Draft preview: Chiefs will still look at offense. Here are prospects they might target
The most explosive offense in Chiefs history over a two-year period remains young and equipped with arguably the best player in football. It survived the injuries of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, top wideout Tyreek Hill and starting running back Damien Williams.
If it ain’t broke, as the saying goes, don’t fix it.
But maybe tweak it?
While the Chiefs head into Thursday’s NFL Draft perhaps without glaring needs offensively, that doesn’t leave them without ways to improve. If they elect to supplement that side of the football — and they will at some point during their five picks —here are three positions they can pinpoint and some players they could target at each.
1. OFFENSIVE LINE
The 2020 draft class is rich in offensive tackles, with half a dozen projected to be off the board by the time the Chiefs close the first round at No. 32.
So be it. The Chiefs are set on the outside — right tackle Mitchell Schwartz didn’t allow a sack last season, and left tackle Eric Fisher didn’t lose a game, winning all 11 in which he appeared.
But they can improve on the interior, where they lost guard Stefen Wisniewski to the Steelers during free agency, the lone offensive starter in the Super Bowl no longer on the roster. If the Chiefs elect to bolster the interior, and it’s expected they will, there are some prospects who project as natural fits.
• Cesar Ruiz, Michigan (6-3, 307 pounds). The Chiefs would have to act sooner rather than later. Ruiz is regarded as the top center in this year’s class and could go as early as late in the first round. But if he falls to the second, which is entirely possible, general manager Brett Veach hasn’t been shy about trading up in that particular round to grab a talent he covets. (See Mecole Hardman in 2019 and Breeland Speaks in 2018.) Ruiz has spent time at right guard in college, but he told The Star during the NFL combine that he envisions himself as a center in the league. Chiefs center Austin Reiter is in the final year of his contract.
• Robert Hunt, Louisiana-Lafayette (6-5, 323 pounds). Hunt is an athletic lineman with quick feet, allowing him to play anywhere across the line. He played both tackle spots in college and also saw plenty of starts at guard. He figures to play on the interior in the NFL, but his experience on the outside could make him an attractive piece for offensive line coach Andy Heck, who values players with versatility.
Hunt told The Star at the combine that he had a formal interview with the Chiefs. He figures to hear his name on the second day of the draft, in the second or third round.
• Josh Jones, Houston (6-5, 319 pounds). Jones is a three-year starter at tackle, and, well, if you read anything we previously discussed, that position isn’t at the top of the Chiefs’ needs.
Immediately.
In the future? Next offseason, the Chiefs can save $11 million by cutting Fisher, when he will be 30. Jones is a prospect with a high ceiling, though he could take time in comparison to other top talents. The Chiefs, unlike their predecessors in this draft, have the luxury of patience.
Jones is a monster in pass protection, where he allowed only four pressures in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. He is projected as a late first-rounder.
2. RUNNING BACK
Damien Williams has proven to be a good match within the Chiefs’ offense — he’s a weapon in the passing game and a reliable blocker in pass protection. But he’s entering the final year of his contract, and he does have an injury history that necessitates a reliable backup. The Chiefs already added to their rotation this offseason, signing DeAndre Washington, but that’s another one-year deal.
That leaves running back on the wish list in this year’s draft. Here are two who could make some sense.
• Zack Moss, Utah (5-9, 223 pounds). Moss represents perhaps the most natural option for the Chiefs in this year’s class — especially when considering the price. A projected third-rounder, he is a physical runner whose style has prompted comparisons to Kareem Hunt. He’s more quick and explosive than a true speed burner, and he gains much of his yardage after first contact. He also caught 66 passes during his career at Utah, and an ability to catch out of the backfield is a must in Andy Reid’s offensive scheme.
• Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU (5-7, 207 pounds). The size jumps out. Edwards-Helaire is just 5-foot-7. But the film leaves a similar lasting impression. He is an all-around talent who racked up 1,867 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns for the national champions. He caught 55 passes last year alone, his only season as LSU’s starter. Some scouts actually see his size as having one advantage — he runs so low to the ground with physicality that he’s difficult to tackle.
The draft is filled with surprises, but Edwards-Helaire’s stock will be tougher to gauge than most. Are teams willing to take a chance on him early despite his size? The Chiefs might have just one sensible opportunity to pull the trigger — the 63rd overall pick in the second round.
3. WIDE RECEIVER
The Chiefs’ top four wideouts from a year ago — Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson — stand to return in 2020.
So why would receiver be a consideration?
Watkins and Robinson are back on one-year deals only, and Veach said Thursday, “we’re trying to build this thing out not just for next year but for the next 5-10 years.”
Drafting a receiver accomplishes that. And this year’s class is so deep — NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah says he has 18 receivers ranked his top-100 players — that it might be hard to escape the entire draft without grabbing one of them, even if it’s not with an early pick.
If the Chiefs wait until late in the draft to pounce, here are some they could consider:
• Quez Watkins, Southern Mississippi (6-0, 185 pounds). Alabama’s Henry Ruggs is the fastest receiver in the draft, and his selection will reflect that — he should be off the board in the middle of the first round. Quez Watkins ran the second-best 40-yard dash at the combine, a 4.35, and he could be available into Day 3. Watkins tallied 1,024 yards in his senior season, averaging 18.6 yards per catch. He has enough size and more than enough speed, but other characteristics need some fine-tuning. According to NFL analyst Lance Zierlein, Watkins’ hip tightness limits his route-running, and he needs to improve against press coverage.
• Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan (6-2, 212 pounds). He was highly touted in high school but underwhelmed at Michigan. Still, the measurables suggest People-Jones can be an impact player in the right system. He has length, and he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the combine, where he talked with the Chiefs.
There are necessary improvements in route-running, scouts say, but those adjustments can be made with time. He’s an experienced special teams player, where he could help the Chiefs in a rookie season before developing into a more prominent role in future years. He won’t require an early gamble — in a deep class, Peoples-Jones could fall to the third day.
• Darnell Mooney, Tulane (5-10, 176 pounds). Mooney had the third-best 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine, finishing in 4.38 seconds. But he has more than straight-line speed — he’s quick and shifty and gets off the line of scrimmage against press coverage. His ability to so abruptly accelerate makes him dangerous after the catch, turning short routes into long gains. As a junior, he averaged 20.7 yards per catch on 48 receptions.
The Chiefs won’t mind the shorter frame, though he will need to add weight, and they might be alarmed by his inconsistency catching the football.
But Mooney won’t cost a ton of draft capital — it’s not anticipated he will be off the board until the final day of the draft, perhaps as late as the sixth or seventh round.
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 5:00 AM.