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Welcome to your Kansas City Chiefs-specific big board

An NFL Draft big board that is designed specifically for Kansas City.

2018 NFL Draft Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

As the draft season draws to a close, most analysts scurry around trying to fill out one, final mock draft.

Everyone jams in last-minute additions on film or grades and spend an absurd amount of time reading into other teams’ press conferences to try and decipher what is real and not real.

I am guilty of all of this too. But I have another tradition—finalizing a big board and twisting it up to make it specific to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rather than list my generic top 150-plus players in a big block, which you may find in The KC Draft Guide, I organize the board horizontally. This sorts players into groups or tiers rather than a hard numerical ranking and allows you to quickly and easily see how that player stacks up in their position group or how that position group stacks up against others.

Maybe it’s a year that has five EDGE players in the first round but only two cornerbacks; rather than sifting through 20 players’ names and counting for yourself, this layout is more easily digestible.

It doesn’t just end there for me, as I try to tailor it to the Chiefs as closely as possible. I then go through the Chiefs’ depth chart and place all the players on the active roster into the same big board so that during the draft it’s a quick and easy find to see how the current roster and depth align.

See a current Chief ranked ahead of a prospect at a position that doesn’t need multiple players? Then you are less likely to covet that prospect over other players that are in the same tier.

The process

To get to this point, the prospect’s grade undergoes a few different conversions that differ from his initial grade. Using the player grades from The KC Draft Guide, I started with a players’ raw grade and then they went through a positional-value algorithm to help emphasize the positions we feel are more important in today’s NFL.

(Note: A position where this becomes very noticeable is interior offensive line. Players that have first-round grades tend to slide down about half a round on average from where their raw grade initially placed them.)

Once positional value is applied, there are two team-fit sweeps made to further asses value.

  • The first is broad, position-wide adjustments made to position groups the Chiefs are either lacking on their current roster or have shown interest in throughout the pre-draft process.
  • The second sweep is made player by player adjusting those that have the skills and traits that align with what the Chiefs’ covet at that position. Given that there is some newer blood and that we can’t be in the room with the Chiefs, both of these adjustments are made more on a personal feel and thought process than an analytical one.

(Note: A position group that has effects from both of these adjustments is the cornerback position. As a whole, the position group got a slight, less-than-a-half-a-round bump, just from the Chiefs’ need for help there. The second adjustment—scheme fit—helped players like Justin Layne, who show more prowess for zone coverage than David Long, who played almost exclusively in man coverage.)

Finally, the current rostered players are added in with a slightly-adjusted grading scale to account for the development they have already undergone or started to undergo in the NFL.

