Mock 3/12

[kccrow]

1. Patrick Mahomes II - QB - Texas Tech (6'2" 225)
Solidly built QB with a rocket arm and the ability to make throws on the run and off balance. Gunslinger mentality that can get him into to trouble at times, but if he learns to play less backyard football in a system that sets him up for success and better protection, he should ascend. Despite awkward deliveries at times, still hits a requisite completion percentage and has a healthy TD to INT ratio. Those numbers should improve in a more refined NFL. From all accounts he has the mental fortitude to learn an NFL offense and be successful. Boom or bust type with a big arm similar to Brett Favre and Matthew Stafford if he works at his craft. Excellent pocket awareness that allows him to run to extend plays. Generally sets his feet and delivers strikes to all areas of the field from a clean pocket. Most mechanical issues come to surface under pressure, but seems to make plays few QBs will make. Throws with good trajectory and touch on deep balls and corner routes. Lays balls softly into the hands of backs and tight ends underneath. Will need to learn to make read progressions after coming from Air Raid. Needs to become a better decision maker and lay off putting the ball in to crowded windows in the NFL.

2. Jaleel Johnson - DT - Iowa (6'3" 316)
Johnson is a tone-setter at the line of scrimmage, displaying outstanding initial burst and power off the snap. Immediately resets or anchors the line of scrimmage and shows the lower body strength to hold the point of attack even against double-teams when he keeps his pad level down. Outstanding power-to-speed conversion to close on quarterbacks in the passing game. Stacks and sheds well to eliminate the run game. Good motor player his Senior year. Has increased his ability and production every year and heads into the draft as one of the best defensive lineman in the country. Shows ability to be disruptive behind the line. Needs to work on pad level though to increase production further. Will get washed out against NFL technicians if he doesn't fix this immediately.

3. Anthony Walker Jr. - ILB - Northwestern (6'1" 238)
Walker is a quick and fairly fast linebacker with the ability to shoot gaps and make plays in the backfield as well as stick in coverage down the field. Walker lacks slightly in his ability to stack and shed, but he has the ability to knife by would-be blockers to make plays. Walker is a sideline-to-sideline type that can make plays on the perimeter. Criticized by some as having gained too much weight in 2016, he actually was injured to begin the season and finished the last 2/3 of the year on a torrid pace of nearly 10 tackles per game. Walker is a prototypical weakside backer for a 3-4 given his ability to stay on the field for all 3 downs and cover backs and tight ends in either man or zone. Walker basically shut down Christian McCaffrey, so don't pay attention to Lance Zierlein's idiocy.

3*. Daeshon Hall - DE/OLB Texas A&M (6'5" 265)
Hall is a quick twitch, long and athletic DE that can close on the ball in a hurry. Hall has developed but not perfected a variety of spin and rip moves to go inside or out but remains primarily a speed player. Hall needs to develop much more functional strength at the point of attack to become an every down player in the NFL and be much more consistent on a down-to-down basis. Hall has solid field awareness, and often sets his edge to play the run and pass well but has shown his share of gap discipline issues by vacating to make try and make plays out of his zone. Looks borderline between day 2 and 3 because of his lack of sack production, rawness, and two shoulder surgeries (plus his shoulder injury against Alabama this season), but he's certainly a player that could be a situational pass rusher early on that can be developed into a starter down the road.

4. Jeremy Sprinkle - TE - Arkansas (6'5" 252)
Solid all-around tight end in the mould of Martellus Bennett. Functionally strong blocker with long arms to keep himself clean and can generate movement against ends in the run game. Able to line up at a variety of positions and be effective, including H-Back, split and in-line. Good at finding holes in zone and vacated areas in man coverage. A very solid receiver that catches with his hands. Can snag the ball in traffic and outside of his frame. Not overly fast and is more of a wind-up runner. Once he gets going he can cover ground in a hurry. Not an ultra-quick guy, so he's best as a number two that can slip underneath and be a reliable dump option. Very effective red zone target that wins battles at the goal line. If not for his recent "shoplifting" fiasco, might go a round higher. Will never be a Kelce/Gronk type but he's going to be around a while as a work horse if he keeps his focus.

