Chiefs are faced with critical draft due to title window
The Kansas City Chiefs can’t afford to take players who could take years to develop. They need immediate contributors, and they need more than one.
Kansas City surprised many last year by going 12-4 and winning the AFC West for the third straight year. In the playoffs, the top-seeded Chiefs dismantled the red-hot Indianapolis Colts before falling in the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots, 37-31, in overtime.
As the score indicates, Kansas City fell short because the defense was a disaster. General manager Brett Veach did a nice job remaking the unit by adding safety Tyrann Mathieu, cornerback Bashaud Breeland and defensive end Alex Okafor in free agency, along with defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah via trade with the Cleveland Browns. However, the Chiefs also traded away outside linebacker Dee Ford and let his counterpart, Justin Houston, leave after releasing him due to a $21 million cap hit.
In short, the Chiefs have to find players who can come in and help take away the sting of losing two of the league’s better pass rushers.
With that in mind, Veach has to be thinking about what he can do with a decent amount of draft capital. The Chiefs have the No. 29 overall pick but also own a pair of second-round picks, including the Los Angeles Rams’ choice that was dealt in the Marcus Peters trade. In 2020, Kansas City once again has a pair of second-round selections, gaining an extra one from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Ford.
Luckily for Veach and the Chiefs, this draft is loaded to the hilt with edge rushers. While Kansas City likely isn’t going to have a chance to land someone such as Josh Allen of Kentucky or even Brian Burns of Florida State, there are ample names out there. Consider that even without trading up, there’s a real chance that the Chiefs could get a pair of edge rushers in the first two rounds that would normally be gone in the first 25 picks or so, including Jaylon Ferguson, Charles Omenihu, Clelin Ferrell, Jachai Polite, D’Andre Walker and others.
If Kansas City is going to maximize its championship window, one firmly open due to Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and the game’s best offense, Veach has to find players who can come in and provide an impact.
In recent years, Kansas City has taken its fair share of projects with upside.
That can’t be the case in a few weeks, when the Chiefs will have their best chance of the offseason to make significant upgrades to an already championship-caliber team.
