The AP draft team-powered seven-round Chiefs mock draft

Every year, I do a mock draft exercise with 31 other people across the country. You can trade this year’s assets and can’t trade 2020 draft picks or players. This year, the Arrowhead Pride draft team worked together to come up with our plan of attack. We used the KC Draft Guide to help us navigate and make our selections. The board was not kind to the Kansas City Chiefs, but we navigated it.

We talked about these players and scenarios more in-depth on the week’s episode of the AP Draft Show.

To the mock...

29. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, safety

Unfortunately for us, the run on EDGEs ended way before we could select one. Clelin Ferrell was off the board in the first half of round one. Defensive lineman Jerry Tillery came off the board at 20 and Byron Murphy went next. There wasn’t a trade-up opportunity to get those guys either. Gardner-Johnson and Garrett Bradbury were both available. We tried to trade back and acquire another top-120 pick.

Gardner-Johnson was the highest graded player on the board. We’d have preferred not to select a safety this high (you’ll see why later, so keep reading), but backed into a corner, we still got a good football player.

TRADE UP: 40. Justin Layne, cornerback

We elected to aggressively move up to guarantee that we added a cornerback into the mix. We could have sat and let the board fall, but that would be risky.

We traded picks 61, 92 and 167 to Buffalo for picks 40 and 181 to add either Amani Oruwariye or Layne. Both are graded similarly, but we like the upside of Layne to develop.

63. Anthony Nelson, EDGE

The downfalls of drafting a safety in the first round showed itself here. Maryland safety Darnell Savage was available here at 63. The gap between Gardner-Johnson and Savage isn’t enormous. Savage would have been excellent value here.

We couldn’t get out of day two without addressing the defensive end position. We had to choose between Nelson and Texas EDGE Charles Omenihu. Ultimately, we chose to go with the player with a little more ability against the run.

181. Porter Gustin, EDGE/linebacker

Gustin was good value here this late in the draft. He could be a SAM linebacker with additional pass rush ability or potentially hold up at defensive end. He’s a more flexible pass rusher than what the Chiefs currently have on the roster. We chose between Gustin and Hawaii linebacker Jahlani Tavai.

201. Jahlani Tavai, linebacker

Lucky for us, a player we considered at 181 was still available. Tavai has SAM potential as well but could also play as a mike linebacker as well. You’re getting the full spectrum at the SAM potentially with these two. Tavai has special teams potential as well and can fill in as a backup.

214. Keelan Doss, wide receiver

Small school prospect that was highly productive in his time at UC-Davis. He impressed at the Senior Bowl. Doss is tremendous value this late in the exercise. Doss would make the Chiefs 53-man roster and have a chance to develop into an excellent weapon for Patrick Mahomes moving forward.

216. Trevon Wesco, fullback/tight end

Positional versatility, high football character. Wesco is an excellent blocker that flashed route-running ability and soft hands at the Senior Bowl.

KC Draft Guide

The first-ever edition of the KC Draft Guide launched this week! You can purchase the fruits of our hard work for only $9.99!

We have over 225 prospect write-ups on prospects, including breakdowns of all of these players, with specifics about how prospects fit the Chiefs. There are more than 300 grades on players, mock drafts, positional rankings and features — all specific to the Chiefs. Grab your copy by clicking here!