After trading pick 31 to Baltimore for Orlando Brown, the Chiefs now are not set to pick until pick 58. While trading up now seems less likely without pick 31 to add to a trade, the Chiefs may not be looking to move back into the first round. If they want to, however, these are four prospects that they should consider moving up for.
1. Jaelen Phillips, EDGE, Miami
The freak of nature that is Jaelan Phillips is one Chiefs Kingdom should salivate over. He is (using the baseball term) a five-tool player; he can rush the passer, play the run, spy the QB, and even drop into coverage.
The University of Miami product is a pure defensive playmaker and rains chaos upon his foes. During his time at Miami, he was seen as one of the most disruptive players in the country and probably the best pure pass rusher in his class. He reminds many a scout or draft evaluator of a Watt brother with his quickness and strength.
Phillips might go as high as 12 or as low as the twenties, the Chiefs should really consider moving up to get Phillips. He would fit perfectly opposite of Frank Clark in the rotation of pass rushers for the Chiefs. He would also provide some physicality to a front that could use it, making big plays in the running game would be huge for Kansas City. Phillips would be worth giving up some picks for and the potential outweighs the risks of trading up.
2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, ILB, Notre Dame
Outside of Offensive Tackle and Edge Rusher, the Kansas City Chiefs have needed an inside linebacker since Derrick Johnson left the team. Since Micah Parsons seems to be out of the picture for Kansas City, this prospect would do nicely.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a great instinctual inside linebacker, he runs sideline to sideline and is able to cover most running backs or tight ends. Willie Gay and Anthony Hitchens are good linebackers and fit the scheme well, but Gay wasn’t fully healthy all season and Hitchens is heading towards the end of his contract.
Owusu-Koramoah would fit in well as either a starter or in the rotation of inside linebackers. He was a first-team All-American coming out of Notre Dame and won ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He could provide an immediate impact to the second level of the Chiefs defense.
Owusu-Koramaoah is a great player and one Kansas City might trade up for, but he is an undersized linebacker and is more fit for coverage. He would fit well in Spags’ scheme as a coverage guy, but sometimes the size of a player can be a problem for most people. But the upside of Owusu-Koramoah is worth trading up for if they want to get a linebacker and not have to give up multiple picks to get a good one.
3. Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
Another Edge Rusher? Yes, another edge rusher. Kwity Paye is ranked as the number one edge rusher in this class by Pro Football Focus and seems to be a for-real stud. Even though he had an injury-shortened 2020 season, Paye looks like he could be special. He has amazing hand placement and is physical when he makes contact with the blocker, runner, or quarterback. Paye also has something that is making scout’s eyebrows raise, speed. He is extremely quick off the ball and has a relentless pursuit of the ball.
Paye would fit perfectly to the pass-rushing rotation in Kansas City, he is physical enough to get involved in the run game and is willing to take on multiple blockers so others can make a play. His pass-rushing instincts are second to none, he played inside and outside at Michigan and was disruptive at both spots.
He might be one of the most disruptive and most versatile players in this draft with his ability to sit at the defensive end or defensive tackle in different packages. He would be a great spark plug as a pass rusher and would be worth trading up for just for the defensive playmaking alone.
4. Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
Where to begin with Tevan Jenkins, should it be with his feet or his meanness streak? At 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, Jenkins is a physical monster and could be an amazing replacement for either Mitchell Schwartz or Eric Fisher. Even though he played the right tackle position at Oklahoma State, he has the footwork and the physicality to play left tackle. There aren’t many downsides to Teven Jenkins, he was a bully in the run game and was able to handle pass rushers in his time in Stillwater.
Throughout the Pro Days and pre-draft processes, Teven Jenkins has been pushed up from a late first-rounder to now a top 15 talent. He is projected by most draft analysts to be chosen in the mid-first round of the draft, maybe even the twenties.
The Chiefs should definitely consider moving up to get Jenkins who would help solidify one of the tackle spots on an offensive line that needs help. The reason he’s lower on this list is that the draft is full of offensive tackle prospects and the Chiefs could move up on day two and grab another one if they want to go defense.
This move is not as urgent now after the Orlando Brown trade, but if the Chiefs want extra depth or extra competition on the right side with Remmers and rookie Lucas Niang, Jenkins could still be the pick, just more unlikely now.
