The Kansas City Chiefs finally select….
Chiefs Kingdom had to sit through the first round of the NFL Draft, but finally, they got to add more pieces to help them get back to the Super Bowl. It helped to have a Chiefs legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Will Shields name the first pick in the second round (a little bit of foreshadowing?) Nick Bolton.
Bolton is a twitchy linebacker, but the biggest problem with him is the lack of pass coverage. Bolton is a downhill linebacker who loves to go after the ball in the run game and it shouldn’t be difficult for him to make an impact in that area.
There are plenty of examples of him making an impact while playing for the Missouri Tigers, he led the SEC in tackling the past couple of seasons with 103 tackles in 2019 and 95 tackles in 2020. He’s a two-time All-American in those seasons as well, he was a tackling machine and probably the surest tackler in this year’s draft. Also, he did this….
Some fans in Kansas City think the pick for Bolton is a reach because of his pass coverage problems, but it could be a good fit with Gay and Hitchens, who both have had issues in the run game. He doesn’t jump out at you with flashes of a great coverage man but he does make plays on the ball when he needs to.
Coach Spagnuolo really does like to add a good piece to his defense and Bolton will need to adjust to the system and start to get comfortable covering players in the zone blitz system. Bolton is a unique piece because he is one of the best tacklers and can blitz effectively in Spag’s system. The potential for Bolton is sky high and he can hopefully make an impact his rookie season.
With the 63rd pick in the NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected Creed Humphrey the center from Oklahoma. With Patrick Mahomes running for his life in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs really wasted no time in trying to protect QB1 for years to come.
Humphrey was an extremely reliable starter while on the Sooners, a former wrestler he had great leverage in both the run and pass game. Humphrey won back-to-back Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2019 and 2020 and blocked for Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts while at Oklahoma. Humphrey brings a unique physicality at the center position with his hand placement and leverage.
Creed Humphrey may not be the sexiest name for Chiefs Kingdom but is he a great fit in the middle of the Chiefs O-Line. With Kansas City having problems with the run game, and of course the problems in the Super Bowl, investment in the boys up front was necessary. Humphrey will have to beat out free agent acquisition Austin Blythe to get the starting center job, but it seems like he is more than ready to make an impact this season.
If he does play, the run game for Kansas City should be much improved. The upside for Creed Humphrey is really high in this offense and as long as he can protect Mahomes and make an impact in the run game. (I know duh.)
Both picks by the Chiefs seem to be high-impact players who have tremendous upside, it shouldn’t be too surprising with Veach making the picks. Even though some in the Chiefs Kingdom are a little hesitant with the new guys they do seem like they both fit in the schemes the Chiefs want to run.
