How can one of the most consistent teams in the NFL improve for their 2023 campaign?
Obviously this article is written way too early. Though we have a general idea of what the team needs in the next draft the playoff games will truly show what the Chiefs are missing.
Can the Number 1 seed really improve?
With the modern NFL and the crazy amount of money modern players are being paid it is extremely difficult to keep a team together which is why most teams nowadays have to focus on just keeping their key players. The Chiefs are one of the teams in the NFL that is just oozing with talent which makes it harder to decide who the core group of key players is.
There will be several big questions heading into this offseason for the Chiefs and a lot will depend on playoff success. There are several key players that are on the borderline of getting a big contract within the next two seasons. The first couple of names that come to mind is Jerrick McKinnon, Chris Jones, Juju Smith-Schuster, and L'Jarius Sneed. I think that the most obvious signing is Chris Jones who has been playing like a DPOY in his 2022 campaign, but then after that, it gets much more complex. You can not sign the remaining 3 all together one will, unfortunately, have to go. Maybe you keep Juju around for a long-term deal to provide stability at the wide receiver position. Maybe you keep McKinnon around to keep that explosiveness around in the screen pass and check-down game. Maybe you sign Sneed to let him continue to develop and sharpen as a slot corner. The whole situation is a very complex position to be in and the decisions Veach makes over the early offseason with these players will decide what our team needs going into the Draft.
With that being said here are the picks that in my opinion will help the team continue its reign over the AFC west.
The Wide Receivers
First I'll start off with the wide receivers which in some people's opinions may not be our biggest need considering we ran the No. 1 offense in football last year, but I think with the possibility of Mecole and Juju walking its time to look towards the team getting a true No. 1 wide receiver. Kadarius Toney and Marquez will be a very solid foundation to be no 2 and 3s in the lineup so that is not nearly much of a concern.
Rashee Rice, Southern Methodist University
Measurables
6’2 1/2
206 lbs
Coming into his senior year Rashee actually lost weight but put on a lot of muscle. Whenever you watch him he shows shades of being the next AJ Brown. Most Drafts have him being drafted sometime on day 2, but I feel like he deserves to be drafted much higher. He is a BULLY on the football field and no it's not his smack talk it is the way he plays he seems like he just bullies defenders with stiff arms and broken tackles galore alongside making contested catches constantly. He’s the kind of receiver that Mahomes needs in this offense and the Chiefs haven’t had since the likes of Otis Taylor. He would take the offense to a whole other level and maybe even open up the playbook as well. He can play all over the field.
One of my favorite examples of who Rashee Rice is as a player is whenever he caught a touchdown pass against North Texas the defender got frustrated and punched him pretty hard and it made a nice little pop on the game audio. Most players in the modern era would start fist-fighting back, oftentimes hurting their team and possibly getting them ejected, so I found it impressive that instead of fighting back Rashee just handed the ball to the ref and walked away while the other guy got the flag. This along with his loyalty to SMU even after receiving multiple Power 5 offers convinces me that the Chiefs should draft him. He would pair up with Mahomes to create the Dynamic Duo of the Future as Kelce continues to age.
Player comparison: AJ Brown
Value: Early Day 2 pick.
Zay Flowers, Boston College
Measurable's
5’10
172 lbs
Very good quick cuts really an overall playmaker on the field gives shades of a smaller Deebo Samuel. Hard to take down in open space and is also a great route runner. Could also be utilized as a special teamer as well. Has the chance to be a true no. 1 wide receiver at the next level. Size And strength can be somewhat of a concern, but should produce big regardless.
Another reason I like Zay flowers is his personality. I feel as though the Chief's locker room has built a great culture and Zay Flowers would add to that. Even with all the transfers going on in modern-day college football Zay chose to stay loyal to BC throughout his whole college career. He has a great work ethic and contagious smile and could be the Chief's no. 1 for years to come. I personally remember him playing against Mizzou in 2021 and hearing his name constantly in a game. He also passes the eye test very well.
Player comparison: a more talented and slightly smaller Curtis Samuel
Value: 1st round
Xavier Hutchison, Iowa State
Measurable's
6'3
205 lbs
Great moves at the line of scrimmage and has the perfect size to be a true No. 1 wide receiver at the next level. It's surprising that he is going for a day 2 pick in my opinion. He was Brock Purdy's No. 1 option during the 2021 season and he deserves to get a longer look than what scouts have given him so far. He improved every year of his college career and also racked up 2 all big 12 first-team awards. He consistently wins on one on one coverage on the outside with the only player he struggled against being Tomlinson when they played TCU. His adjustment to catch makes him look very athletic and his ability to highpoint the football is the best in the class IMO. My biggest concern for him at the next level is YAC and the ability to make guys miss in the open field. He is a very polished and smooth route runner, but he needs to develop a bigger route tree as well.
