The Kansas City Chiefs finished last season on top of the football world. Can the team’s 2020 draft class give them a chance to pull off a repeat?
Most NFL fans can appreciate the beauty of seeing Andy Reid hoist the first Lombardi Trophy of his storied career last season, but that success now comes with more astronomical expectations than ever before.
The Kansas City Chiefs figure to give quarterback Patrick Mahomes a record contract extension in the near future, so getting the most out of the team’s next few draft classes will be critical in order to stay on top of the AFC going forward.
How will general manager Brett Veach approach the 2020 NFL Draft to avoid a post-Super Bowl hangover? Here’s a preview with my impossibly-accurate seven-round Chiefs mock draft.
1st round
Damon Arnette
CB, Buckeyes
This pick should be an indication of how confident the Chiefs are in signing DT Chris Jones to a long-term deal. Jones will play the 2020 season on the franchise tag, but if Kansas City feels bearish about negotiations, this pick could very well be a talented defensive lineman like TCU’s Ross Blacklock.
If Jones is locked up at some point before the draft, I’d expect this selection to be a cornerback, with Ohio State’s Damon Arnette making a ton of sense.
Arnette has the size (6-foot-0, 195 pounds) to play boundary corner in Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme and was a productive four-year starter on a loaded Ohio State defense. He has subpar length but his awareness and physicality should give him a good chance to succeed at the next level.
The Chiefs should have their pick of several talented cornerback prospects at the end of round one, but ultimately, I think Damon Arnette is their guy.