Defensive help could be coming for Chiefs via draft

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach held the first pre-draft news conference of his career Friday and made at least one thing perfectly clear.

When the NFL Draft starts Thursday, the Chiefs won't be shy about improving their defense.

“I don’t think as an evaluator, as a personnel member, you’re ever happy with your team unless you win a Super Bowl.," Veach said, "so we’re going to look to improve the defense. We’re going to look to make changes."

And after an offseason in which the Chiefs traded their best cornerback, Marcus Peters, from what was already one of the league’s worst defenses, the notion should certainly act as a salve for fans worried about stress on their new starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, if the injuries pile up on the defense's starting 11.

Two areas the Chiefs seem likely to address are cornerback and defensive line, which could use more depth despite the presence of several players Veach likes.

“At corner, we feel really good about Kendall Fuller and Stevie Nelson has shown that he continues to get better and he can help us out,” Veach said. “And then you bring in Dave Amerson, who is a guy we know has been up and down on the consistency level but he has all the physical attributes you need, and we still have guys like Keith Reaser and Will Redmond that people won’t really talk about.

“And the defensive line, Chris (Jones), we feel he has a chance to be one of the best in the NFL. Xavier Williams filled a really big void for us and getting Allen (Bailey) healthy and playing a full 16 games will be big. We will have opportunities to add depth at both positions I believe.”

Still, don’t be surprised if Veach aggressively seeks to upgrade the defense via trade. The club surrendered its first-round pick when it traded up to draft Patrick Mahomes last year, so they don’t select until the 54th pick.

“I think all cards are on the table,” Veach said. “If there’s that guy who we thought was a top-10 pick and he’s there at 28, we have to be a least prepared and we have to have dialogue throughout this process. That’s why we have to start calling teams now and letting them know that we’re always open for business.”

Since taking over for Dorsey, who was fired last summer, Veach has been very aggressive in trading picks. Shortly after getting the job, he flipped a 2018 fifth-round pick to the Browns for offensive lineman Cameron Erving, and Veach also traded a 2019 fourth the Bills for inside linebacker Reggie Ragland. After the season, Veach landed Fuller and a third for starting quarterback Alex Smith, and traded Peters — who was coming off a tumultuous season — for a pair of picks.

“I think that’s just kind of who I am,” Veach said of his aggressive mindset. “I have a group of guys up there (in the front office) who are worried that I’m going to be too aggressive, so I’m glad I have those guys.”

That said, the early returns on Veach’s trades have been largely positive. While the club decided to move on from Peters — who was angling for a new contract the Chiefs weren’t willing to pay for — Veach explicitly said Friday that he’s happy with his trades.

“I’ll start off with Reggie — I think we’re all excited about him and we think he can be a star,” Veach said. “We are very fortunate to be able to execute that trade … Then Cam’s a guy who has all of the ability in the world. He’ll get a shot to continue to compete for those interior spots and provide flex at tackle and those guys are very hard to find.”

But while many are correctly pegging Veach as a candidate to trade up and snag a potentially blue-chip talent, Veach also understands there’s a flip side for surrendering picks to move up.

“The league is all about depth and I think the Philadelphia Eagles showed last year you lose a quarterback, you lose a tackle, you lose a running back, you lose a starting ‘Mike’ linebacker, (but) they had depth,” Veach said. “Where do you get those guys? You get them in the draft. You get them in all rounds, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, after-the-draft free agency. They are valuable because those guys will not only turn to starters, but they can turn into depth level players who will able to start and get you through a 16-game grind.”

Veach also will not reach to improve the defense, so an offensive player remains an option at No. 54. A big reason for that is because Veach is happy with some of the upgrades he’s made on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Inside linebacker Anthony Hitchens and nose tackle Xavier Williams are two free-agent acquisitions who are expected to contribute immediately, for example, while the return of safety Eric Berry from a season-ending Achilles injury cannot be understated.

And while the trade of Peters remains a sore spot for some fans, the man Veach traded for to replace him — Fuller — is also highly-regarded in NFL circles.

“I think we’ve made some good moves,” Veach said, “but we’re certainly not finished.”

This story was originally published April 20, 2018 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Defensive help could be coming for Chiefs via draft."