Kansas City Chiefs Hit Home Run with CB Marcus Peters

By Dan Schmelzer | Apr 30, 2015

Offensive line or wide receiver seemed to be the most likely picks for the Kansas City Chiefs entering the night, but cornerback certainly makes sense as well. With the 18th overall selection of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Chiefs landed cornerback Marcus Peters.

Peters is considered to be one of the most talented prospects in this entire draft class. A true top-ten talent, Peters stands 6-foot-tall and weighs 197 pounds; ideal size for the cornerback position. He is a very tough and physical corner with incredible athletic ability.

Off-the-field, Peters had his fair share of problems in college. He was kicked off the team at the University of Washington last November after many clashes with the coaching staff. While Huskies’ head coach Chris Peterson had mostly good things to say about Peters, his attitude clearly seemed to be an issue in college.

More from Kansas City Chiefs

Whether this was just a maturity thing that he has learned from, or if he actually is an issue in the locker room remains to be seen, but the Chiefs decided that selecting Peters was worth the risk.

While the Chiefs’ pass defense was very good last season, it is certainly fair to say that they had a need at the cornerback position. Sean Smith came on as a great cornerback option last season, but he is facing suspension entering the season because of a DUI. Phillip Gaines is a very good player who had success opposite of Smith last season.

Marcus Cooper was benched by the coaching staff last season, and while he does have some upside, do not expect much out of him going forward. Jamell Fleming is an interesting player at the cornerback position for the Chiefs, but both him and Smith are set to become free agents after the 2016 season.

With Smith facing suspension, and two of their top three corners expected to hit free agency in a year, finding a corner in the first round of this draft makes plenty of sense. In Peters, the Chiefs found arguably the most talented player at the position.

Peters is a very tough and physical player at the cornerback position. He excels in man-to-man press coverage, rarely getting beat off of the line of scrimmage. Peters uses his strength and aggressiveness to beat up opposing receivers and force them to differ their routes. His physical style is a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s press-man defensive scheme.

While it may not have been the expected pick, the Chiefs are looking to fill a need. Taking Peters is them swinging for the fences with the pick. He has true shutdown corner upside going forward.

His off-the-field issues are certainly a concern, but the Chiefs have a stable roster full of veterans. They will be able to show him the ropes, and the right way to do things.

Head coach Andy Reid has had success with player with questionable character in the past. Wide receivers Terrell Owens and DeSean Jackson immediately come to mind.

The Chiefs appear to be one of the best teams in the NFL to be able to handle Peters, and his pure talent at a position of need makes this a home run.

Next: 2015 NFL Draft: Live Day 1 Updates, Grades and Analysis

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Kansas City Chiefs