With the 2020 NFL draft completed, the Kansas City Chiefs came away with 6 draft picks, many of which will fill spots of need for the 2020 season. Many people felt that the Chiefs were in a position to draft the best player available with the 32nd overall pick, so they took LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Priest Holmes 2.0 would definitely fall into the category as the best player available. Edwards-Helaire becomes another toy for Andy Reid and another weapon for Patrick Mahomes. It was certainly a luxury pick, but the LSU standout should be able to come in and contribute right away. Many of the Chiefs draft picks have a chance to play key roles in 2020 including Mississippi State LB Willie Gay Jr., TCU OT Lucas Niang, and Louisiana Tech DB L’Jarius Sneed. With these players joining the Chiefs roster this season, here are the winners and losers that came out of the Chiefs draft.
Loser – Damien Williams
What does Damien Williams have to do to get some respect? He probably should have been the Superbowl MVP and spent the entire postseason scoring touchdowns. He filled in for Kareem Hunt the year before without skipping a beat, and how does he get rewarded? The Chiefs draft a RB in the first round. Edwards-Helaire might not be an every-down back at 5’7” and 209 lbs. However, since the Chiefs spent a first-round pick on him, he should see his fair share of work. I don’t see Williams being too happy about that.
Winner – Patrick Mahomes
During Andy Reid’s video call with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, after the Chiefs took him with the 32nd pick, the coach told Edwards-Helaire that QB Patrick Mahomes picked him. Reid told the RB,
“We asked Pat Mahomes ‘who do you want’ and he picked you”.
That says a lot about the amount of power that Mahomes has in the organization. It makes sense, though. Patrick is the one that has to use him in the offense, so he should have a say on who would be a good fit. Although, I doubt a lot of players get asked by the organization who the team should draft.
Loser – Eric Fisher
On day two of the NFL draft, the Chiefs selected TCU OT Lucas Niang in the third round. In talking about Niang, General manager Brett Veach stated that he could come in now and play at the guard position even though he is listed as a tackle. However, after this season, he could become LT Eric Fisher’s replacement. If the Chiefs were to move on from Fisher after this season, they would save about $11 million dollars. It should be noted that Niang is coming off of hip surgery that he had in late-October, so he will have to prove that he is 100 percent recovered.
Winner – Fans of Chris Jones getting a long-term deal
This was a win for two reasons. One, the Chiefs did not trade DT Chris Jones during the draft like Gil Brandt had originally speculated.
Two, with the potential money saved if the Chiefs were to cut Eric Fisher, they could possibly use that money to give Jones a long-term deal. Jones is coming off of a Pro Bowl season where he recorded nine sacks and had multiple pass break-ups in the playoffs and the Superbowl.
Loser – Opposing defenses
Clyde Edwards-Helaire is just another wrinkle to an already explosive offense. Last season at LSU, he averaged 6.6 yards per carry and led the SEC in yards from scrimmage. Labeled as a dual-threat back who excels in the passing game, Edwards-Helaire will be a perfect fit in Andy Reid’s offense. That offense already consists of Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Sammy Watkins. Throw in another year of development with second-year speedster Mecole Hardman, and defenses might as well not even show up to the games.
Winner – The Chiefs chances for a repeat
Being the Superbowl champions, teams usually don’t have many needs to fill. For the Chiefs, this was, even more, the case because they are set to return 20 of 22 starters from last year’s squad. However, there were a few areas that could be upgraded. The Chiefs lost ILB Reggie Ragland to free agency, so in the second round they drafted Wille Gay Jr. Gay has good coverage skills and tackles really well. He will probably jump into that vacant starting spot. The Chiefs also lost nickel CB Kendall Fuller, so in the fourth round, they took L’Jarius Sneed. Sneed is listed as a safety but with his size and length and his above-average ball skills, he will likely be considered as a CB. He can help fill the void left by Fuller.
These players will likely need time to develop, but there is one position that is usually the easiest to acclimate to the NFL system, and that is RB. With COVID-19 causing a lack of off-season development, the Chiefs drafted a guy who will need the least amount of time to start producing. Not to mention, there are 20 returning starters that already know the system and produce just fine.