5. John Johnson - FS - Boston College (6'1" 205)
Johnson is a quick twitch safety with excellent range, cover ability and instincts. Makes plays on the football, routinely disrupting passes. Sticky in coverage, doesn't give up ground. Excellent last line of defense type of player that can man the single-high. Reliable tackler in the open field. Not a big hitter. No major holes in his game, but isn't a highlight reel type. With about 20 corners and 12 safeties that are seen is more athletic or some with better ball skills, a reliable player like Johnson may slip through the cracks. Would probably be a 3rd round player in many drafts. The kind of guy you want on the back end of your defense that's going to be smart and keep things in front of him.

5*. Aaron Jones - RB - Texas-El Paso (5'9" 208)
Outstanding back with great balance, speed, quickness, and lower body explosion. Combine numbers back up tape. Underrated runner from small school that put up large numbers and did so against top competition as well. A slashing running back that will makes defenders pay in open space. Effective jump cut and spin move. Active feet and great balance to break tackles and make quick moves to cut on a dime. Outstanding vision and patience. Follows his blocks and finds his cutback lanes. Outstanding receiver out of the backfield. Can beat linebackers down field and can make catches in stride with soft hands. Takes care of the football. Runs a bit high, opening himself up to some hits and reducing his power inside the tackle box. One of the most productive players in college football in 2016 with over 2000 all purpose yards and 20 TDs (1773 rush and 17 tds and 233 receiving and 3 tds) which saw him average 7.7 yards per carry. Was injured for most of 2015, but put up extremely impressive stats in 2014 with over 1300 yards rushing. A huge sleeper in a deep class that will give a team a value pick in the mold of Charlie Garner or LeSean McCoy as a prototypical WCO back that can run the outside stretch and catch passes out of the backfield.

6*. Storm Norton - OT - Toledo (6'8" 308)
Long offensive lineman with solid athleticism and kick slide. Adept at picking up blitzes and stunts on the edge. Gets on his blocks and generally sticks. Effective initial punch. Wall-off run blocker. Effective reaching second level targets and transition blocks in zone. Doesn't find himself off balance and on the ground. Needs to add more strength and would be most effective as right tackle. Gives up a bit of depth to speed, which opens up his inside to counter-moves. Elite speed can push the edge on him and he has to regroup, but maintains his arc. Needs to shorten and quicken his chop steps once engaged.

6*. Levon Myers - OT - Northern Illinois (6'5" 307)
Broad, thick, and powerful offensive lineman with decent athleticism but must transition to guard. Adequate off the snap but not quick enough for outside speed in the NFL. Powerful punch and strong hands to latch on and sustain blocks. Good movement ability on outside stretch plays to the opposite side. Can reach second level but not overly effective in this role. Wall-off blocker type that needs to learn to unlock his natural power and get better drive. Tends to stall his feet once engaged, needs better chop. Good pass block technique, keeps his hands inside and into the breast plate. A finisher when he has the opportunity, showing good natuaral aggressiveness. Many weaknesses will be masked on the interior.

7. Josh Tupou - DT - Colorado (6'3" 353)
An immovable anchor built to play nose tackle in any alignment. Big, thick, strong like a bull and doesn't get pushed around, much like "Snacks" Harrison in New York. Tupou was a big reason for Colorado's success as a run-stopping unit (13th in the nation). While he doesn't present the athleticism to be a 3-down player in the NFL. Tupou is built to be a 2-down run-stuffing animal that will command double-teams on the interior. Has solid initial burst off the ball for a man his size and gets into the opposition with a solid bull rush, forcing offenses to adjust. Anchors with his massive frame, redirecting blockers and holding his gaps. Forces action to his teammates and understands his role. Makes plays within his space and has good close to the ball carrier when free. Has a quick enough step to close on the quarterback and create pressure in passing lanes. Would probably be considered a round or 2 higher, but the assault charges that had him miss all of 2015 will remain fresh in NFL team's minds.

