For more draft previews, you can read our breakdown for these three teams: Bengals | Ravens | Steelers
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2016 NFL Draft Central: Kansas City Chiefs
Round 1: Pick #28 (28th overall) – CB Eli Apple – Ohio State
NEEDS at CB: The Chiefs have a relatively huge hole to fill on one side of their secondary thanks to Sean Smith’s decision to sign with Oakland during the offseason. Yes, there’s still Philip Gaines and Marcus Peters, but the team still needs a more consistent option to rely upon.
STRENGTHS: This year’s draft class is oozing with promising cornerbacks, and the Chiefs better choose the right one. That one could likely be Eli Apple of the Ohio State Buckeyes. He possesses almost all the necessary traits of a cornerback, and he should be able to easily make the transition to the NFL with his size, length and athleticism. But Apple still has a handful of issues work on especially regarding his hand placements.
Round 2: Pick #28 (59th overall) – WR Sterling Shepard – Oklahoma
NEEDS at WR: It was pretty evident that the Chiefs’ offense looked a bit lost and struggled at various times whenever Jeremy Maclin wasn’t out on the field. Hence, they need another capable receiver who Alex Smith can always throw to with confidence.
STRENGTHS: Versatility. That’s precisely what Sterling Shepard can bring to the table. He may not have the ideal size (5-foot-10, 191 pounds), but the ceiling is pretty high for him. Shepard caught a total of 86 catches for 1,288 yards along with 11 TDs for the Sooners last season.
Round 4: Pick #28 (126th overall) – LB Travis Feeney – Washington
NEEDS at LB: There was no question that Derrick Johnson’s return gave Kansas City a tremendous boost on defense last season. But it’s hard to remain optimistic that Johnson, who just turned 33 years old, can stay dominant. Hence, it’s probably time for the team to start thinking ahead and inject some youth in their linebacking corps.
STRENGTHS: Travis Feeney might just be the guy that the Chiefs would love to have. He’s coming off an outstanding senior campaign with Washington, garnering a total of eight sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss. That’s both among the highest in the Pac-12. Feeny will surely bring in a lot of confidence, aggression and competitiveness to whichever team that takes a leap of faith in him.
Round 5: Pick #25 (162nd overall) – S Tyvis Powell – Ohio State
NEEDS at S: With Husain Abdullah retiring, the Chiefs will have Eric Berry and Ron Parker as their two top safeties next season. However, this team usually plays defense with more than two safeties on the field. Thus, don’t be surprised to see get some help for this position.
STRENGTHS: Tyvis Powell should provide a lot of intrigue to most teams. He is a long and versatile safety who has the necessary physical tools to succeed. What’s more, this guy’s known to be a clutch performer. Throughout his college career, Powell’s developed a reputation of making crucial interceptions/plays down the stretch. Just go ask the Michigan Wolverines about what he did to them back in 2013.
Round 5: Pick #28 (165th overall) – DT Anthony Zettel– Penn State
NEEDS at DT: The Chiefs’ defensive line took another hit with Mike DeVito announcing his retirement earlier this month. Well, even with him gone, the team should still be fine moving forward. But still, it won’t hurt them to find a replacement for him.
STRENGTHS: Anthony Zettel may be undersized, but he makes up for it through his instincts and relentlessness. This guy will play his heart out every single game no matter what the scoreboard tells you. Zettel accumulated 38 tackles for loss throughout his stay in Penn State.
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The Chiefs have seven picks in the 2016 NFL Draft:
- Round One – #28 overall
- Round Two – #59 overall
- Round Four – #126 Overall
- Round Five – #162 overall
- Round Five – #165 overall
- Round Six – #203 overall
- Round Seven – #249 overall
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