Some Kansas City Chiefs fans are worried about the draft picks new Chiefs GM Brett Veach has given away in the last few days. Veach has been busy surrendering a 2019 fourth round pick Monday for Reggie Ragland and on Wednesday a 2018 fifth round pick for Cameron Erving. Next year the Chiefs will not have a first round pick (Patrick Mahomes trade), fifth or seventh round pick (Kenneth Acker trade) to their name.
I love the draft. It’s my favorite part of the NFL calendar. Not having as many assets for a strong 2018 class might make it not quite as fun as years past (specifically last year).
But let’s not panic. Here’s why.
Roster spots
The Chiefs entered the 2017 NFL draft with 10 draft picks. The outlook of the Chiefs being able to roster that many players looked slim. They used those assets to maneuver around the board to acquire six players, including the aggressive move to acquire Mahomes.
All six of the players in this year’s class aren’t even a guarantee to make the roster. The good drafts the Chiefs have had in recent history are making it harder to find places to put draft picks.
Next year should be more of the same. While there may not be quite as many tough roster decisions, the Chiefs won’t be desperate for quality players either.
It’s probably actually five picks
Per Over the Cap, the Chiefs are scheduled to receive a 2018 fifth round pick as a compensatory pick for Nick Foles’ leaving. There’s a good chance the Chiefs will pick up an extra selection.
Alex Smith trade
There’s one obvious way to recoup some of the lost pick in 2018. If Alex Smith has an Alex Smith-like season, he and is $17 million cap hit can be moved for a draft asset. It remains to be seen if the glut of quarterback prospects and available veterans eat in to the demand for his services, but the Chiefs should be able to get compensation of some kind of Smith. I’m not optimistic they’ll be able to get much, but something is better than nothing.
They can move around on draft day
The Chiefs traded the 2016 59th pick (K Roberto Aguayo, lol) to the Buccaneers for the 74th (KeiVarae Russell, lol) and 109th (Eric Murray, not an lol) pick. They also traded out of the first round and ended up acquiring Chris Jones in the second and Parker Ehinger in the fourth because of it.
If they feel they need more selections, they can figure out a way to acquire them. Next year is a deep class, so maneuvering around for an extra top 100-ish pick may be a smart move.
At least they weren’t forfeited
Losing draft picks is something we’ve grown accustom to the last few years. The Chiefs lost a pick in 2016 and 2017 for tampering with Jeremy Maclin. At least they got something this time.
I love the Reggie Ragland move and am apathetic about the Erving trade. The Chiefs got a talented linebacker and an athletic lineman as a reclamation project for middle round picks. That’s two roster spots for next year likely spoken for.
The five, and possibly six, draft picks they’ll roll into April with will be plenty enough to acquire talented players to improve the roster. With the recent organizational track record in the draft, I trust they’ll find talent.