Chiefs Draftmas List

EDGE Dorance Armstrong, Kansas | EDGE Hercules Mata’afa, Washington State | Guard Isaiah Wynn, Georgia | Safety Kyzir White, West Virginia | WR D.J. Moore, Maryland | S Jessie Bates III, Wake Forest | CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville | CB Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State | TE Mike Gesicki, Penn State | DL Tim Settle, Virginia Tech | EDGE Josh Sweat, Florida State | EDGE Kylie Fitts, Utah | Safety Justin Reid | Guard Braden Smith, Auburn | CB DJ Reed, Kansas State | DL Nathan Shepard, Fort Hays State

Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star got some interesting comments from new Chiefs cornerback David Amerson. It sounds like the Chiefs intend to get back to the more aggressive, physical tendencies we’ve seen from successful Bob Sutton defenses.

I’m intrigued to see if some of the decisions the Chiefs make in the draft support that statement.

Luckily, there are some corners who I believe could fit in nicely in a press-heavy scheme. These players could be potentially great value for the Chiefs if they choose to go that direction.

The next two names on the Draftmas List are currently not perceived as anything higher than third-round grades at this point for a variety of reasons. Either of these players has the chance to be excellent value and could thrive in Kansas City.

Holton Hill, Cornerback

6’3” | 200 lbs. | Texas

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Projected Draft Range: third to fourth round

Games watched: USC, Oklahoma State

Prospect grade (out of 100): 82

I would take him in the: third round (he has a second-round grade)

One sentence bio: Early entry junior who was kicked off Texas’ football team for drug-related issues.

One sentence scouting report: Long, athletic, physical corner with the skill set and upside to be an excellent player in a press-heavy scheme.

One play:

Why he fits in KC: There are significant concerns about Hill’s ability to stay clean from marijuana and keep himself from suspension. I can’t speak to those issues with him. I have no idea how it will affect his draft stock ultimately.

I can speak to his ability as a press corner, however. Hill has an ideal frame and athleticism to match. His fluid hips and ability to mirror and match routes is strong. He’s a long corner and has shown the ability to use that length well. He is comfortable in a press technique and displays the spacial awareness to sort through traffic.

Hill shows a willingness to be physical and active in the run game. He gives great effort, and has the kind of mentality you want on the field for a press corner.

If the Chiefs are intending to be press heavy, Hill could be an absolute steal in the draft. He has second-round talent, but the off-field concerns are going to keep him out of that range. If Hill can earn the trust of the organization, the Chiefs would be getting Hill at the draft capital discount. He could contribute and even potentially start his rookie year. He’s that good.

If the Chiefs take him, I trust that they will have done their due diligence on him and believe that he can overcome what some have speculated as substance dependency. Tyrann Mathieu overcame his issues and has had an impressive career when healthy. Hill could net similar returns if he can correct what issues he reportedly has.

Isaac Yiadom, Cornerback

6’1” | 190 lbs. | Boston College

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Projected Draft Range: third to fourth round

Games watched: Clemson, Iowa, Virginia Tech

Prospect grade (out of 100): 78.8

I would take him in the: third round

One sentence bio: Massachusetts native and Senior Bowl participant who has 28 career starts.

One sentence scouting report: Physical, tough corner whose strengths would be magnified in a press-heavy defensive scheme.

One play:

Why he fits in KC: The most important thing in building a defensive scheme is to put players in position to succeed. Find ways to maximize a player’s strengths and limit the exposure of his weaknesses.

Isaac Yiadom is not for every scheme. He’s not going to be as successful in every situation. But in a press-heavy scheme? Yeah, he’s valuable.

While Yiadom doesn’t possess all the athletic and technical abilities to be used in a multitude of ways, he does show the ability to be a physical press corner. His length and mentality make him a candidate to develop nicely within the Chiefs’ system. While his skill set is more narrow than others, he wouldn’t be asked to do the things he’s not strong at.

The list of teams that value Yiadom correctly may not be as high as other players, which presents the Chiefs an opportunity for value in the fourth round or later. If the Chiefs address other positions earlier in the draft and wait to select Yiadom in the mid rounds, you should be satisfied with the quality and fit Yiadom could be in Kansas City.

AP Chiefs Draft Show

We’ll have discussions on both these players and more this week coming up on the AP Chiefs Draft Show.

If you’re a fan of local teams, we’ve got extensive breakdowns and discussions on several local prospects in last week’s episode. Also, we’re up and running on iTunes for Apple users.

What my grades mean

As a refresher, so you know what the grading scale we use on the show and in this article equates to, here’s a helpful chart: