2015 NFL Draft: Intriguing Outside Linebackers to Watch from The Mothership
As we get closer to the draft, we'll take a look at a few players available in each positional group throughout this series.
Let's look at five inside linebackers:
Florida's Dante Fowler Jr.
Fowler was a first-team All-SEC performer with 15 tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hurries and 8.5 sacks last season.
According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, "Fowler is a competitive pass rusher getting by on athleticism and inside moves right now, but has a Pro Bowl ceiling with double-digit sack potential if he takes coaching and addresses his rush technique."
Mailbag, Part II: Will Dee Ford be over or under 7.5 sacks? from ESPN
Good question, but I'll go with the under just because I'm not sure how much he will play next season. Certainly in passing situations, as long as he stays healthy. He may play more in the base defense than he did as a rookie. But he won't be a full-time player unless Justin Houston doesn't sign with the Chiefs or Houston or Tamba Hali get hurt. If he's not on the field for a majority of the plays next season, I'll say the under.
Here's what Chiefs can expect with 173rd pick from ESPN
We'll continue our series looking at what the Chiefs can expect from each of their 10 draft picks with the second of their two fifth-round choices, this one being No. 173 overall.
Here are the five players selected with the 173rd pick in each of the past five drafts.
Kansas City Chiefs: Target Devin Funchess in the Draft from NFL Spin Zone
With Smith's lack of arm strength, the Chiefs thrive on the short passing game. While he is not going to make many defenders miss, Funchess could be a dangerous short-to-intermediate receiver for the Chiefs - a potential reliable chain-mover if you will.
Taking a prospect like Funchess is certainly risky, and you have to be willing to take the good with the bad. That being said, he has the potential to be a match-up nightmare for NFL defenses to cover. With an obvious need at receiver, the Chiefs would be wise to consider a potentially dynamic play like Funchess on day two of the draft.
2015 NFL Mock Draft: Titans kick off round two with a talented receiver from CBS Sports
18. Kansas City Chiefs -- Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson: With Sean Smith and Jamell Fleming both entering contract years, the cornerback position is one direction the Chiefs could go with this pick and Johnson fits the mold of what Kansas City looks for in the position.
NFL's top prospect at long snapper is Brown's Courtland Clavette from The Providence Journal
On March 17, six NFL teams — the Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins — had representatives at Brown's Pro Day. Vikings' special-teams coordinator, Mike Priefer, was also there.
Since then, the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have sent coaches or scouts to Brown to work out Clavette.
"There's always generic background questions that I always find kind of funny," Clavette said. "It's more about my experience becoming the long snapper and background questions to kind of get to know me better. We talk about their team, their punt and field-goal teams, their schemes and all that."