The Kansas City Chiefs sat out the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft after giving up their first-round pick in exchange for defensive end Frank Clark. Kansas City should be one of the primary contenders in 2019, but they still have a few holes to plug on the roster. Armed with a combined three picks in the second and third rounds, the Chiefs have the resources to bolster their roster for another run at a Super Bowl championship.
Kansas City Chiefs Day Two Mock Draft
Pick 61: Justin Layne, Cornerback
The Kansas City Chiefs ultimately missed the Super Bowl because their secondary wasn’t good enough. Say what you will about Dee Ford lining up offsides, but Kansas City’s defense had three different chances to give the ball to Patrick Mahomes in overtime, and they couldn’t do it. Signing Tyrann Mathieu is a good start, but the secondary needs to get younger, particularly at the cornerback position.
Greedy Williams and Byron Murphy should be off the board by this point, meaning that Justin Layne is the best cornerback available at pick 61. Layne has the ideal build for a position and has surprisingly polished fundamentals considering he didn’t play cornerback before college. He struggles to defend quickness but his physical play should make him a Day One starter in Kansas City’s secondary.
Other Fits: Sean Bunting, Amani Oruwariye, Julian Love, Trayvon Mullen
Pick 63: Andy Isabella, wide receiver
Tyreek Hill will not be back in the NFL. The Chiefs have currently suspended the wide receiver following the release of some disturbing audio tapes, but he should never come back. The NFL should hand him a lifetime ban and the fact he hasn’t yet been released is a bad look for Kansas City. For all intents and purposes, his football career is over.
From a pure football standpoint, the Chiefs need to find somebody capable of stretching the field and making explosive plays. Any offense led by Patrick Mahomes is going to be good, but Andy Isabella can bring it to the next level. Despite lining up in the slot, Isabella was one of the most dangerous downfield targets in all of college football. Per Pro Football Focus, Isabella finished the 2018 season with the second-most deep passing yards in the nation (705). Pairing him with Patrick Mahomes is a match made in heaven and should lead to even more offensive fireworks in 2019.
Other Fits: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Hakeem Butler, Parris Campbell
Pick 84: Gerald Willis III, defensive tackle
The Chiefs need more help along the interior of their defensive line. Chris Jones is a genuine stud, but the depth behind him leaves a lot to be desired. Kansas City finished the 2018 season dead last in run defense DVOA, and their subpar interior was a big reason for that. The Chiefs need to find a strong rotational defensive tackle, and Gerald Willis III has the chance to be that guy.
Willis carries a lot of risks, but has one of the highest ceilings of any third-round prospect. At his best, he’s a force against the run and the pass and can disrupt any given play. However, he has an inconsistent technique and loses his focus during games. Additionally, he only has one good year of film and has character issues dating back to 2014.
Willis took a year of absence in 2017 and reportedly came back as a new man. His coaches swear by him and the Chiefs haven’t exactly let character issues stand in their way before. There’s high risk with this pick, but also a ton of upside.
Other Fits: Renell Wren, Khalen Saunders, Trysten Hill
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