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DT Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
NFL teams, of course, do not draft purely for talent, as they make a ton of considerations about "fit" that we as fans can only speculate about. Going into next season, with whatever amalgamation of DL talent, will Spags plug in a more traditional 1-tech next to Chris Jones? Will he opt for someone with a little more run-stop/pass-rush flexibility? The Chiefs will probably tender Tershawn Wharton this offseason, but what beyond that? How often will Spags even field a second DT next year? I doubt any of the Chiefs DTs have gotten over 50% of the snaps on defense in a game all year outside of Jones.
Lots of these questions will need to be answered in the room before we have any inkling of where Zacch Pickens goes. One of the greater mysteries of this draft, Pickens boasts a bunch of quicker-twitch 3-tech abilities with some good technique, but has been trapped in one of the more basic DL schemes in the SEC this year in which few of those talents have had a chance to shine. In 2023/2024, he makes a ton of sense in the Tershawn Wharton role. Beyond that, he may have starter upside, but it's going to depend a lot on the kind of scheme the Chiefs think they want to run.
How will he test at the Combine? How will he look at the Senior Bowl? All of these questions need to be answered for a player who seems to be built to get a lot of rotational reps in the NFL as a passrusher, eventually. And depending on the coaching, he may be good for a good deal more than that against the run. Fortunately, the Chiefs have Joe Cullen, who can get the most out of anyone.
I think Pickens is worth more to some other teams than he would be to us, but if he falls to the 4th, I would make the investment.
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