Wide receiver, cornerback and offensive line are the most obvious needs on the Kansas City Chiefs roster. Finding potential impact players at those positions in the 2015 NFL Draft is a must.
The Chiefs are an organization that strongly believes in the process of taking the best player available. Proof of that was last season when they selected outside pass rusher Dee Ford in the first round of the draft, despite already having a set of dynamic pass rushers in Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.
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That being said, I believe that the Chiefs will be making a mistake if they do not select a wide receiver, cornerback or offensive lineman in the first round this season. Finding the best football players are obviously important, but so is filling your team needs. The players in the mid-to-late part of the first round expect to be of similar talent levels, making the case for filling a need stronger.
Unless a clear top ten talent inexplicably falls, the Chiefs should simply sit back with the 18th overall pick, and select the top player on their board who happens to play one of those positions.
As far as the offensive lineman expected to be available when the Chiefs are on the clock, center Cameron Erving appears to be a very popular pick in recent mock drafts. Erving is a very talented player, who made an extremely successful transition to the center position late in his college career.
Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive tackle Cameron Erving (75) gestures during the second half of the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game against the Oregon Ducks at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
With the loss of Rodney Hudson in free agency, Erving could step right and fill a major need for the Chiefs at center.
That being said, many would argue that taking a center in the first round is not a good way to get proper value. While Erving has had some success at left tackle in the past, giving him upside at the most important offensive line position down the road, perhaps simply taking a tackle would make more sense?
Ereck Flowers is a very talented pure tackle prospect, who could bring the perfect combination of value and position of need for the Chiefs.
Flowers shows ideal size for an NFL offensive lineman at 6-foot-6, 329 pounds. While he is a very big man, Flowers has quick feet that allows him to naturally move his big body around.
The biggest strength in Flowers’ game is probably his run blocking. He is an absolute mauler who elite-level run blocking skills.
While strength and power are Flowers’ most impressive skills (2015 combine best 37 bench press reps at 225 pounds), it is important to remember that he has good quickness and athleticism. He has quick enough feet to reach the second level in the run game, making him a good fit for the Chiefs’ zone blocking system.
Flowers does have some work to do with his pass protection skills. He does have some work to do there, but he has the necessary length and skills to become a good pass protector. His inconsistent technique and size makes him struggle against speed rushers at times, but he is expected to get better in that department with experience.
Right now, Flowers could step in and be a significant upgrade over Donald Stephenson for the Chiefs at right tackle. His ability in the run game would be a massive addition, and playing right tackle would allow him to typically not have to pass protect against pure speed rushers.
If he can clean up his game in pass protection, Flowers has all the skills to move to left tackle eventually. While the Chiefs hope that former first overall pick Eric Fisher becomes that franchise left tackle, having Flowers as a high-level back-up plan certainly would not hurt.
With a combination of immediate impact at a position of need, and future upside, Flowers seems like a great out-of-the box candidate for the Chiefs (if available) with the 18th overall pick.
Next: WR Devin Funchess a Wise Target for Chiefs in Draft?
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