It’s safe to say Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is pretty thrilled with the team’s second-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft Friday night. With the 58th pick, the reigning AFC champions selected Mizzou linebacker Nick Bolton.
WE GOT ‘EM! @_nickbolton2
📺: 4/30-5/1 on NFLN; Draft-A-Thon on @NFL
Five spots later, the Chiefs went with protection for the 2018 league MVP: Creed Humphrey, a center out of the University of Oklahoma.
With the 63rd pick in the 2021 #NFLDraft, we’ve selected @creed_humphrey!
The news seemed to delight the franchise guy at Arrowhead. Within minutes of the choices becoming official, Mahomes reacted as any delighted person would be receiving some much-needed help: he was all smiles.
Safe to say it looks like the Chiefs wanted to guarantee no one would touch No. 15 next season and beyond.
Chiefs’ Offseason Moves Mean More Protection for the QB
It’s obvious the Chiefs learned their lesson from February’s Super Bowl loss: Patrick Mahomes must be protected at all costs. On the first day of free agency leading up the final days ahead of the draft, their intention was to do just that.
After cutting Mitch Schwartz and Eric Fisher on March 11, the Chiefs quickly replaced them with former Patriots OL Joe Thuney and Kyle Long.
Just last week, the Kansas City’s front office executed an incredible trade deal with AFC rivals the Baltimore Ravens, adding Orlando Brown Jr. to the lineup in exchange for a first-round pick in this year’s draft and other selections in future drafts.
Speaking to the media Friday morning via Zoom, Veach gave his initial thoughts on night one.
“As far as the first round, again, I think it was kind of well documented that the quarterbacks were going to go early. There was obviously three really good wideouts and they went early and then it’s kind of just picking at some of those positions that we talked about during this process, the O-Line, D-Line or D-End position, and the cornerback position.
“There was a run at corners in the early part and then at the end there, there was a couple of corners who went off the board. I think it kind of played out, I mean not exactly, I don’t think it ever plays out exactly as you think, but I think in general from 1,000-foot view I think the players went maybe not in the order that you thought, but I think they all met kind of in those zones you thought they were going to go.”
The Chiefs have four picks remaining. One in the fourth round, two in the fifth and a final sixth-round, 207th overall option.
Tonight, the real fun begins!
Brown Put In a Good Word for Humphrey Last Week
It’s great to have an early vote of confidence from your new teammate, and Humphrey had just that in Brown. Speaking to reporters, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid detailed the glowing endorsement Friday night.
Last week, @ZEUS__57 told us to go get @creed_humphrey ‼️
“Orlando told us to go get Creed,” Reid joked. “When he was here, he goes: ‘You know there’s a good one in Oklahoma, you need to take a peek at him.’ So, we already had our eye on him, but it was neat for Orlando to put it out there to us that way.”
So far, so good, Chiefs Kingdom.
READ MORE: New Broncos CB Speaks Out About Playing Against Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes
Comments
Patrick Mahomes Tweets Instant Reaction to Chiefs’ 2nd-Round Draft Picks