Getty Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.
When the 2022 NFL Draft begins on April 28, the Kansas City Chiefs will be tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for having 12 total draft picks over the seven-round event, the most in the NFL. Among the dozen selections for Kansas City are four picks in the first two rounds.
With the 29th and 30th overall picks, the Chiefs could justify taking several different positions on both sides of the football.
The reigning AFC West champions could select a cornerback in wake of Charvarius Ward leaving. They could select a pass-rusher to plug in opposite Frank Clark. They could select a wide receiver to compete for a top spot on the depth chart along with Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. They could also select an offensive lineman to fill the weakest position along the starting offensive line in Kansas City: right tackle.
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While the organization certainly hasn’t tipped its hat in regards to Kansas City’s draft strategy this year, Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed might have hinted at a position Kansas City plans to address via the draft when he joined the Good Morning Football crew on NFL Network recently.
“That Tyreek and Patrick Mahomes connection was kind of special, but as you know, Andy Reid’s got something up his sleeves,” Sneed said. “I know Patrick Mahomes and the guy that they bring in is gonna get together and build the empire.”
“I know Patrick Mahomes and the guy that they bring in is gonna get together and build the empire…” #ChiefsKingdom
Chiefs Looking for WR Help
Kansas City signed wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling this offseason, with the latter signing taking place in wake of trading away Tyreek Hill. However, the Chiefs are still looking to add some high-level talent to their receiver room, whether it be via trade of the draft, which ESPN NFL insider Dianna Russini detailed on March 29.
“You hear the word replenish, and that’s essentially what they’re trying to do. What the Chiefs, from what I can understand, in terms of replenish, is, they’re calling teams to see if — perhaps teams that we haven’t heard about — are interested in perhaps trading one of their top receivers to Kansas City,” Russini said during ESPN’s morning show, “Get Up!”
Here’s the full clip of Dianna: t.co/vUPMULItrm
Chiefs Pick WR in 1st Round of Miller’s ‘Perfect’ KC Mock
ESPN’s Matt Miller did a Chiefs mock draft in which he drafted the “perfect class” with prospect fits for all 12 of Kansas City’s picks in seven rounds. With the 30th overall pick, Miller has the Chiefs taking North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson.
“Watson, with 4.36 40 speed and excellent body control, gives Mahomes a vertical weapon with size and speed to separate from defenders,” Miller wrote of Watson. “Watson was also used in a variety of ways in college and has proven he can produce taking handoffs from the backfield, working on screens or simply posting up defenders in the red zone.”
Watson — who stands at 6-foot-4 — was not named in any of the ESPN NFL Draft Analysts’ top 5 rankings for 2022 wide receiver prospects, which were released on April 5.
You want the next Deebo Samuel it could be North Dakota State WR Christian Watson who is scheduled to visit the #Browns this week.
With the 29th overall pick, Miller has Kansas City taking Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill. Miller describes Hill as a potential Tyrann Mathieu replacement. Miller — standing at 6-foot, 191 pounds — ran a 4.38 40 at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, per Pro Football Reference.
“Hill often played in the slot on Michigan’s defense and is capable of covering receivers and tight ends in man coverage,” Miller wrote.
With Bill Belichick continuing to load up on hybrid DBs, Michigan’s Daxton Hill is a potential #Patriots round-one target:
– Covers TEs & over the slot with CB-like man coverage skills
– Excellent route recognition & range as a post-safety
– Ball skills to make impact plays