In the second draft of the Andy Reid and John Dorsey era the Kansas City Chiefs used a solid draft to address areas of need, and find replacements for players they lost. The Chiefs made the playoffs last year, but may need a few of these rookies to step up and be impact players if they’re going to look to make the next step.
First Round 23rd pick: Dee Ford, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Auburn
Ford is a good passing rushing prospect who tore it up at the end of the year for Auburn and had a great Senior bowl week which boosted his draft stock. With Justin Houston and Tamba Hali set to become free agents soon, the Chiefs were looking to add some depths along their defensive front and got a quality pick with Dee Ford. Initial Grade: A
Third Round 87th pick: Phillip Gaines, Cornerback, Rice
Gaines is a trending type of player with his long size at the cornerback position, and he has all the skills to become a starting cornerback in the NFL. As of right now I think Gaines is a little bit of a project, but could turn out to be a heck of a player if he pans out. Initial Grade: C+
Fourth Round 124th pick: De’Anthony Thomas, Running back, Oregon
The Chiefs said bye to Dexter McCluster this past March and need to find someone for kick returning duties along with a guy who can make some plays on offense in the open field. Thomas seems to be the perfect fit to fill the spot McCluster left. Initial Grade: B-
Fifth Round 163rd pick: Aaron Murray, Quarterback, Georgia
Typical Andy Reid pick here, Reid seems to always value in picking a quarterback in the draft to try and develop him into want he wants. With the recent rumors of the Chiefs not concerned with Alex Smith's contract expiring soon, maybe Reid thinks he can make Murray into the next starting quarterback for the Chiefs. Initial Grade: C+
Sixth Round 193rd pick: Zach Fulton, Guard, Tennessee
This pick seems like just a body too add to me, with good size at 6’5” 315 pounds, Fulton is a big body inside and could see playing time if there is injuries along the offensive line. Initial Grade: C
Sixth Round 200th pick: Laurent Duvernay- Tardif, Offensive Tackle, McGill (Canada )
Duvernay-Tardif has really good measurable at 6’5” 321lbs and is an interesting pick considering playing his football in Canada with different rules. This is a project to say the least, but at the 200th pick it is one where you say why not. Initial Grade: C-
As you can see the Chiefs seem to go towards drafting towards areas of need and added depth at positions, time will tell if these players get a lot of playing time and make impacts for this football team in years to come.
Overall Grade: B-