2015 NFL Draft: Kansas City Chiefs Must Target QB Brett Hundley

By Dan Schmelzer | Mar 19, 2015

The Kansas City Chiefs seem perfectly willing to go forward with Alex Smith as their starting quarterback. He is a solid quarterback, but his inability to push the ball down the field severely limits his upside.

Smith is a guy who is not going to kill you at the quarterback position. He makes smart, conservative decisions that will always keep the Chiefs in the ball game. That being said, it is certainly fair to wonder whether his conservative style of play will ever lead the Chiefs to a legitimate Super Bowl run.

The Chiefs would be wise to consider quarterback options in the 2015 NFL Draft who they could groom to replace Smith in the next couple of years. Brett Hundley is a player who appears to be a perfect fit for this situation.

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Hundley was a three-year starter for UCLA who decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. In his three-year run at UCLA, Hundley completed 67.6 percent of his 1,239 pass attempts for 9,966 yards, 75 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He was also dangerous on the ground, rushing for 1,747 career yards on 479 attempts (3.6 yards per carry average) and 30 total rushing touchdowns.

At 6-foot-3, 226 pounds Hundley certainly looks the part of an NFL quarterback. He also shows a rocket arm that allows him to make any throw on the field. He already has a quick release, which is always huge for an NFL quarterback prospect, and shows the ability to make quick decisions in the pocket.

Hundley shows great speed, quickness and athleticism for the quarterback position, and has great instincts and poise in the pocket. Hundley does a nice job of feeling where the pressure is coming from, and making decisions based on that.

As great as his physical tools are, Hundley does have plenty of work to do before being ready to be a starting NFL quarterback.

At UCLA, Hundley took almost every single snap out of shotgun. While there are certainly more shotgun snaps being taken in the NFL now more than ever before, he will still need to show the ability to take snaps under center. Hundley proved that he has been working on his footwork under center at the combine and his Pro Day, but there is certainly room for improvement in that area.

Hundley does show nice accuracy at times, but his inconsistent footwork leads to errant passes more often than you would like to see. His ability to consistently place the ball with accuracy is a work in progress, but the fact that he shows good accuracy at times is encouraging.

Another question mark for Hundley entering the NFL is his ability to read defenses. UCLA’s offense is centered on quick and easy decisions for the quarterback. Hundley will certainly have to improve his ability to read defenses and make decisions based on what the defense is showing before and during the play.

Nobody is saying that Hundley does not have the ability to read defenses, he just simply has not shown it in his college tape. It is not his fault that it was not asked of him, but it will be something that he must be able to do at the NFL level.

Hundley is certainly a work in progress, which is why even with all of his obvious skills, he is unlikely to be taken in the first round of the upcoming draft. That could signal a perfect opportunity for the Chiefs to land Hundley as a project in the second round.

While it has yet to be announced by the NFL, after losing many key players in free agency last off season, the Chiefs are expected to gain compensatory draft picks in the 2015 draft.

Overthecap.com projects the Chiefs to receive four compensatory picks: one in the third round, two in the fifth and one in the seventh. While these picks are far from set in stone, it is a good indicator to see that the Chiefs are likely to receive some extra draft pick currency this off season.

The extra compensatory picks could allow them to take a project like Hundley, who would not be expected to contribute in his rookie year. Kansas City has some key needs that must be filled for next season, but those can be addressed in other areas of the draft.

Landing in Kansas City would be a great opportunity for both Hundley and the Chiefs. Unlike most teams who will consider drafting him, Hundley would be under zero pressure to start in his first season. While he may not represent much upside, Smith is a solid veteran quarterback who always gives the Chiefs a chance.

On top of that, head coach Andy Reid would be the perfect coach to groom an imperfect quarterback prospect like Hundley. Reid is known throughout the NFL as one of the premier quarterback coaches. He has also had plenty of past success with similar dual threat quarterbacks to Hundley, like Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick and even Smith to a certain extent.

Sep 19, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) talks with offensive coordinator Doug Pederson (left) and head coach Andy Reid (right) during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

With so much draft pick currency expected, the Chiefs have an opportunity to swing for the fences to land a high-upside quarterback. This draft class does not have much talent at the quarterback position, so strongly targeting Hundley is a must if the Chiefs decide to go this route.

If available when the Chiefs are on the clock in the second round (49^th overall), drafting Hundley would be a no-brainer in my opinion. They would also be wise to consider second round trade up scenarios that would ensure they land their guy.

Hundley is far from a finished product, but he is very intriguing quarterback prospect who has a ton of upside. Alex Smith has done a nice job of leading the Chiefs to this point, but if they expect to take the next step and become legitimate Super Bowl contenders, finding a quarterback with more potential is a must. If Hundley is available in the second round, the Chiefs must jump on that opportunity.

Next: Chiefs' Seven-Round 2015 NFL Mock Draft

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