NFL Draft Live Blog: Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft Updates - Day 3
The NFL Draft is finally here, and the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to add their newest crop of players. Here on Arrowhead Report on SI.com, we'll keep you updated on everything happening in the 2020 NFL Draft.
6 PM: Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder is Mr. Irrelevant of 2020. Thank you ALL for tuning in to Arrowhead Report's live blog of the 2020 NFL Draft. Want more draft information? The undrafted free agent tracker with Jordan Foote and myself is where we'll keep you up to date on everything after the draft -TF
5:42 PM: In what is (hopefully) the last pick from an AFC West team, the Denver Broncos select Florida wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland at pick No. 252 and North Dakota State defensive end Derrek Tuszka 254th overall.
Jordan Foote wraps up the Broncos and division's final picks:
At pick No. 252, the Denver Broncos added Tyrie Cleveland from Florida. He brings just 1,271 career receiving yards and eight touchdowns to the table — production that's matched by several of college's top wideouts in a single campaign. Cleveland could carve out a very minor supporting role in Denver's offense one day but for the immediate future, expect his name to be called strictly on special teams downs.
To finish their 2020 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos capped off an extremely productive draft by going with a defensive end from North Dakota State. Derrek Tuszka is an inconsistent presence as a pass rusher but does have an acceptable understanding of what he's capable of and what will and won't work against opposing linemen. His run defense leaves a lot to be desired and will likely result in him being nothing more than a situational pass rusher at best in the NFL. Tuszka simply doesn't excel in any particular area, which puts a cap on his overall potential.
4:49 PM: The Chicago Bears take an All-Name Team player in Arlington Hambright at 226th overall. I'm telling you if you're not looking out for my All-Name Team you're missing out. -TF
4:35 PM: The Los Angeles Chargers select Ohio State wide receiver K. J. Hill 220th overall with their final pick in the draft.
Jordan Foote broke down the Chargers' final selection:
Ohio State's K.J. Hill joins the Los Angeles Chargers to provide either Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert with a seventh-round weapon. He left the Buckeyes as their all-time leader in receptions, but don't let that confuse you. While Hill is a sound route runner and is often able to get open despite not having elite athleticism, that lack of top-end speed and after-the-catch ability will limit his ceiling at the NFL level. Good ball skills could make him an impactful player in some manner, though.
Bill Huber of PackersCentral had this to say about Hill:
No. 18: K.J. Hill, Ohio State (5-11 7/8, 196; 4.60 40): Hill had three banner seasons to finish his career with the school record for career receptions. He caught 56 passes as a sophomore, career highs of 70 passes for 885 yards as a junior and 57 passes for 636 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns as a senior. That gave him a four-year total of 201 receptions for 2,332 yards and 20 touchdowns.
“I’m very versatile,” he said at the Combine. “I played mainly in the slot but have some packages, have some plays when I was on the outside. So, I feel I can do it all. … It’s really good for me because you could plug me anywhere. I don’t have to just be stuck in the slot and only come in on this play or this package. So a lot of teams are talking about using me everywhere.” His goal was to “run a good 40” but failed to deliver. The 40 time could take him off the board, though his play speed seemed faster. Hill caught 8-of-14 passes thrown 20-plus yards. He had a good week at the Senior Bowl and dropped just 3.3 percent of targeted passes. “I feel like in the one-on-ones, I didn’t lose a rep. I played outside, I won inside. I had one drop that whole week. So I feel like I proved how versatile I am.” Hill caught at least one pass in every game over his final three-and-a-half seasons
“I’m very versatile,” he said at the Combine. “I played mainly in the slot but have some packages, have some plays when I was on the outside. So, I feel I can do it all. … It’s really good for me because you could plug me anywhere. I don’t have to just be stuck in the slot and only come in on this play or this package. So a lot of teams are talking about using me everywhere.” His goal was to “run a good 40” but failed to deliver. The 40 time could take him off the board, though his play speed seemed faster. Hill caught 8-of-14 passes thrown 20-plus yards. He had a good week at the Senior Bowl and dropped just 3.3 percent of targeted passes. “I feel like in the one-on-ones, I didn’t lose a rep. I played outside, I won inside. I had one drop that whole week. So I feel like I proved how versatile I am.” Hill caught at least one pass in every game over his final three-and-a-half seasons.
Hill grew up in Little Rock, Ark., but spurned his home-state team to play for Ohio State. Why? Former Buckeyes receivers coach Zach Smith said then-Arkansas coach Bret Bielema called to say Hill was canceling his visit to Ohio State. Why would a rival coach say that? “We got K.J. on the phone, got his dad on the phone,” Smith told 247Sports.com. “They were irately pissed at Arkansas. ‘You don’t speak for my son, you don’t speak for me.’ He came on his visit and basically he was done with Arkansas.”
4:18 PM: We've had quite the gap between AFC West picks and we are in the territory of not knowing who some of these guys are. Josh had to hop on the radio so I'm your guy for here on out.
While you wait for the draft to get over, check out my immediate take on the newest crop of Kansas City Chiefs players - TF
3:05 PM: With the 186th pick, the Los Angeles Chargers selected Notre Dame safety Alohi Gilman.
Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report talks about the AFC West's new addition:
Gilman enters the AFC West after spending time with the Naval Academy and Notre Dame in college. The trait I've seen talked about most in regards to him is his character. A great leader and an even harder worker, Gilman is a solid pick to help round out a roster. The athletic ability and on-field production are both underwhelming, which points to him being a career special-teamer and depth piece.
2:53 PM: The Denver Broncos selected Fresno State offensive lineman Netane Muti 181st overall.
Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report talks about the Broncos' selection of the interior lineman:
Muti comes from Fresno State with serious medical concerns but talent-wise, he's a good player that very well could've gone on day two. He's an extremely physical player with great strength. At his best, he could become a flat-out bully on the football field. At his worst, that physicality comes back to bite him and results in less-than-ideal technique and a myriad of injuries. The potential is there, but whether or not he'll reach it is another story.
2:10 PM: Bryce Hall finally has left the building. The New York Jets take Hall at pick 158 but that wasn't the only interesting pick in the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills took Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm 167th overall to back up(?) Josh Allen. Is there trouble in paradise? -TF
1:20 PM: The Los Angeles Chargers took Virginia wide receiver Joe Reed with the 151st pick overall.
Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report broke down the speedsters entrance into the AFC West:
Another non-Bryce Hall Virginia player comes off the board. Reed is a good athlete that is downright scary with the ball in his hands. With that said, he'll need to be schemed into his playmaking duties early on. If he ever becomes a complete receiver, it'll be a surprise. He'd be a much better fit in Andy Reid's offense than many others', but perhaps Shane Steichen can draw up some plays to get him on the field and make him produce in year one.
Bill Huber of PackersCentral had this to say about Reed:
Reed caught 52 passes in his first three seasons but 77 passes for 679 yards (8.8 average) and seven touchdowns as a senior. Don’t let that meager average suggest he’s not explosive. He was a huge threat on kickoff returns with career marks of 28.7 yards per run back and five touchdowns. As a senior, he was a first-team All-American with a 33.2-yard average and a pair of scores. He is the only player in FBS history with 2,700-plus career kick return yards and a career kick return average of 28-plus yards. As a junior, he averaged 18.6 yards per catch with seven touchdowns on 25 catches. His four-year totals were 129 receptions for 1,465 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a senior, his 2.4 percent drop rate was tied for third-best in the draft class, but he caught only 2-of-15 deep passes.
-TF
Editor's Note: From here on up, Tucker Franklin takes the reigns of our Day 3 Live Blog.
12:22 PM: How long is Bryce Hall going to fall, and can it be to the Chiefs, please?
12:11 PM: Bill O'Brien and the Houston Texans are splitting up the family. Charlie Heck, North Carolina OT and son of Chiefs OL coach Andy Heck, is headed to Houston.
12:01 PM: The Indianapolis Colts draft Washington QB Jacob Eason, finally giving them a developmental QB behind Philip Rivers.
11:40 AM: The Denver Broncos take another Mizzou alum for Drew Lock to throw to. The tight end, usually referred to as "Albert O" is reunited with Lock in Denver.
Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report broke down the Mizzou-to-Denver connection continuing:
"Albert O," a Missouri product, wasn't quite as productive as expected in 2019. A knee injury cut his prior season short but if he can return to his old form, he'll carve out a career as a very good NFL tight end. Okwuegbunam's athletic profile relative to his size is terrific, which could make him a matchup nightmare down the road.
Bill Huber of PackersCentral had this to say about Albert Okwuegbunam:
The speed and touchdown ability are obvious. He caught 4-of-7 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield in 2019. For his career, one out of every 4.26 receptions ended up in the end zone. And remember, that came against SEC competition. “Just my ability to create mismatches all over the field. Whether it is in the red zone and using my athleticism to get open or just be able to stretch the field with my speed, or just anywhere to pick up a first down. As well as my versatility and the balance to my game — being able to be used effectively in the run game as well.”
11:28 AM: The Chargers have added another running back to pair with Austin Ekeler. UCLA RB Joshua Kelly steps in as the Chargers' first pick since taking Kenneth Murray at 23 overall.
Bill Huber of PackersCentral had this to say about Kelly:
No. 15: Joshua Kelley, UCLA (5-10 5/8, 212): Kelley spent two seasons at UC-Davis before transferring to UCLA. After sitting out the 2017 season to fulfill NCAA transfer obligations, Kelley rushed for 1,243 yards (5.5 average) and 12 touchdowns in 2018 and 1,060 yards (4.6 average) and 12 touchdowns as a senior. That gave him two-year totals of 2,303 rushing yards, 24 rushing touchdowns and 38 catches. In 2018, he rushed for 289 yards against USC, the biggest game in rivalry history.
11:26 AM: Tucker Franklin cannot help himself. Here's a breakdown of Simpson:
The Las Vegas Raiders get another piece on the offensive line, taking John Simpson, guard from Clemson. The Raiders cannot stop drafting Clemson Tigers. Simpson has pretty good movement when pulling, might be a bit of a liability in pass protection, according to Mel Kiper. Could compete for a starting job pretty early on.
11:19 AM: The Las Vegas Raiders get another piece on the offensive line, taking John Simpson, guard from Clemson. The Raiders cannot stop drafting Clemson Tigers. Simpson has pretty good movement when pulling, might be a bit of a liability in pass protection, according to Mel Kiper. Could compete for a starting job pretty early on.
11:08 AM: Here's some news to kick us off. Clearly an untenable situation in Washington, but not a huge haul. Feels reasonable for both sides. Which is obviously great analysis by me.
11 AM: Good morning! It's a full day of NFL Draft action here on Day 3. I'm Joshua Brisco, and Tucker Franklin and I will be teaming up for your Kansas City Chiefs Live Blog today.
Here's some suggested reading to get you through the early picks before the Chiefs:
- NFL Draft: Kansas City Chiefs select linebacker Willie Gay Jr.
- NFL Draft: Kansas City Chiefs select TCU offensive tackle Lucas Niang
- Arrowhead Report Roundtable: The Kansas City Chiefs draft Willie Gay Jr.
- Chiefs GM Brett Veach continued his hot streak on Friday night
- Five potential mid-round targets for the Chiefs
- Arrowhead Report Roundtable: The Kansas City Chiefs draft Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- Jordan Foote's Arrowhead Report mock draft, after a full month of scouting reports