*Compensatory Selection Breakdown
3rd for Sean Smith (CB)
5th for Chase Daniel (QB)
6th for Donald Stephenson (OT)
6th for Tyvon Branch (FS)

** Chiefs lost original 6th round selection as part of tampering charges regarding Jeremy Maclin


QB: A. Smith, P. Mahomes, T. Bray
RB: S. Ware, A. Jones, C. West
FB: A. Sherman
WR: J. Maclin, C. Conley, T. Hill, A. Wilson, D. Robinson, D. Thomas
TE: T. Kelce, J. Sprinkle, R. Travis
OT: E. Fisher, M. Schwartz, S. Norton
OG: P. Ehinger, L. Duvernay-Tardiff, L. Myers
OC: M. Morse, Z. Fulton
DL: C. Jones, J. Howard, A. Bailey, J. Johnson, R. Nunez-Roches, J. Tupou
OLB: J. Houston, D. Ford, T. Hali, D. Hall, F. Zombo, D. Nicholas*, Victor Ochi
ILB: A. Walker Jr., R. Wilson, D. Alexander, T. Smith, D. Johnson*
CB: M. Peters, T. Mitchell, P. Gaines, S. Nelson, D. White
FS: R. Parker, E. Murray, J. Johnson
SS: E. Berry, D. Sorensen
ST: C. Santos, D. Colquitt, J. Winchester

Other notes:

I expect the Chiefs and ILB Gerald Hodges to work out a contract in the next 48 hours. I think that's a done deal. They still need an athletic replacement for DJ and I don't see an adequate one on the roster.

I think there's a strong chance KC brings back Kendall Reyes on another cheap 1-year deal, but they are waiting for other things to shake out at the moment.

The recent developments with Demetrius Harris make him an easy guy to dump for some salary cap space. His performance last season warrants it anyhow.

[Willie Lanier]

Whoops

Originally Posted by kccrow

1. Patrick Mahomes II - QB - Texas Tech (6'2" 225)
Solidly built QB with a rocket arm and the ability to make throws on the run and off balance. Gunslinger mentality that can get him into to trouble at times, but if he learns to play less backyard football in a system that sets him up for success and better protection, he should ascend. Despite awkward deliveries at times, still hits a requisite completion percentage and has a healthy TD to INT ratio. Those numbers should improve in a more refined NFL. From all accounts he has the mental fortitude to learn an NFL offense and be successful. Boom or bust type with a big arm similar to Brett Favre and Matthew Stafford if he works at his craft. Excellent pocket awareness that allows him to run to extend plays. Generally sets his feet and delivers strikes to all areas of the field from a clean pocket. Most mechanical issues come to surface under pressure, but seems to make plays few QBs will make. Throws with good trajectory and touch on deep balls and corner routes. Lays balls softly into the hands of backs and tight ends underneath. Will need to learn to make read progressions after coming from Air Raid. Needs to become a better decision maker and lay off putting the ball in to crowded windows in the NFL.

2. Jaleel Johnson - DT - Iowa (6'3" 316)
Johnson is a tone-setter at the line of scrimmage, displaying outstanding initial burst and power off the snap. Immediately resets or anchors the line of scrimmage and shows the lower body strength to hold the point of attack even against double-teams when he keeps his pad level down. Outstanding power-to-speed conversion to close on quarterbacks in the passing game. Stacks and sheds well to eliminate the run game. Good motor player his Senior year. Has increased his ability and production every year and heads into the draft as one of the best defensive lineman in the country. Shows ability to be disruptive behind the line. Needs to work on pad level though to increase production further. Will get washed out against NFL technicians if he doesn't fix this immediately.

