On the latest episode of Arrowhead Pride Podcast “Design Room”.Talon Graff and I wanted to think outside the box when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs’ first few picks in this year’s NFL Draft.
(Listen to the podcast above or by clicking here. It is also available on Spotify.)
Talon and I each picked a prospect who might shock the fan base if he were available and picked by the Chiefs at the end of the first round. Here are the two players we named:
Talon – Nakobe Dean
Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean fits as a potential off-the-wall first-round draft pick for the Chiefs, given that Brett Veach has picked a second-round linebacker in each of the last two drafts (Willie Gay, 2020 choice 63 | Nick Bolton, 2021 choice 58).
Gay and Bolton go into 2022 as clear starters in Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense. Following the departure of Anthony Hitchens, Kansas City signed two linebackers in Elijah Lee and Jermaine Carter, but the addition of Dean would bring even more talent and depth to the group to lend. Dean is an undersized support at 5ft 11 and weighing just under 230lbs, but he’s a rare athlete for the position.
He would fit as the underpackage cover linebacker we saw Ben Niemann handle during his tenure. Dean offers value elsewhere with his tenacity and gap control, but he would see work in passing sentences immediately.
Given the amount of time the Chiefs spend on base defense, would the front office actually consider using one of their first callouts on a cover linebacker? We’ve got less than a month until draft day, so it’s time to get creative.
Ron—Trevor Penning
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Northern Iowa’s right tackle would absolutely fit into the malice the Chiefs’ offensive line room has developed over the past year.
Penning excelled in games and the Senior Bowl because he finished blocks — and he did it with some domineering energy and extracurricular nudges. That’s what gets him attention, but he’s also a potential choice for the first round because his feet are fast and he moves naturally. That, coupled with the raw power he played with, was enticing enough to be consistently taunted in the first 32 picks this offseason.
It would mean he’s beyond what he currently estimates to be a potential choice for the Chiefs, but it’s not entirely out of the question; Not only is he a small-school offensive line prospect, there’s a decent group of offensive tackles to choose from at the top of this year’s class. Someone has to be the underdog and slip up later than expected.
Suppose he falls near the Chiefs’ picks. In that case, they might seriously consider acquiring a potential starting right tackle with a very high ceiling and the increased physicality they now seem to be demanding of their starting offensive linemen.
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