rd onwards - Budget Kancey. Back of the 3rd would be reasonable, 4th would be fantastic IMO. Again too small to be the nose we need but great hands, mobile, a handful.

Keondre Coburn - DT - 4th onwards - Too inconsistent to go earlier but a MASSIVE block of a human. Coached up and I think he's our nose with a ceiling that could be higher.

Sydney Brown - Safety - 3rd onwards - I really like this guy. I think Thornhill's gone next year and I really want a guy who can come with the same tools but less of the missed tackles, fewer coverage concentration lapses, and better play-making (of course Thornhill gets a pick now I've said this). I think Brown could be got later and absolutely fit the bill. He may not have Thornhill's athleticism but it can't be far off, and he seems to have both a better read of the game and tackling. He's played closer to the line a lot so I'm projecting a little. But we need guys who can erase plays over the middle that our LBs struggle to cover. I think this is the guy.

Rome Odunze - WR - 3rd (maybe 2nd at a push). There's guys I like more but I don't think offer what we need as much as this guy. 6'3' but mobile, he's probably the guy we wanted with Ross but he has enough juice to be used as a versatile and vertical threat. Needs to improve on contested catches, and I'm not sure that does improve, but it's IMO the best chance at a "do-it-all" WR at this point in the draft.

I'm not big on the tackles. I'm after a pass-pro first mover, not another lumbering road grader. Probably Bergeron is the only guy I could see at the back of the 1st I might pull the trigger on. Maybe Blake Freeland in the 2nd onwards, Cody Mauch in the 3rd?

Andre Carter I REALLY liked but I dunno, I've cooled on him. The ceiling is very high but I think it'll take more time. Rashee Rice I like but I think he's a guy we have with JJSS so would need him to go, which I'm fine with, but I also think he eats into Moore's role too much. Hyatt I love the speed but is that going to be it?
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The first will be dependent upon how he runs, in my opinion, but I do like him very much and don't think he'll be there when we pick in the 2nd. He could be... but I have doubts.

Of course, I loved Romeo Doubs last year and he dropped.
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