3. Anthony Walker Jr. - ILB - Northwestern (6'1" 238)
Walker is a quick and fairly fast linebacker with the ability to shoot gaps and make plays in the backfield as well as stick in coverage down the field. Walker lacks slightly in his ability to stack and shed, but he has the ability to knife by would-be blockers to make plays. Walker is a sideline-to-sideline type that can make plays on the perimeter. Criticized by some as having gained too much weight in 2016, he actually was injured to begin the season and finished the last 2/3 of the year on a torrid pace of nearly 10 tackles per game. Walker is a prototypical weakside backer for a 3-4 given his ability to stay on the field for all 3 downs and cover backs and tight ends in either man or zone. Walker basically shut down Christian McCaffrey, so don't pay attention to Lance Zierlein's idiocy.

3*. Daeshon Hall - DE/OLB Texas A&M (6'5" 265)
Hall is a quick twitch, long and athletic DE that can close on the ball in a hurry. Hall has developed but not perfected a variety of spin and rip moves to go inside or out but remains primarily a speed player. Hall needs to develop much more functional strength at the point of attack to become an every down player in the NFL and be much more consistent on a down-to-down basis. Hall has solid field awareness, and often sets his edge to play the run and pass well but has shown his share of gap discipline issues by vacating to make try and make plays out of his zone. Looks borderline between day 2 and 3 because of his lack of sack production, rawness, and two shoulder surgeries (plus his shoulder injury against Alabama this season), but he's certainly a player that could be a situational pass rusher early on that can be developed into a starter down the road.

4. Jeremy Sprinkle - TE - Arkansas (6'5" 252)
Solid all-around tight end in the mould of Martellus Bennett. Functionally strong blocker with long arms to keep himself clean and can generate movement against ends in the run game. Able to line up at a variety of positions and be effective, including H-Back, split and in-line. Good at finding holes in zone and vacated areas in man coverage. A very solid receiver that catches with his hands. Can snag the ball in traffic and outside of his frame. Not overly fast and is more of a wind-up runner. Once he gets going he can cover ground in a hurry. Not an ultra-quick guy, so he's best as a number two that can slip underneath and be a reliable dump option. Very effective red zone target that wins battles at the goal line. If not for his recent "shoplifting" fiasco, might go a round higher. Will never be a Kelce/Gronk type but he's going to be around a while as a work horse if he keeps his focus.

5. John Johnson - FS - Boston College (6'1" 205)
Johnson is a quick twitch safety with excellent range, cover ability and instincts. Makes plays on the football, routinely disrupting passes. Sticky in coverage, doesn't give up ground. Excellent last line of defense type of player that can man the single-high. Reliable tackler in the open field. Not a big hitter. No major holes in his game, but isn't a highlight reel type. With about 20 corners and 12 safeties that are seen is more athletic or some with better ball skills, a reliable player like Johnson may slip through the cracks. Would probably be a 3rd round player in many drafts. The kind of guy you want on the back end of your defense that's going to be smart and keep things in front of him.

5*. Aaron Jones - RB - Texas-El Paso (5'9" 208)
Outstanding back with great balance, speed, quickness, and lower body explosion. Combine numbers back up tape. Underrated runner from small school that put up large numbers and did so against top competition as well. A slashing running back that will makes defenders pay in open space. Effective jump cut and spin move. Active feet and great balance to break tackles and make quick moves to cut on a dime. Outstanding vision and patience. Follows his blocks and finds his cutback lanes. Outstanding receiver out of the backfield. Can beat linebackers down field and can make catches in stride with soft hands. Takes care of the football. Runs a bit high, opening himself up to some hits and reducing his power inside the tackle box. One of the most productive players in college football in 2016 with over 2000 all purpose yards and 20 TDs (1773 rush and 17 tds and 233 receiving and 3 tds) which saw him average 7.7 yards per carry. Was injured for most of 2015, but put up extremely impressive stats in 2014 with over 1300 yards rushing. A huge sleeper in a deep class that will give a team a value pick in the mold of Charlie Garner or LeSean McCoy as a prototypical WCO back that can run the outside stretch and catch passes out of the backfield.

