If Chiefs seek an every-down linebacker in draft, NFL combine has mid-round options
The Chiefs could find themselves in the market to bolster their linebacker corps with Reggie Ragland and Darron Lee scheduled to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins on March 18.
Should Ragland and Lee sign elsewhere, the Chiefs could look for immediate replacements in free agency.
But if the Chiefs prefer to wait for the 2020 NFL Draft in late April, there won’t be a shortage of options available in the middle rounds. This year’s crop features plenty of players who are capable of playing every down against the run and the pass in the NFL.
“The more you’re in the game, the more you can help the team be effective and do the right things on the field,” Virginia linebacker Jordan Mack said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Just overall, help the team achieve goals and success if you’re on the field.”
Jacob Phillips, a member of LSU’s national championship team, went straight to the point on the importance of being an every-down player.
“That’s really the main focus,” Phillips said.
The Chiefs finished this season with Ragland, Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson as part of their 4-3 base defense. But in 16 regular-season contests, the Chiefs began with a nickel package in seven, meaning they had just two linebackers and five defensive backs on the field for their opening defensive series.
Hitchens and Wilson were the two linebackers to stay on the field in the Chiefs’ nickel package, and Wilson’s 714 defensive snaps paced the position group. Hitchens finished the regular season with 704 defensive snaps, while Ragland ended up playing 237. Ben Niemann, a core special teams contributor, played on more defensive snaps (409) than Ragland, who is more effective against the run than the pass.
Yet situational linebackers might not be what the Chiefs want on their roster going forward, especially in a today’s pass-happy league.
The Chiefs’ linebacker group started off slowly last season, especially against the run, as the team transitioned from a 3-4 base to a 4-3 scheme under first-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. While the unit eventually clamped down against the run in the second half of the season, they still had issues against speedy, pass-catching running backs.
Linebackers set to enter the NFL now are well aware of the challenges facing today’s defensive units. They are prepared to square off against running backs out of the backfield or tight ends off the line of scrimmage.
“I feel like my coverage skills are pretty top-notch,” Mack said. “When it comes to man, when it comes to doing those things, I feel like I can cover at a high level.”
Miami linebacker Michael Pinckney does, too.
“This game is changing, man,” Pinckney said. “You’re getting guys coming out of the backfield running 4.4, 4.3, so your technique has to be real sound. You got to be a really fast guy and I feel like I’ve got a combination of both.”
Where each draft prospect played his college football also has a role in how these linebackers approach being on the field for every down.
“In the ACC, we got plenty of smaller types of backs — we’ve got scat-backs,” Pinckney said. “I feel like if you can’t cover in today’s league, you’re the first- and second-down linebacker. They don’t really have a spot for you anymore. They can have a safety coming down that’s bulking up and playing linebacker, so you’ve got to be able to run.”
Playing at LSU, a school that has been a pipeline to the NFL, prepared Phillips to take the next step in his playing career.
“Everything about it is kind of professional,” Phillips said of his time in Baton Rouge. “We try to practice like it’s the NFL, we try to prepare like the NFL. We try to scheme, too. Obviously, it’s going to be another step forward, but I was prepared well at LSU.”
Mack, Phillips and Pinckney are but three options for the Chiefs to consider if the linebacker position is on the menu in the event Ragland and Lee aren’t brought back.
Each of those three is ready to head to Kansas City if the call comes.
“I love the Chiefs,” Pinckney said. “They’re a great team.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 3:38 PM.
