Kansas City Chiefs: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft after free agency

This offseason, the Chiefs decided to move on from both Dee Ford and Justin Houston, leaving massive holes at the edge rusher position. Newcomers Emmanuel Ogbah and Alex Okafor will certainly be involved in mix at defensive end in new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 system, as will recent draft picks Breeland Speaks and Tanoh Kpassagnon. That being said, the Chiefs undoubtedly need to add some quality depth to the position in the 2019 NFL Draft.

With their other second-round selection, the Chiefs find that help at defensive end in the form of Jaylon Ferguson out of Louisiana Tech. An absolutely dominant player in college, Ferguson was considered by many to be a possible first-round selection earlier in that draft process. However, his lack of explosion and raw upside on the edge makes that extremely unlikely at this point.

Ferguson is a rock solid prospect who is a perfect fit for the Chiefs’ new 4-3 defense. He excels as a run defender, consistently dominating at the point of attack and using his hands well to keep opposing offensive linemen away from his body. He also set the edge well and can penetrate into the backfield and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

As a pass rusher, Ferguson is solid, yet unspectacular. His lack of burst and bend around the edge limits his upside as an edge rusher, but he converts from speed to power extremely well and has a nice array of counter moves. He can manhandle opposing offensive tackles with his strong hands, simply pulling them out of his way with consistency when he chooses to do so.

Ferguson was a superstar in college, but that was at least partially due to his level of competition. He simply will not be able to manhandle NFL offensive linemen the way he did in Conference-USA. That being said, he is still an intriguing prospect who understands the game well and puts himself in a position to win against the run and the pass.

Ferguson is a safe prospect who could quickly grow into a starting role in Kansas City. Simply put, the Chiefs need capable bodies at defensive end and Ferguson certainly fits the bill.