Five Second-Round Sleepers For Kansas City In The NFL Draft
All the hype leading up to the NFL draft focuses on who a team’s first-round pick will be. But the ultimate success of a draft is usually determined by what happens in later rounds. Here are five players that based on the rankings by ESPN’s Scouts Inc., are likely to be available when Kansas City’s second-round choice comes up. Would any of them be a good sleeper pick?
Nick Foles (QB, Arizona): I liked Foles a lot when he was in college, and he had good senior year in spite of missing his best receiver, Juron Criner. The intangibles are there, as his college coaches report a passion for film study and improvement and the scouts like his compact release. He stands 6’5”, so field vision wouldn’t be a problem. Where he’s downgraded is a feeling that he can be rattled too easily and his pocket instincts are below average.
Vinny Curry (DE, Marshall): Above-average speed and a strong second effort in the pass rush are Curry’s strong points, along with a good work ethic. The problem for Kansas City is, they’re a 3-4 scheme and at 265 pounds, Curry is too undersized to play end in that scheme, and his speed isn’t enough to do what Tamba Hali did and shift to outside linebacker.
Zach Brown (OLB, North Carolina): At 236 pounds, he has to get bigger and stronger. His range is an issue, and recognition in the running game is less than average. By the time I was done reviewing his scouting report I couldn’t figure out why Scouts Inc., rated him a high-second round pick.
Peter Konz (C, Wisconsin): He’s a tough player that keeps getting on the field even through some non-football related medical issues. He also comes from a program that’s become as good as any in the nation at developing offensive lineman. But is that enough? Konz is a respectable run-blocker, but likely to have problems with good pass-rushers inside.
Alshon Jeffery (WR, South Carolina): While the scouts feel his route-running needs polis and he’s a little slow off the ball, they love his work ethic, his ability to perform in big games and his ball skills. His long arms and body control give him an edge making tough catches.
Of these Curry and Brown are the ones I’d take off the board. You can make a credible case for Foles, as a project and Konz, as a potential replacement for Casey Wiegmann if Kansas City can’t address that in free agency. But all things being equal I like Jeffery the best of these players and even though wide receiver isn’t a huge need area, there’s still room for a rookie to earn playing time and I’d make Jeffery the choice among these five.
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[...] need for the Chiefs. It makes sense to look for veteran help on the free agent market or wait until at least round two of the [...]
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[...] would be almost certainly in position to select one in the first round and probably in the second. You can read about Nick Foles, the Arizona quarterback currently graded in a spot where he would be a possibility for the Chiefs [...]
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