The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII with the help of their 2022 NFL draft class. A whopping nine draft picks played snaps, with four drawing starts in the big game.
For Kansas City, the draft will become ever more vital as they get deeper into Patrick Mahomes’ contract. They must continue finding young talent to contribute early in their careers to keep their window open in a competitive AFC conference.
With less than two weeks until the draft, all 32 NFL teams are closing in on their choices before heading to Kansas City. The free agency period rolls on, with plans changing for several clubs in multiple recent mock drafts.
Here’s a look at the latest mock drafts and who analysts have sent to the Chiefs in the first round:
ESPN - Mel Kiper Jr.
Chiefs select Iowa State EDGE Will McDonald IV
The McDonald stat I love most? He had 10 career forced fumbles. He gets to quarterbacks but also understands how to create turnovers. (Will Anderson Jr. had just one forced fumble in his career at Alabama.) McDonald is an explosive player with a high ceiling. The Super Bowl champs could add him to the edge rotation with George Karlaftis and free agent addition Charles Omenihu. As I’ve mentioned before, keep Kansas City in mind for the wideouts in this class.
CBS Sports - Will Brinson
Chiefs select Arkansas LB Drew Sanders
Really should have gone running back here to make Chiefs fans mad, but hopefully, this will do.
Bleacher Report - NFL Scouting Department
Chiefs select Ohio State OT Dawand Jones
The Chiefs coaching staff maximized a similarly sized player in Orlando Brown Jr. and feature an elite coaching staff to replicate those results with the former Buckeye,” Thorn said. “Jones is still very young and relatively inexperienced but adds a towering figure to right tackle, with enough quickness to develop into a wall in pass protection if exposed to the right coaching and technique cues.
Line coach Andy Heck is renowned for getting the most out of his players, and head coach Andy Reid provides better schematic help than anyone for the line, paving the way for an optimal developmental spot for Jones.
The Draft Wire - Jeff Risdon
Chiefs select Iowa State EDGE Will McDonald IV
The Draft Wire is focused on the Chiefs’ pass rush on the defensive line, with Will McDonald topping their latest mock draft.
Sports Illustrated - FanNation Contributors
Chiefs select Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison
After letting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. walk in free agency before signing Taylor to a four-year, $80 million deal, the Chiefs still have questions at offensive tackle. With Harrison at No. 31, the Chiefs land two young, high ceiling, versatile tackles in one offseason. Harrison could allow Taylor to remain on the right side, where he played in Jacksonville, or Kansas City could stand firm with its belief that Taylor can be a high-level left tackle and introduce Harrison to the NFL from the right side. Either way, Patrick Mahomes should expect tremendous pockets behind this revamped offensive line. — Joshua Brisco, Arrowhead Report
NFL.com - Charles Davis
Chiefs select Kansas State EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could use a pass-rushing complement to 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis. Anudike-Uzomah helps replace Frank Clark.
The Athletic - Diante Lee
Chiefs select Michigan DT Mazi Smith
The Chiefs’ strategy has been to fill their defense with young, cheap players and keep Patrick Mahomes and the offensive line as core investments. Smith gives Kansas City the type of power on the interior this defense lacks beyond Chris Jones, and he frees up Jones to align in different spots more often.
Notes on latest mock drafts:
The latest mock draft round-up continued to focus primarily on the defensive line. The Chiefs need more pass rushers and generally any defensive player that specializes in getting to the quarterback.
The CBS Sports round-up focused on possible selections that would anger the fan base, and the chance of going linebacker in the first round is unlikely. The offensive line choices from Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report collectives feel like the safest route. I was a little surprised not to see any wide receiver suggestions, but that could be due to the signings of Ritchie James and Justin Watson.