Guys got a great personality as well as some swagger when he plays. He is one of the more undervalued WR in the class. Though the YAC is somewhat of a concern and the route tree needs to develop I struggle to find significant other flaws in his game. He may just not be quite as explosive as some of the guys ahead of him, but I mean the guy's ability to highpoint the ball and adjust to the catch looks like magic when you watch the film. Look for this guy to have one of the top high jumps at the combine.
Player comparison: Smaller and for now less consistent Mike Evans
Value: Day 2 pick with first-round value
The Safeties
With Thornhill more than likely out the door after showing minimal promise following a strong rookie year the Chiefs are in need of a play-making safety. Sure Bryan Cook has played decent as a rookie and can improve next year and Justin Reid provides stability in the back half, but it is very clear that it's an area where the Chiefs can improve.
Sydney Brown, Illinois
Measurable's
6'0
205 lbs
First off whenever I watch his tape at Illinois and maybe this just is something to do with the hair, he reminds me of a Hufunga or Polamalu kind of guy. He always seemed to find himself in the right place at the right time during his 2022 campaign. Making those kinds of catches off the deflection that Polamalu was known for, but he also just seems to have that competitive edge and leadership ability whenever you turn on the tape as well. He seems like a very smart safety constantly showing good play recognition. He also made several nice plays in coverage on kicks including a forced fumble that led to a touchdown for the Illini.
With Tarzan-like look to him and a twin brother as well this dude is loaded with personality. He and his brother did some fun specials for the Illinois football program and they would both be the kind of players to light up the room whenever they walk in. He would be a fun player to have around and could be a long-term solution for the Chiefs at the safety position.
Player comparison: Talanoa Hufunga
Value: solid day 2 pick and 2nd best Hair on the team
Jammie Robinson, Florida State
Measurable's
5'11
203 lbs
That boys got swagger and a lot of it for sure he wants to play ball. It's his biggest pro and con in my opinion. He's a great run stuffing safety whenever you put on the tape he has great reads and makes every highlight look natural. He's a bit of a violent tackler. but he is a good tackler because of this. He took a slight step backwards in 2022, but he still played with that same edge that made him so great in 2021. He's got playmaking ability in the run and short pass game just needs to work on some coverage a bit, but the talent and mentality is definitely there for it to be fixable.
Robinson's drive and leadership in the FSU locker room should definitely get some attention. He seems like a great guy when interviewed and puts a big emphasis on team vs himself as an individual. He would fit well in Spag's system that emphasizes DB blitzing and strong tackling. Similar to Brown listed above he could be the playmaker at Safety that would end up being a long-term solution at the position.
Player Comparison: Slightly Smaller Jamaal Adams
Value: Day 2 pick would assume sooner rather than later
Christopher Smith, Georgia
One of the leaders of one of the greatest 2-year runs in college football history. Sure the D line was legendary and showed dominance like no other, but their play on that back half should not be overshadowed. Chris Smith is a very intelligent player and is one of the better coverage safeties in this year's class. One of my favorite plays of the year, and one that will go on those top IQ compilations you see on youtube, was when Georgia blocked a kick early on in the SEC championship game vs LSU. Smith knowing the rules and being patient was able to run the ball all the way back for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up early against the tigers in what would be a blowout win in the end.
He would be one of the less flashy picks in the draft, I feel like though he may be a day 2 pick he will end up being a consistently good starter at some point he has a high floor in my opinion, but I would have liked to see more flashiness in college to prove to me that he has a higher ceiling. He would be a safer second-round pick in my opinion and similar to the other 2 safeties on this list he would help solidify the position for years. He showed up against the big teams in big games in college so I would expect similar results to continue at the next level.
Player Comparison: Devin McCourty
Value: Day 2 pick
I scouted a lot of top prospects out of this year's draft class for the Chiefs, watching countless hours of film on different guys and for this list and ones similar, these are just the players that were the best that I've seen. One thing that I always try to take into account when writing about and scouting players is what the player's personality is like on and off the field. Guys who don't put in the work off the field in the community are players I don't like to have on my team. Also, guys who care too much about themselves and do not talk enough about teammates and the players around them can show bad character traits as well in my opinion. The kind of stars in the NFL like Mahomes and Allen should be what the standard is on how to be a great teammate. It's what kind of helped narrow down this list after I had watched a game film on a lot of players. It's impossible to be right about all these guys, but I think that the Chiefs should take a long hard look at them.
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