Fourth Round
For as well as Kansas City did in days one and two of the 2017 NFL Draft, they certainly knocked it out of the park in the names category in day three. The first player the Chiefs took on Saturday was Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Jehu Chesson.
Michigan may have sent a ton of players into the 2017 NFL Draft, but how many of them are actually going to be good and not just guys that Jim Harbaugh coached up? Chesson is kind of a forgettable wide receiver prospect. Kansas City never seems to know what’s it doing at this position, so why not draft another wide receiver?
Fifth Round
Kansas City did need to address its linebacker corps in the draft and did so in the fifth round by using the No. 183 selection on Georgia Southern Eagles linebacker Ukeme Eligwe. Georgia Southern had long been a solid FCS program. Now that it is in Division I, look for more Georgia Southern players to reach the NFL.
Will Eligwe be able to contribute right away? Probably not, but he will get coached up in Sutton’s defense. Derrick Johnson isn’t getting any younger. Maybe Eligwe can help take some of the workload of Johnson’s tired shoulders up the middle in 2017?
Sixth Round
Kansas City spent most of its salary cap money in March to re-sign All-Pro free safety Eric Berry. Frankly, the Chiefs had to do it. Berry is an all-time talent at the position and is the best player the Chiefs have had since Tony Gonzalez.
Drafting Leon McQuay III out of USC looks to be a depth pick for the Chiefs defense. Berry and cornerback Marcus Peters have that secondary on lockdown anyway. A Super Bowl contender can never have too many defensive backs.
Next: 2017 NFL Draft instant grades
Overall, Kansas City bucked the trend with their 2017 NFL Draft. The ultra-conservative franchise took some big swings in the draft. Some will pan out, while others will likely blow up in Kansas City’s face. Hunt has the highest floor of the half-dozen players Kansas City selected. Clearly, the Chiefs are betting on their culture to elevate these promising, but highly unrefined football talents. For as much as Mahomes’ right arm impresses, this was a very risky draft by the Chiefs. Hopefully some of these picks don’t come back to bite them.