Chiefs Mock Draft 1.0: Projecting all seven rounds of Kansas City’s NFL Draft picks
Go ahead and get your jokes out of the way early.
Yes, I did my first Chiefs mock draft on April Fools’ Day. Sure, it’s a joke, because let’s be honest, mock drafts usually are. Do we actually know what any given team is going to do on draft day? No. Well, other than the Arizona Cardinals taking Kyler Murray No. 1, no.
And the biggest joke of all? This was about 70 percent done Monday afternoon by the time the Chiefs traded safety Eric Murray to Cleveland for defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah. Hilarious timing, truly.
Now that the free-agency frenzy has quieted a bit (this part was definitely written before the trade), we have a clearer idea of exactly what the Chiefs need to do when April 25 — NFL Draft day — rolls around.
To do this mock, I used the On the Clock simulator on FanSpeak.com, working off the On the Clock composite big board and FanSpeak Steve’s team needs. Because it’s my first mock, I also set the difficulty level to “classic.” Maybe one day we’ll bump it up to “difficult,” but that seemed unnecessary this time around.
As far as I know, I wasn’t able to make trades in this mock, so let me say this now: I don’t think the Chiefs will actually make a selection at No. 29. I fully expect general manager Brett Veach to do some wheeling and dealing to trade up and grab an edge guy midway through the first round. With this thinking, I’m going to put an asterisk by my first pick, further explaining down there why I think the Chiefs will end up with someone other than Washington Huskies product Taylor Rapp with their first-round pick.
The Chiefs addressed some major needs in free agency by adding guys like safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Bashaud Breeland, but there’s still plenty of work left to do in the draft.
Let’s get started.
Round 1, pick 29: S Taylor Rapp, Washington*
As I mentioned above, I don’t think the Chiefs end up picking this late in the draft.
Even with the addition of Ogbah, they need an elite edge rusher, and this is a good draft for securing that. To get one, though, they’ll have to trade up. I’d like to see them work something out for a mid-round pick to get Clelin Ferrell or maybe Montez Sweat. I wasn’t really impressed with Jachai Polite (Florida) at the NFL Combine, and I wouldn’t take a chance on him.
Not only was Polite’s combine not great, his pro day was even worse. He ran a 5.04-second 40-yard dash, among other troubling measurables. But enough about a guy I didn’t pick for the Chiefs.
Should the Chiefs actually pick at 29, I’d go with a DB. Rapp, 5-11¾ and 208 pounds, was the fastest safety in the short-shuttle drill, at 3.99 seconds, and he ranked among the top at his position in the three-cone drill and the 60-yard shuttle.
Sure, the Chiefs have already acquired Mathieu in free agency, but adding Rapp would allow the Chiefs to cut Daniel Sorensen and create a good amount of cap space — $2.7 million as a pre-June 1 cut and $3.7 million as a post-June 1 cut.
Round 2, pick 29, 61 overall: CB Joejuan Williams, Vanderbilt
Williams left the biggest impression on me of any player at the combine.
Not only is he physically impressive, at 6-4, 211-pounds, but he’s also exactly the kind of guy owner Clark Hunt and Veach are trying to bring into the organization. In his media interview session, Williams talked about his desire to work with the community and be a positive presence and role model wherever he lands.
That has to be exactly what Chiefs brass want to hear. Williams was a standout player at Vanderbilt, where he recorded 61 tackles his junior season along with four interceptions and 14 pass breakups.
Round 2, pick 31, 63 overall: TE Jace Sternberger, Texas A&M
When I made this pick, both Sternberger and running back David Montgomery were available.
It was a toss-up between the two, but I decided to go with Sternberger. I think the Chiefs need to fill a hole at tight end that was created when Demetrius Harris signed with John Dorsey in Cleveland.
With the Chiefs’ fairly recent signing of running back Carlos Hyde, their backfield need isn’t quite as pressing as it is at tight end. Sternberger is an interesting prospect in that he began his career at Kansas before going to a junior college and eventually landing at Texas A&M.
While with the Aggies, he showed an aptitude for both blocking and receiving. But at 6-4 and 251 pounds, he’s a little undersized to do a bunch of blocking in the NFL. Instead of being a complement to Chiefs star Travis Kelce, he could be groomed to be the next receiving tight end behind Kelce. With his ball skills and route-running ability, Sternberger can function as a big-bodied receiver, much like Kelce does now.
Round 3, pick 28, 92 overall: RB David Montgomery, Iowa State
Surprise! Montgomery was still available in this mock late in the third round, so it only felt responsible to pick him up this time around.
The Chiefs addressed a need with the signing of Hyde, but I think Montgomery would add good depth to the group. He’s a durable workhorse who has a knack for running through and off contact. He’s also solid in pass protection.
Plus, his name isn’t Damien or Williams, although his D-name would still guarantee some confusion in a group that already has Damien and Darrel Williams.
Round 5, pick 29, 167 overall: WR Penny Hart, Georgia State
A month ago, I likely wouldn’t have included a wide receiver like Hart in my mock draft.
But with Tyreek Hill’s future uncertain as his situation works its way through the legal system, the Chiefs could be forced to draft a safety net at receiver. Hart could do the trick. Nobody is Hill, but Hart is a speedy similarity.
The 5-8, 180-pound Georgia State product was impressive at the Senior Bowl as he flaunted his quickness and ability to run vertical routes. He also has a versatility that could be attractive to the Chiefs. He had 203 receptions, 13 rushing attempts, 17 kick returns and 15 punt returns in his college career.
Round 6, pick 28, 201 overall: LB Joe Giles-Harris, Duke
Back to the defense!
The Chiefs have spent their offseason revamping the defense to new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s specifications.
Giles-Harris, 6-2, is a typical 4-3 mike linebacker, making him a good fit for Spagnuolo’s defense. He’d give that position a boost at depth behind projected starter Reggie Ragland. He’s a good combination of smart and physical, recording 313 tackles over three seasons to go with 8.5 career sacks. Giles-Harris also reportedly met with the Chiefs after Duke’s Pro Day.
Round 6, pick 41, 214 overall: DL Daniel Wise, Kansas
More defense!
Wise was one of Kansas’ standout players on defense, and he’s a valuable addition as a late-round pick. Wise would bring more depth to the group, and new D-line coach Brendan Daly is familiar with the Wise family, having coached Daniel’s older brother Deatrich with the Patriots. The Chiefs also attended Wise’s Pro Day in Lawrence.
Round 7, pick 2, 216 overall: LB Sione Takitaki, BYU
First of all, Takitaki, at 6-2 and 230-pounds, is obviously the best name in the draft, so he gets bonus points for that alone.
Takitaki finished his BYU career with 237 total tackles and 14.5 sacks to go with 13 quarterback hits. He started 13 games his senior season, spending time at both outside and middle linebacker, and had 118 tackles that year.
He’s another good versatile, depth player to add to the linebacker group and bolster those positions.
This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Chiefs Mock Draft 1.0: Projecting all seven rounds of Kansas City’s NFL Draft picks."