KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft suddenly lacks drama for the Kansas City Chiefs, who traded the No. 29 pick among other assets to Seattle on Tuesday for defensive end Frank Clark.
If the Chiefs’ staff is head over heels with a guy who slides out of the first round, the possibility of packaging the two second-round picks to move up into the early part of the round shouldn't be ruled out — but don't expect Kansas City to move back into the first round.
To justify packaging those two picks, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid would have to be pretty sure it was a Chris Jones-type talent to make that move.
Otherwise, after dealing this season’s first-round pick and a second-round pick next season, there’s enough depth in the draft and value with three picks between Nos. 61 and 84 for the Chiefs to expect a few impact players.
Now, exactly who that might be is tough to forecast, but here are a few options in Tod Palmer’s seven-round Chiefs mock draft:
No. 61 — CB Sean Bunting, Central Michigan
It may be wishful thinking that Bunting lasts until this late in the second round, but it would be a great value pick if the Chiefs could get him. A safety — either Iowa’s Amani Hooker or Virginia’s Juan Thornhill — would also be nice and I wouldn’t be upset if South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel went off the board here.
No. 63 — S Amani Hooker, Iowa
Hooker is an instinctive and versatile safety, whose aggressiveness sometimes gets the better of him. Virginia’s Juan Thornhill would also be an option at safety, and I wouldn’t be mad if the Chiefs selected Massachusetts wide receiver Andy Isabella.
No. 84 — RB David Montgomery, Iowa State
It would be great if Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger or Western Illinois defensive tackle Khalen Saunders made it this far. Either would be a no-brainer pick, in my opinion. But I’m guessing this is the sweet spot for an impact running back, either Montgomery or Memphis’ Darrell Henderson, as the Chiefs aim to fill Kareem Hunt’s void. Don’t sleep on Utah State tight end Dax Raymond here either.
No. 167 — G Alex Bars, Notre Dame
With Mitch Morse and Jordan Devey moving on, adding depth on the interior offensive line will be critical, even if it’s developmental. Bars represents tremendous value if he falls this far. Wisconsin guard Beau Benzschawel also could be an option or a wide receiver, perhaps Buffalo’s Anthony Johnson or Texas Tech’s Antoine Wesley.
No. 201 — OT Paul Adams, Missouri
If BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki falls this far, the Chiefs should nab him, but I think it’s more likely that a developmental cornerback or tackle is the pick here. Adams was an unsung hero the last several seasons for the Tigers and could mature into a decent tackle in an NFL strength program.
No. 214 — CB Hamp Cheevers, Boston College
Cheevers lacks ideal size, but he’s fast, has fantastic ball skills, and reads/reacts well to the play in front of him in zone coverage. It’s such a massive position of need, the Chiefs might as well throw a dart here and hope to get lucky.
No. 216 — WR Hunter Renfrow, Clemson
Dude catches everything thrown his way and he could develop into a pretty nifty slot receiver that becomes a headache for every defensive coordinator the Chiefs face if he develops a rapport with Patrick Mahomes. Renfrow has some Julian Edelman to his game. If he’s gone, an athletic tight end — maybe UCLA’s Caleb Wilson — would be a nice pick instead.
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