Top pick Breeland Speaks making a big transition at Chiefs camp
The Chiefs were convinced they’d gotten great value when they claimed Breeland Speaks with the 46th selection in this year’s NFL Draft. But now Speaks stops being a pick.
He’s no longer a skill set, a set of scouting reports, measurements and times. He’ll no longer get judged against other draft prospects. He’ll be evaluated against other pros, many with vastly more experience.
A talented and soft-spoken 6-foot-3, 285-pound former standout defensive lineman at Ole Miss, Speaks begins his transition to a pass-rushing outside linebacker in earnest this week as the Chiefs begin training camp. His learning curve will include adapting to the level of competition he’ll face in the NFL, assuming the responsibilities of a new position and proving he’s capable of executing everything that position entails.
When asked what serves as the primary measure of success for the Chiefs’ top draft pick, Chiefs coach Andy Reid replied, “Consistency.”
“When you’re young, you might have one move that’s your favorite move. In the NFL, they take that away from you,” Reid said. “How are you going to counter that? Are you going to work on those things that help counter that move and add to the repertoire that you can throw at the offensive linemen.”
Speaks, a native of Jackson, Miss., played predominantly at defensive tackle in his three seasons at Ole Miss (he sat out 2014 as a redshirt) before sliding over to defensive end for the final seven games last season. He finished the year ranked second on the team in both tackles (76) and sacks (seven). He tied for the team lead in hurries (eight) as a defensive tackle in 2016.
He’ll have much more on his plate in the NFL than just rushing the passer. At linebacker, dropping into zone coverage or covering an eligible receiver — whether running back, tight end or wideout — falls into his job description for the first time since high school.
“One thing he is, he’s a smart kid — real smart,” Reid said. “He’s got a nice feel for the game, so things come relatively easy to him (as far as) picking it up.”
Pass coverage won’t be completely foreign to Speaks, who played some linebacker during his prep career. However, pass coverage has never been as regular an occurrence for him as it will become in the coming days.
“I played middle linebacker in high school and then I dropped some this past season at Ole Miss,” Speaks said. “It’s not brand new, but the volume of it is new and the amount of times I have to drop is definitely new.”
Speak said returning veterans Justin Houston, Dee Ford and Tanoh Kpassagnon have already taken him under their wing and started tutoring him on the finer points of playing the outside linebacker/edge rusher position in the Chiefs’ defense.
“I see his potential — I know what he can do,” Ford said. “He’s very talented. He’s very talented. And he can really help us in the run game and the pass game. With the way the league has gone now, rotations are very important, especially with throwing the ball 60 plays a game. So he can really help. I don’t want to throw an expectation on what he can do, (but) I know he can do it.”
Before arriving at camp, Speaks said he put an emphasis on developing quick feet by going through a litany of defensive back drills, running in sand and doing speed work, on top of running hills and gassers to prepare for the annual conditioning test.
With all the new challenges he’ll face on a daily basis during camp, Speaks enters with a simple approach to keep things from overwhelming him. He plans to take everything drill by drill and not look past the current moment.
“It’s just whatever we’re working on, I make sure I’m always locked in on it and make sure I give it my best effort so I can build that muscle memory forward,” Speaks said. “That way everything gets easier and easier, and before long I’ll be doing it without knowing it.”
This story was originally published July 23, 2018 at 2:57 PM.