The latest
This is a match made in heaven because let’s review what the Chiefs’ thought process would be if Williams, Burks, or Olave made it to 24:
They are desperate for a WR with Juju Smith-Schuster as their current WR1
They know the Packers are likely going to select a receiver at 28th post-Davante Adams trade and Aaron Rodgers’ public dissatisfaction with his lack of weapons
They have 12 picks to move up, including several top-100 picks
It is perfect. But the only question is what the Cowboys would likely get in return:
29th pick and a late third (99% chance Chiefs accept the trade)
29th pick, a late third and fourth-rounder (68% chance Chiefs accept the trade)
30th pick, a late third and two fourth-rounders (34% chance Chiefs accept the trade)
30th pick and late second (24% chance Chiefs accept the trade)
Chiefs Rank Second in Crucial Stat Over the Past Decade | Heavy.com
Andy Reid has been the head coach for nine of those seasons after Romeo Crennel led the franchise to a two-win campaign in 2012. From that point on, the Chiefs have not finished worse than second in the AFC West and a recent NFL ranking explains a major reason why that is.
On April 22, ESPN published an analytical breakdown measuring the NFL draft success of all 32 teams. The Chiefs finished second in this ranking, and it’s easy to see a correlation between their April selections and their win percentage.
NFL mock draft 2022: NFL Nation reporters make first-round predictions | ESPN
30. Kansas City Chiefs
George Pickens, WR, Georgia
Even after signing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, there is still playing time available at wide receiver this season. Longer term, the Chiefs are going to need playmakers with Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman being prospective free agents at the end of the season. Pickens has the high-end ability and in this scenario, it would be up to the Chiefs to get that out of him. — Adam Teicher
Pick - 29
Kansas City Chiefs
(from SF through MIA)
Daxton Hill
Michigan · S · Junior
Hill is a prototypical nickel defender with “hit, run and cover” skills that make him a hot commodity for a team that loves to attack with pressure.
Pick - 30
Kansas City Chiefs
Boye Mafe
Minnesota · Edge · Senior (RS)
An athletic edge rusher with the speed, quickness and burst to create havoc off the edges, Mafe will add some juice to the Chiefs’ front.
Kansas City Chiefs: Rebuilding, reloading or caught in between? | Fox Sports
First, just to show this column hasn’t completely lost the plot, let’s be clear the Chiefs aren’t undergoing a full-scale rebuild, of the burn-it-to-the-ground-and-see-what-grows-from-the-wreckage variety.
They’re not about to ship Mahomes off to the Carolina Panthers. They’re not looking to shed Travis Kelce’s salary, with nothing more than a couple of third-rounders coming the other way. There is no tanking about to happen.
Yet there is no getting around the fact that this will be a very different kind of draft and a very different kind of season for Kansas City, which is priced at +900 with FOX Bet ahead of the 2022 campaign, the third-best odds in the NFL.
Christian Watson WR
Kansas City
Not exactly a perfect replacement for Hill, but a cheap option who will have time to develop in Andy Reid’s offense.
Around the NFL
Robert Quinn wants to stay with Bears, but knows ‘this is a crazy business’ | NFL.com
If Quinn is traded, he wouldn’t be blindsided by such a move, especially after the Bears already shipped his elite running mate, Khalil Mack, to Los Angeles.
“The only thing I thought of was hopefully my résumé or my production from last year gives me a little weight to keep my foot in the building,” Quinn said Tuesday, via ESPN. “At the end of the day, it’s a business. Again, you see Khalil Mack getting traded. Again, it’s just a business. Don’t dwell on it, too crazy.”
Quinn’s numbers stand as proof he’s still an effective defender who logically carries significant value. It’s not just sacks, either. Quinn ranked 12th among all defenders in quarterback pressures in 2021 with 57 (per Next Gen Stats), registering a QB pressure percentage of 16.2, the fifth-highest mark among all defenders with a minimum of 200 pass-rushing snaps. Quinn’s sack percentage was the second-highest in the NFL, trailing only Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt.
Yes, Robert Quinn would be a tremendous addition for the #Chiefs. Mentioned him & Mack as two under-the-radar potential cap casualties for @ArrowheadPride earlier this offseason: https://t.co/4Z2rgvXEDF pic.twitter.com/LFe3STRzFx
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) April 26, 2022
Veteran running back Melvin Gordon III, 29, returns to Denver Broncos on a one-year contract | ESPN
Gordon is the third unrestricted free agent to re-sign with the Broncos on a one-year deal in recent weeks, joining safety Kareem Jackson and defensive tackle DeShawn Williams. The contract terms were first reported by NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.
The veteran’s return — just days away from the NFL draft — indicates he knows he will share carries with Javonte Williams once again. It also shows the Broncos don’t believe enough help could be found at that position in this weekend’s draft. As a result, the Broncos are expected to open the season with the same three running backs as last year: Williams, Gordon and Mike Boone.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Arrowhead Pride takes swing at edge rusher by picking David Ojabo at No. 29
Why it makes sense for the Chiefs
The last point made in the previous section is exactly why this pick makes sense: a perennial contender like Kansas City will very rarely be in position to take an edge rusher of Ojabo’s talent in any draft. More than most positions, the likelihood of finding a top-tier edge rusher later in the draft is very low. If you want a true difference maker, it pretty much has to be an early first-round pick — and that’s what Ojabo would have been before injury.
The Chiefs have made a point to get younger and cheaper this offseason, prioritizing the long-term vision of the organization rather than just 2022. Picking Ojabo would be another example of that being the case, sacrificing depth at edge in 2022 for the chance at a top-tier pass rusher for 2023 and beyond.
Plus, the Chiefs have enough draft capital to address the position with another draft pick soon after this one — a player that may not have the same ceiling as Ojabo, but a solid enough foundation to play snaps immediately.
A tweet to make you think
The other teams “We prepare for the draft to bring you the best possible insight and info.”@mitchholthus “I’m ready, too. See you Thursday…”
— Robert G. Alberino Jr (@Robertalberino) April 26, 2022
pic.twitter.com/8XyhfwVKAn
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