The Kansas City Chiefs could look to replace Tyreek Hill in the 2022 NFL Draft, but they have other needs and a ton of draft capital.
The AFC West has officially become the toughest division on paper. However, the kings are still the Kansas City Chiefs. In case you forgot, the Chiefs were a play or two away from making yet another Super Bowl appearance.
And, they are two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance where the offensive line and lack of draft capital was an issue, not anymore. The Chiefs hold 12 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft—six are inside the top 100.
How will the Kansas City Chiefs replace Tyreek Hill? That’s a question plaguing the Chiefs since they traded the three-time All-Pro to the Miami Dolphins. Hill’s trade netted five draft picks: No. 29, No. 50, and No. 151 in the 2022 NFL Draft, along with a fourth and sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Will that draft capital the Chiefs should take a wide receiver at some point? Some may argue that they don’t have to. After all, this is a team game and a quarterback’s league—the Chiefs have the best in the business, Patrick Mahomes.
Free agency saw the Chiefs add pieces that will undoubtedly help them on offense with wideouts Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Juju Smith Schuster and running back Ronald Jones.
Defensively, they opted to let Tyrann Mathieu walk in favor of Justin Reid. Still, the Chiefs have holes they need to fill. Historically, Andy Reid isn’t afraid to lean on rookies, and there are some impact players primed to help the Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs mock draft No. 29: Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
Building the Chiefs’ defense is priority number one for Andy Reid. Adding a corner in a division with elite wideout talent is a must. With the No. 29 pick, they should have a chance to draft one of the best man cover corners in the draft. Steve Spagnuolo prioritizes athletic cover corners, and Roger McCreary is that guy.
McCreary is a ready-made corner for an aggressive blitz-heavy defense. He’s excellent at mirroring receivers in short areas, whether it’s man press or off coverage. When playing zone coverage, the 5-11 corner shows good reactive skills. And he does a great job playing aggressively and through the receiver when attacking the ball. He’s a first-round with a versatile skill-set.
No. 30 Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma
All off-season, the NFL media buzzed about the AFC West. The current crop of quarterbacks features Derek Carr, Justin Herbert, and now Super Bowl champion Russel Wilson. The Chiefs need to get after the quarterback, and they can’t wait to add someone that can help.
Perrionb Winfrey is the perfect player to pair with Chris Jones. The 6-4 303-pound defensive lineman played all over Oklahoma’s line. However, his best fit comes as an upfield rusher in the three-technique. Winfrey’s excellent first step and ability to exploit gaps ideally fits Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive defense.
Kansas City Chiefs No. 50: Arnold Ebiketie, Edge, Penn State
The CHiefs need to add a dynamic edge rusher at some point in the 2022 NFL Draft. After adding an upfield three-technique in round one, the Cheifs came back and added Arnold Ebiketie.
Ebiketie has an excellent first step off the line. He shows excellent flexibility and bend off the edge. The 6-3 256-pound edge rusher closes in on his target in a hurry. He’s a penetrating run defender who’ll do his damage in the TFL department.
He’s an elite athlete with flash who could generate 8-10 sacks as a rookie.
No. 62: George Pickens, WR, Georgia
It’s easy to assume the Chiefs will look to add a weapon with Tyreek Hill’s skill set. However, the Chiefs’ offense appears to be shifting to something different. Too often, Patrick Mahomes relied on the speed of Hill, which led to some struggles when teams played two-deep coverage.
A player like Geroge Pickens is the perfect final piece to an offense looking to dominate underneath.
The 6-3 203-pound does a great job separating off the line using quick hands and feet in rhythm. He’s shown good acceleration underneath, gets his head around, and boxed out defenders.
Should Mahomes need a deep threat, Pickens does good work getting on too of defensive backs. He has great body control and does a fantastic job high pointing the ball. The depth of this draft should see Pickens falling to the Chiefs on Day 2.
Kansas City Chiefs mock draft No. 94: Coby Bryant, CB, Cinceinatti
The Chiefs need to double down on the cornerback position. With their need at corner and the depth of this draft, adding two on Day 2 makes sense. The 6-1 200-pound Coby Bryant was the other corner for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Coby Bryant is the Bearcat corner who saw a ton of targets. He’s an outside corner who plays with confidence and aggression. At the line, he looks to get his hands on his target.
He can come in as a sub-packages press corner until he’s ready to fill in as a starter. If he falls to the third round, the Chiefs should run to the podium.
No. 103 Dare Rosenthal, OT, Kentucky
The Cheifs did a great job fixing their offensive line. They extended offensive tackle Orlando Brown while Lucas Niang is recovering from an injury. There’s a hole on the right side of the line, and they should look to fill it in the 2022 NFL Draft. Dare Rosenthal has the potential to become a Pro Bowl type player later in his career.
Rosenthal has excellent movement skills, quick feet, and hands that work together. He’s raw in terms of fundamentals, but he does have the athleticism to make up for false steps and oversets.
The Kentucky lineman has value as an excellent run blocker who can work his way into the starting lineup. The Chiefs could play him at right tackle in Niang can’t come back.
Kansas City Chiefs mock draft No. 121: Jesse Luketa, LB, Penn State
The Kansas City Chiefs are an aggressive defense that needs a player that can work as an off-ball blitz backer. Once again, the Chiefs turn to Penn State for a player to help their defense. Jesse Luketa is the perfect fit for what the Chiefs like to do.
Luketa isn’t a great athlete, but he’s powerful with great strength and works well off the edge. He works through contact and has a solid rip move. He can come in on third downs as an extra rusher until he develops as a full-time starter.
No. 145 Zamir White, RB, Georgia
Clyde Edwards Hailire and Ronald Jones could make a solid duo, but they won’t be enough. At some point in the draft, the Chiefs should add depth to their running back room. They need a tone-setter who can delver punishment between the tackles and control the clock.
Zamir White is a big back with great contact balance. He runs with a forward lean and looks to deliver punishment. He’ll work well on the goal line and short-yardage.
However, he’s capable of taking over as a lead back in a committee. He’ll likely be there for the Chiefs in the fourth round, and they should grab him.