Chiefs Can Choose Their Own Adventure on Draft’s Final Day
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In case you haven't heard by now, here's a reminder: The Kansas City Chiefs have a ton of picks to work with in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. Twelve, to be exact, which is tied for the most among all teams in the league. In a crucial offseason for the franchise, general manager Brett Veach has several chances to add young talent.
With that said, those picks are skewed pretty heavily to Day One and Day Two.
Mar 1, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach talks to the media during the 2022 NFL Combine. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Half of Kansas City's 12 picks are currently slated to be within the first three rounds: two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two third-round picks. That leaves another six picks to be divvied up over the course of the next four rounds — a nice and even distribution, right? Not so fast.
After a pair of fourth-round selections, the Chiefs aren't scheduled to be picking again until the seventh round. Perhaps the most interesting part of it all? That calls for four of the draft's final round selections to belong to Kansas City! Things may appear to be normal on the surface, but the Chiefs truly do have one of the more intriguing and complex assortments of picks in recent draft history.
Veach's track record with finding talent on Day Three of the draft is proven. After all, he's found starting-caliber players in 2019 (Rashad Fenton, round six), 2020 (L'Jarius Sneed, round four) and 2021 (Trey Smith, round six). He's also pinpointed decent depth players in Armani Watts (who signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent), Nick Allegretti and Mike Danna. Many Day Three picks fail to even make the roster, but several of Veach's have played at least minor roles on the team — and some major.
With all of that said, banking on a general manager to find hidden gems on the final day of the draft is an insanely risky proposition. Those value picks should be treated as bonuses, not anticipated developments. For some reason, though, Veach is expected to find an impact player on Day Three. He can choose his own adventure in regards to how he attempts to accomplish that feat.
Dec 5, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) warms up against the Denver Broncos before the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
For starters, Veach and the Chiefs could simply stand pat and work with the fourth- and seventh-round picks they already have. Carrying four seventh-round bodies into the post-draft signing period and then training camp would be an unorthodox strategy, as it's not guaranteed that they'd even all make the practice squad coming out of camp. On the other hand, using seventh-round picks can ensure that players are selected ahead of the undrafted free agent pool. Keeping a pair of fourth-round picks is also a duo of solid early-Day Three swings.
For the sake of consolidation, Veach could also package his seventh-round selections and move up into the sixth round. He could even incorporate a 2023 pick in order to move higher on this year's board. It wouldn't require any shuffling of current picks prior to the final round this year, and he'd have plenty of time to recoup whatever potential losses he accepts for next year. If there's a mid-Day Three prospect that he covets, he can go get him.
Last, but certainly not least, it's entirely possible that the Chiefs trade down from one of their current spots. Whether it's in rounds one, two, three or four, Veach could net a fifth- or sixth-round selection as a part of the trade package. His seventh-round picks also come into play as possible (low-impact) sweeteners. This would likely involve taking on even more picks, but it also sets up the opportunity for a more aggressive Day Three approach.
Apr 29, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces Jamin Davis (Kentucky) is selected by the Washington Football Team as the number 19 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft at First Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
At any rate, the Chiefs can control their own destiny as they enter this year's draft. If they want to ignore all trade offers, they can select 12 new players and go from there. If they want to consolidate and be aggressive, they have that flexibility. If they want to go with quantity over a chance at better quality, that's an option too. For the first time in the Veach era, Kansas City is likely going to walk away with more than six new players from an NFL Draft. How the team gets to that point has yet to be determined, but Day Three is still expected to play a major role in that process.
