The Kansas City Chiefs might be en route to their third consecutive Super Bowl. As a result of that, many Chiefs fans likely aren't looking at the upcoming NFL draft. That said, Chiefs brass is always looking forward to the next draft to improve the team.
The biggest positions of need for the Chiefs include adequate cornerback depth and offensive tackle help. Despite that, Dane Brugler, the Athletics' draft analyst, has the Chiefs selecting defensive tackle Alfred Collins in his latest mock draft.
Chiefs Rumors: Kansas City selects defensive tackle in first round of latest mock draft
At first glance, selecting a defensive tackle in the first round makes little sense, especially with Chris Jones still on the roster. Nonetheless, Jones will be entering his age 31 season next year, so drafting his potential replacement might not be a bad idea.
In 60 games with the Texas Longhorns, Collins has recorded 126 combined tackles, 16 TFLS and seven sacks. Although Collins doesn't seem to possess the same versatility and explosiveness as Jones does, his skills are still projected to do well in the NFL.
With that being said, though, selecting Collins at the end of the first round would be a luxury for the Chiefs, especially since the Chiefs need to boost their offensive line and cornerback rooms.
This season, fans have watched both offensive tackles struggle mightily. Left tackle Wanya Morris hasn't looked great, but he has been battling through injury. Rookie Kingsley Suamataia has had his confidence destroyed this season impacting his play.
On the right side, Jawaan Taylor continues to be a problem. Then add in the fact that the Chiefs are likely to lose right guard Trey Smith this offseason, and the offensive line could look a lot worse.
On the defensive side, the Chiefs cornerback room has struggled since Jaylen Watson went down with an injury. Watching the Chiefs' secondary consistently give up big plays since Watson has been out is not something Chiefs fans are used to.
If the Chiefs used their first-round pick to ensure their cornerback room doesn't take a hit, if someone gets injured, fans would be happy.
Ultimately, it will be interesting to see what general manager Brett Veach does with the Chiefs first-round pick this year.
