Arrowheadlines: Chiefs’ 2018 draft class given C- by CBS after regrade

The latest

Regrading the 2018 NFL Draft: Colts, Buccaneers get perfect marks, Cardinals fall from ‘B+’ to ‘D’ | CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs

2018 Grade: C

The Skinny: The Chiefs didn’t have a first-round pick since they used it the year before to trade up for Patrick Mahomes. I’d say that was a good use of a pick. They then traded up into the second round to take edge player Breeland Speaks from Ole Miss, a player who was cut last year. Speaks played in just four games for the Chiefs after having a season-ending knee injury in 2019. Third-round defensive tackle Derrick Nandi is a good starting player, but that’s it from this draft in terms of starters, although third-round linebacker Dorian O’Daniel and fourth-round safety Armani Watts are backups.

How I did: Like anybody would say, giving up the first to get Mahomes was a good decision. I thought taking Speaks was risky, and that proved to be true. I thought O’Daniel would help the defense, but he’s played sparingly.

New Grade: C-

NFL players to root for in 2021: One selection from each team | NFL.com

Travis Kelce

TE

Anybody his age who can drop Beastie Boys lyrics is always going to be a favorite in my book. Seriously, I work with some Gen Z kids who have never heard of the hip-hop artists. Kelce wins fantasy titles for you. And he’s the life of the party. He was also the Chiefs’ nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2020. That’s a winning combination for me.

Tim Grunhard Epitomizes What It Means to Be a Chief | The Mothership

“Mike Webster was one of the top centers of all-time – he’s in that conversation – and when we arrived in Kansas City, he was our mentor. He was the role model for what we wanted to be as players in the NFL,” said fellow offensive lineman Dave Szott, who spent 11 seasons with the Chiefs from 1990-2000. “Mike would stay after practice and show us how to break down film, but he was also the guy who would invite us over to his house on Thanksgiving because we had nowhere to go. He was just instrumental in helping Tim develop both on and off the field.”

Under Webster’s guidance, the 22-year-old Grunhard went on to appear in 14 games that year, making nine starts and earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team following the campaign. His career was off to a strong start, but it was the conversation that he had after the season that took things to the next level.

ESPN ranks Chiefs strength of schedule among NFL’s toughest in 2021 | Chiefs Wire

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2021 NFL draft, ESPN’s Mike Clay created a strength of schedule projection based on current rosters in the NFL. The Chiefs, of course, drew one of the toughest schedules in the league, coming in at No. 25 in Clay’s projections.

Around the NFL

Colt Brennan, Hawaii legend and former Washington QB, dies at 37 | NFL.com

Brennan, who has had public struggles with alcohol, died at a hospital in California, his father, Terry Brennan, told The Associated Press.

“He just spent one too many times on the dark side of life, and it caught up with him,” Terry Brennan said of his son.

Brennan transferred to Hawaii after stints at Colorado and Saddleback College in California. A certain pro prospect, he bypassed the NFL draft in order to play his senior year for Hawaii coach June Jones.

Brennan led the Warriors to its finest season ever, going 12-0 in the regular season.

Proud of ‘connection’ with QB, Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams would do ‘extra thinking’ on future if Aaron Rodgers leaves | ESPN

Adams is in the final year of his contract, and if his quarterback is done in Green Bay, then it could complicate things for Adams in Wisconsin.

“Potentially, potentially; that’s my guy,” Adams said Monday during an appearance on Fox Sports Radio. “That’s the only guy that I’ve had — other than that 2017 season, when he got hurt. That’s the only guy that I’ve played with. We’ve built up a special connection over the years that has put us both in really good positions in our career. Not that he needed me to come along for it, because he was already in that spot, but we’ve established a lot together.

2021 NFL Draft: Aaron Rodgers leads veterans who immensely benefited; Cam Newton’s stock takes huge dive | CBS Sports

Five veterans the draft hurt

James Robinson

Robinson was the first undrafted rookie in NFL history to average at least 100 scrimmage yards a game in a season and his 1,414 scrimmage yards were the most ever for an undrafted rookie. How do the Jaguars reward him for his efforts? Drafting Travis Etienne with their second first-round pick (No. 25 overall).

Robinson was one of the best running backs in the league last year and had excellent value with an undrafted free agent rookie contract. The Jaguars may view Etienne as a third-down back right now, but the carries and targets will be diminishing for Robinson with Etienne and Carlos Hyde in the backfield. Robinson may be the No. 2 back when it’s all said and done, even though he was the only reason to watch Jacksonville last year.

In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride

Who will start on the Chiefs’ Week 1 offensive line?

John Dixon: LT Orlando Brown Jr., LG Joe Thuney, C Creed Humphrey, RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and RT Mike Remmers

Now that I have written two different articles projecting the offensive line’s starters for 2021, my opinions on this subject are hardly unknown. But it’s also true that as time passes, my thoughts evolve.

I remain convinced that it’s Brown and Thuney on the left side; there’s hardly room for doubt about this. I think the rookie Humphrey will easily surpass Austin Blythe at center, who will then be able to back up every interior position. I still think Remmers will start the season on the right edge, but he’ll probably miss a few games with back issues — just as he did last season. That will be Lucas Niang’s chance to show us what he can do.

To me, the real wild card is sixth-round guard Trey Smith. I think he’ll be the starter in 2022, but will the Chiefs want to put him in front of Duvernay-Tardif (or Kyle Long) this year? It’s hard for me to imagine the Chiefs will want to start two rookies alongside each other on the line — but you never know. So for now, I’ll stick with Duvernay-Tardif as the starter at right guard; I like his chances to be ready more than I like Long’s.

A tweet to make you think

Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media

Facebook Page: Click here to like our page

AP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPride

AP Twitter: Follow @ArrowheadPride

AP Editor-in-Chief: Pete Sweeney: Follow @pgsween

610 Sports Twitter: Follow @610SportsKC