6*. Storm Norton - OT - Toledo (6'8" 308)
Long offensive lineman with solid athleticism and kick slide. Adept at picking up blitzes and stunts on the edge. Gets on his blocks and generally sticks. Effective initial punch. Wall-off run blocker. Effective reaching second level targets and transition blocks in zone. Doesn't find himself off balance and on the ground. Needs to add more strength and would be most effective as right tackle. Gives up a bit of depth to speed, which opens up his inside to counter-moves. Elite speed can push the edge on him and he has to regroup, but maintains his arc. Needs to shorten and quicken his chop steps once engaged.

6*. Levon Myers - OT - Northern Illinois (6'5" 307)
Broad, thick, and powerful offensive lineman with decent athleticism but must transition to guard. Adequate off the snap but not quick enough for outside speed in the NFL. Powerful punch and strong hands to latch on and sustain blocks. Good movement ability on outside stretch plays to the opposite side. Can reach second level but not overly effective in this role. Wall-off blocker type that needs to learn to unlock his natural power and get better drive. Tends to stall his feet once engaged, needs better chop. Good pass block technique, keeps his hands inside and into the breast plate. A finisher when he has the opportunity, showing good natuaral aggressiveness. Many weaknesses will be masked on the interior.

7. Josh Tupou - DT - Colorado (6'3" 353)
An immovable anchor built to play nose tackle in any alignment. Big, thick, strong like a bull and doesn't get pushed around, much like "Snacks" Harrison in New York. Tupou was a big reason for Colorado's success as a run-stopping unit (13th in the nation). While he doesn't present the athleticism to be a 3-down player in the NFL. Tupou is built to be a 2-down run-stuffing animal that will command double-teams on the interior. Has solid initial burst off the ball for a man his size and gets into the opposition with a solid bull rush, forcing offenses to adjust. Anchors with his massive frame, redirecting blockers and holding his gaps. Forces action to his teammates and understands his role. Makes plays within his space and has good close to the ball carrier when free. Has a quick enough step to close on the quarterback and create pressure in passing lanes. Would probably be considered a round or 2 higher, but the assault charges that had him miss all of 2015 will remain fresh in NFL team's minds.

*Compensatory Selection Breakdown
3rd for Sean Smith (CB)
5th for Chase Daniel (QB)
6th for Donald Stephenson (OT)
6th for Tyvon Branch (FS)

** Chiefs lost original 6th round selection as part of tampering charges regarding Jeremy Maclin


QB: A. Smith, P. Mahomes, T. Bray
RB: S. Ware, A. Jones, C. West
FB: A. Sherman
WR: J. Maclin, C. Conley, T. Hill, A. Wilson, D. Robinson, D. Thomas
TE: T. Kelce, J. Sprinkle, R. Travis
OT: E. Fisher, M. Schwartz, S. Norton
OG: P. Ehinger, L. Duvernay-Tardiff, L. Myers
OC: M. Morse, Z. Fulton
DL: C. Jones, J. Howard, A. Bailey, J. Johnson, R. Nunez-Roches, J. Tupou
OLB: J. Houston, D. Ford, T. Hali, D. Hall, F. Zombo, D. Nicholas*, Victor Ochi
ILB: A. Walker Jr., R. Wilson, D. Alexander, T. Smith, D. Johnson*
CB: M. Peters, T. Mitchell, P. Gaines, S. Nelson, D. White
FS: R. Parker, E. Murray, J. Johnson
SS: E. Berry, D. Sorensen
ST: C. Santos, D. Colquitt, J. Winchester

Other notes:

I expect the Chiefs and ILB Gerald Hodges to work out a contract in the next 48 hours. I think that's a done deal. They still need an athletic replacement for DJ and I don't see an adequate one on the roster.

I think there's a strong chance KC brings back Kendall Reyes on another cheap 1-year deal, but they are waiting for other things to shake out at the moment.

The recent developments with Demetrius Harris make him an easy guy to dump for some salary cap space. His performance last season warrants it anyhow.

Love it, but I kind of want to keep Demarcus Robinson as a ST guy

[Willie Lanier]

Whoops, just saw that you kept him, my bad

[Willie Lanier]

Really love the Jaleel Johnson pick

[Direckshun]

Really would have preferred a double dip at RB. But otherwise this is great.

Aaron Jones had a hell of a combine.