The board

QB RB WR TE OT IOL EDGE IDL Off-Ball CB S
Top 10 Patrick Mahomes Tyreek Hill Top 10 Travis Kelce Mitchell Schwartz Top 10 Frank Clark
Nick Bosa
Brian Burns
Quinnen Williams
Chris Jones
Top 10 Tyrann Mathieu Top 10
Rnd 1 DK Metcalf
AJ Brown
Sammy Watkins
Rnd 1 TJ Hockenson Jonah Williams
Jawaan Taylor
Cody Ford
Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff Rnd 1 Clelin Ferrell
Josh Allen
Rashan Gary
Ed Oliver
Jeffery SImmons
Jerry Tillery
Christian Wilkins
Rnd 1 Greedy Williams
Byron Murphy
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Rnd 1
Early Rnd 2 Kyler Murray Josh Jacobs Hakeem Butler
Hollywood Brown
Early Rnd 2 Eric Fisher
Yodny Cajuste
Andre Dillard
Dalton Risner
Garrett Bradbury
Connor McGovern
Early Rnd 2 Montez Sweat Early Rnd 2 Devin Bush Jr.
Devin White
Kendall Fuller
Amani Oruwariye
Justin Layne
JoeJuan Williams
DeAndre Baker
Nasir Adderley Early Rnd 2
Late Rnd 2 Dwayne Haskins
Daniel Jones
Kelvin Harmon
N'Keal Harry
Deebo Samuel
Late Rnd 2 Noah Fant Bobby Evans
Caleb McGary
Andrew Wylie
Eric McCoy
Chris Lindstrom
Elgton Jenkins
Dru Samia
Michael Deiter
Late Rnd 2 Alex Okafor Derrick Nnadi
Dexter Lawrence
Late Rnd 2 Anthony Hitchens Trayvon Mullen
Rock Ya-Sin
Sean Bunting
Bashaud Breeland
Darnell Savvage
Juan Thornhill
Amani Hooker
Deionte Thompson
Late Rnd 2
QB RB WR TE OT IOL EDGE IDL Off-Ball CB S
Rnd 3 Drew Lock Damien Williams
David Montgomery
Devin Singletary
Darrell Henderson
Miles Sanders
JJ Arcega-Whiteside
Riley Ridley
Paris Campbell
Terry McLaurin
Andy Isabella
Mecole Hardman
Rnd 3 Irv Smith
Kahale Warring
Foster Moreau
Jace Sternberger
Josh Oliver
David Edwards
Greg Little
Tytus Howard
Austin Reiter
Phil Haynes
Cameron Erving
Rnd 3 Chase Winovich
Jachai Polite
Anthony Nelson
D'Andre Walker
Charles Omeninhu
Christian Miller
Zach Allen
Dre'Mont Jones
Renell Wren
Trysten Hill
Khalen Sauders
Rnd 3 Dorian O'Daniel
Mack Wilson
Drue Tranquill
Reggie Ragland
David Long
Lonnie Johnson
Michael Jackson
Julian Love
Jamel Dean
Charvarius Ward
Taylor Rapp
Johnathan Abram
Marquise Blair
Khari Willis
Jordan Lucas
Rnd 3
Rnd 4 Tyree Jackson
Chad Henne
Damien Harris
Myles Gaskin
Justice Hill
Carlos Hyde
Bryce Love
Trayveon Williams
Keelan Doss
Olasibi Johnson
Antoine Wesley
Gary Jennings
Stanley Morgan Jr
DaMarkus Lodge
Miles Boykin
Darius Slayton
Demarcus Robinson
Rnd 4 Dawson Knox
Dax Raymond
Chuma Edoga
Dennis Daley
Max Scharping
Oli Udoh
Isaiah Prince
Hjalte Froholdt
Alex Bars
Rnd 4 Emmanuel Ogbah
Jachai Polite
Oshane Ximines
Jaylon Ferguson
Joe Jackson
Justin Hollins
Maxx Crosby
Porter Gustin
Ben Banogu
Breeland Speaks
Xavier Williams
Kinsley Keke
Daylon Mack
Rnd 4 Jahlani Taai
Jo Giles-Harris
Blake Cashman
Tyrel Dodson
Vosean Joseph
Germain Pratt
Cemeron Smith
Sione Takitaki
Ryan Connelly
Cody Barton
Damien Wilson
Kendall Sheffield
Kris Boyd
Isaiah Johnson
Davante Davis
Corey Ballentine
Mark Fields
Keith Reaser
Armani Watts
Daniel Sorensen
Saquan Hampton
Mike Edwards
WIll Harris
Delvon Randall
Sheldrick Redwin
Rnd 4
QB RB WR TE OT IOL EDGE IDL Off-Ball CB S
Rnd 5 Gardner Minshwew
Brett Rypien
Will Grier
Jordan Ta'amu
Rodny Anderson
Darrel Williams
Travis Homer
Mike Weber
Devine Ozigbo
Anthony Sherman
Bruce Anderson
Darwin Thompson
James Williams
Anthony Johnson
Jamal Custis
Emmanuel Hall
Byron Pringle
Lil'Jordan Humphrey
David Sills V
Dillon Mitchell
Jalen Hurd
Jakobi Meyers
Gehrig Deiter
Rnd 5 Alize Mack
Trevon Wesco
Alex Ellis
Trevon Tate
William Sweat
Ryan Hunter
Khalil McKenzie
Zach Bailey
Iosua Opeta
Ross Pierschbacker
Deion Calhoun
Beau Benzschawel
Rnd 5 Landis Durham
LJ Collier
Wyatt Ray
Austin Bryant
Jalen Jelks
Shareef Miller
Jordan Brailford
Jonathan Ledbetter
Tanoh Kpassagnon
Gerald WIllis
Chris Slayton
Daniel Wise
Byron Cowart
Armon Watts
Michael Dogbe
Justin Hamilton
Rnd 5 Malik Reed
Terez Hall
Ben Burr-Kirven
Bobby Okereke
Otaro Alaka
Jordan Jones
Khalil Hodge
Jerimiah Attaochu
Ben Niemann
Tremon Smith
Jordan Miller
Montre Hartage
Hamp Cheevers
Kendarius Webster
Iman Lewis-Marshall
Jamal Peters
Savion Smith
Blessaun Austin
Tim Harris
D'Montre Wade
Ugochuckwu Amadi
Jah'shawn Johnson
Malik Gant
Rnd 5
Rnd 6-7 Chase Litton
EJ Manuel
Jarrett Stidham
Clayton Thorson
Manny Wilkins
Ryan Finley
Taylor Cornelius
Easton Stick
Eligah Holyfield
Karan Higdon
Jordan Scarlett
Alexander Mattison
Jalin Moore
Dexter Williams
LJ Scott
JD Moore
Ryquell Armstead
Ty Johnson
Tony Pollard
Qadree Ollison
Benny Snell
Marcus Kemp
Tyre Brady
Terry Godwin
Grant Perry
Anthony Ratliff-Williams
Kesean Johnson
AJ Richardson
Diontae Johnson
Jazz Ferguson
Hunter Renfrow
Penny Hart
Felton Davis
Sammie Coates
Rnd 6-7 Deon Yelder
Drew Sample
Kaden Smith
Keenan Brown
Caleb Wilson
Isaac Nauta
Blake Bell
Martez Ivey
Barton Jackson
Mitch Hyatt
Ben Powers
Lester Cotton
Kaden Jackson
Michael Jordan
Nate Davis
James Murray
BJ Autry
Nate Herbig
Garrett Brumfield
Lamont Gaillard
Fred Johnson
Tejan Koroma
Rnd 6-7 Robert McCray
Daryl Johnson
Rohneen Bingham
Jamal Davis
Andrew Van Ginkel
Gerri Green
CeCe Jefferson
Albert Huggins
Isaiah Buggs
Terry Beckner Jr.
Dontavius Russell
Kevin Givens
Rnd 6-7 Gary Johnson
Ty Summers
Ulysees Gilbert
Terril Hanks
Te'Veon Coney
Chase Hansen
Dakota Allen
Tre Watson
David Long Jr
Deshaun Davis
Kendall Joseph
Nate Hall
Jeffery Allison
Emeke Egbule
Tre Lamar
Martrell Spaigt
Alijah Holder
Xavier Crawford
Rashad Fenton
Derrick Baity
Derrek Thomas
Jordan Brown
Dontae Johnson
JoJo McIntosh
Mike Bell
Jaquan Johnson
Lukas Denis
Evan Worthington
Tyree Kinnel
Andrew Wingard
Rnd 6-7
UDFA Gardner Minshwew
Brett Rypien
Will Grier
Jordan Ta'amu
Aaron Ripkowski
Nico Evans
Alex Barnes
Nick Brosette
Jaylen Smith
Travis Fulgham
Greg Dortch
Dredrick Snelson
Tyron Johnson
Olamide Zaccheus
Josh Crockett
UDFA CJ Conrad
Tommy Sweeney
Zach Gentry
Andrew Beck
Daniel Helms
David Wells
Justin Senior
Pace Murphy
Patrick Vahe
Terrone Prescod
Ryan Bates
UDFA Tim Ward
Breckyn Hager
Crobin Kaufusi
Cavon Walker
Henry Mondeaux
Greg Gaines
Joey Ivie Iv
UDFA Raymond Davison
TJ Edwards
Azeez Al-Shaair
Dre Greenlaw
Joe Dineen Jr.
Bryson Allen-Williams
Blace Brown
Ka'Dar Hollman
Anthoula Kelly
Ryan Pulley
Kyle Gibson
Donovan Wilson
Marcus Epps
Mark McLaurin
John Battle
Santos Ramirez
UDFA
QB RB WR TE OT IOL EDGE IDL Off-Ball CB S


Here is a direct link to the Google document that has both the offensive and defensive big big boards, as well as both grading scales used in the process.

The link should stay live and allow anyone to view it, my plan during the draft is to update it by crossing out players that are taken. It serves not only as a way to track the draft but also gives a live value at which players are going when the Chiefs are picking.

Noteworthy players

Guys I’m higher on than most:

Hakeem Butler - WR - Iowa State

Foster Moreau - TE - LSU

Cody Ford - OL - Oklahoma

Connor McGovern - IOL - Penn State

Porter Gustin - EDGE - USC

Trysten Hill - IDL - UCF

Chris Slayton - IDL Syracuse

Jahlani Tavai - LB - Hawaii

Sean Bunting - CB - Central Michigan

Saquan Hampton - S - Rutgers

Guys I’m lower on than most:

Darrell Henderson - RB - Memphis

Marquise Brown - WR - Oklahoma

JJ Arcega-Whiteside - WR - Stanford

Jace Sternberger - TE - Mississippi State

Greg Little - OT - Ole Miss

Montez Sweat - EDGE - Mississippi State

Charles Omenihu - EDGE - Texas

Amani Oruwariye - CB - Penn State

David Long - CB - Michigan

Taylor Rapp - S - Washington

The Chiefs will likely have a quiet night Thursday, but Friday should be a ton of fun.


KC Draft Guide

With the Chiefs not drafting until day two of the NFL Draft, for now, make sure you familiarize yourself with some day-two guys. You can find all the information you need in the first-ever edition of the KC Draft Guide! You can purchase it for only $9.99!

We have over 225 prospect write-ups like this one, 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!

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