Chiefs get good draft grades from pundits, but Pro Football Focus duo rips first pick
For most Chiefs fans, this year’s NFL Draft was different, but not only because it was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chiefs held the 32nd pick in the first round because they are the defending Super Bowl champions. Having won the Lombardi Trophy, the Chiefs aren’t looking to shore up an area of great concern.
Sure, there are some positions that could use improving, but the Chiefs had the best team in the NFL last season and they are returning 20 starters from Super Bowl LIV.
With that in mind, here is what NFL pundits were saying about the Chiefs draft.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com gave the Chiefs a B-plus. This is a snippet of what he wrote: “Not too surprised to see the Chiefs add (Michael) Danna on Day 3 since they already have another former Wolverine (and similarly built edge rusher) in Frank Clark on the roster. Kansas City should be able to find interior offensive linemen to provide depth after the draft.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper gave the Chiefs a C-plus. A subscription is required to read all of what Kiper wrote, but here is a excerpt: “(Clyde) Edwards-Helaire is going to get a lot of snaps as a rookie, but I don’t see early contributors after that.”
The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer gave the Chiefs a B-minus. He wrote in part: “Call out the Chiefs a little for not considering wide receiver and defensive tackle for 2021 contract contingencies and taking a long time before addressing cornerback.”
Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated gave the Chiefs a C-plus. This is portion of what he wrote: “It’s rare to win the Super Bowl and not lose a bunch of guys in free agency, but that’s the position the Chiefs are in. Which means they entered this draft able to (mostly) draft for luxury instead of need.”
Peter Schrager of “Good Morning Football” on the NFL Network didn’t hide his enthusiasm:
SB Nation’s Dan Kadar gave the Chiefs a B-minus. This is a portion of what he wrote: “Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. scared some teams because of his off-field issues, but he’s an impressive athlete who stars in coverage. Third-round pick Lucas Niang had first-round buzz early in his college career. If he’s healthy, he’s the type of player who can eventually succeed the great Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle.”
Nate Davis of USA Today gave the Chiefs a C-plus. Here is an excerpt of what he wrote: “The champs only had six picks, but first-round RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire will make any K.C. fans pining for Kareem Hunt forget quickly.”
Yahoo Sports’ Eric Edholm gave the Chiefs a B-minus. This is a portion of what he wrote: “The Chiefs had a good draft after winning the Super Bowl. They didn’t take a corner until Round 7, which was interesting, but Keyes was good enough to go much earlier. Still, the meat of this draft comes down to the first two picks and the potential for Niang to be a steal.”
The Washington Post’s Mark Maske gave the Chiefs a B-plus. He wrote: “Using a first-round selection on a running back usually isn’t the way to go in the modern NFL. But the Chiefs taking Clyde Edwards-Helaire at No. 32 was an exception. He’s a versatile player who will be a major factor in the passing game as he splits time with Damien Williams. It’s the sort of move a reigning Super Bowl champion that’s keeping its roster mostly intact can afford to make.”
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly wrote this about Kansas City: “The Chiefs didn’t exactly sit idle and let all their rivals make up ground. Coming into the draft with what was already the most explosive offense in the NFL under Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City decided to up the ante, taking the first running back of the draft in LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire at No. 32 overall. The diminutive runner is as elusive as they come and makes an already stacked offense even more dangerous.”
Pro Football Focus gave the Chiefs a B-minus. Here is an excerpt of what Mike Renner wrote of Willie Gay Jr.: “The Chiefs had one of the most uninspiring linebacker corps in the NFL last season. Gay changes that in (2020). He tested out on Isaiah Simmons levels of freaky at the combine with a 4.46-second 40 time, 39.5-inch vertical, and 11-foot-4 broad jump at 6-foot-1, 243 pounds. That would be one thing in a vacuum, but we’ve already seen it translate to the field with his 93.9 career coverage grade being the highest of any player in the draft class, regardless of position. We only got to see him in coverage for 293 snaps in his college career, though.”
That’s good, right? Well, on its draft show during the first round, Renner and PFF data scientist George Chahrouri hammered the Chiefs for picking Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the 32nd overall pick.
Renner said: “You have Patrick Mahomes. You in no way, shape or form want to be throwing to running backs. You want to be throwing with him down the football field. That’s why they’re the most explosive offense in the NFL. You take a running back early when you think have a roster that only needs a running back. Yes, they just won the Super Bowl but ... the odds of them running up the score on all the teams they play in the AFC playoffs again, you might have one dud game and that’s all it takes with a defense that is nowhere near an elite defense in the NFL.”
Chahrouri said: “I think this is the worst pick of the first round. This is how you end up a couple years down the road with a Patrick Mahomes that’s by himself. You have to continually replenish the positions that really matter. Cornerback was a huge need and a very valuable position. You could’ve gone wide receiver once again. I actually thought Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the best running back. I just thought he was awesome. That was great, but you don’t pick him the first round. It’s ridiculous.”
Here it is:
