KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are accustomed to picking near the end of the first round of the NFL draft every year.
They’ll be picking there again this year. Only this time, they also have a top-10 selection.
The Chiefs earned the ninth overall selection because of their 6-11 season, which came on the heels of three straight Super Bowl trips and a pair of Lombardi Trophies. It’s the highest the perennial contenders have drafted since 2013, the year coach Andy Reid arrived in Kansas City, when the Chiefs selected left tackle Eric Fisher with the first overall pick.
As for the late-round pick, the Chiefs received No. 29 from the Rams — along with fifth- and sixth-round selections and a third-round pick next year — when they shipped cornerback Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles earlier this offseason.
“It’s funny,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said, “every year when we were picking 31 and 32, I’d always say, ‘Man, if we were just at 24 or 25, we’d be exactly where we want to be.’ Now we’re at nine and I’m like, ‘Man, if we were just at four, five, we’d be exactly where we want to be.’ I think every GM kind of has that mindset where unless you have the first pick, there’s a certain element that you can’t control, and you have to let the dominoes fall, if you will.”
Still, the Chiefs have a lot more flexibility in this year’s draft. That’s a good thing given the myriad holes on the roster, many of which contributed to their worst season since 2012, when they earned the first overall pick in the ensuing draft.
“We don’t want to be picking nine every year,” Veach admitted, ”but we’re excited to add some young talent to the roster.”
Early moves
The Chiefs were happy Travis Kelce decided to return for at least one more season, rather than having to fill a gaping void at tight end, and they signed Kenneth Walker III to be their lead running back after Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt became free agents.
On defense, the Chiefs not only traded McDuffie but lost cornerback Jaylen Watson and safety Bryan Cook in free agency. They signed Alohi Gilman to replace Cook and 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam to provide some depth at cornerback.
Need
The Chiefs have struggled for years to pressure quarterbacks, and despite signing George Karlaftis to a long-term contract last July, they remain desperate for a productive edge rusher.
They also need help at cornerback early in the draft; it may be difficult to expect much from Elam finally emerging after four underwhelming seasons spent with three different teams.
On offense, the Chiefs could use a physical, down-the-field wide receiver, even though they’ve spent premium draft picks on Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy in recent years. Both have proven to be solid but unspectacular players so far.
Later in the draft, the Chiefs could use help at offensive and defensive tackle, especially after releasing penalty-prone right tackle Jawaan Taylor. They also could be in the market for a tight end to help replace Kelce when he finally hangs it up.
Don’t need
The Chiefs are solid across the interior of the offensive line, where center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith already have earned long-term contracts and Kingsley Suamataia has showed promise following his move from tackle to left guard.
Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill provide stability at middle linebacker on the other side of the ball.
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