Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach has earned much praise for his Saturday Picks in recent years. He gets another chance to add five picks to his roster today. So, who should he select?
No matter what additions the Kansas City Chiefs make on Saturday, they’ve solved the two most significant areas of need in the NFL draft on Thursday and Friday evening. In selecting Texas Wide Receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round and BYU Offensive Tackle Kingsley Suamataia in the second round, they’ve plugged two starters into the offense.
So, what will they do on Saturday with their five draft picks?
Round 4 (Pick 131)—WR Brenden Rice (USC) – I would not be shocked if the Chiefs move up in the fourth round to select the son of Jerry Rice. The Chiefs already addressed receivers in the first round, but this draft still has some outstanding receivers. This is a chance for Brett Veach to rebuild the receiver roster, and I think adding Rice makes a lot of sense for the Chiefs.
Round 4 (Pick 133 from Buffalo) – LB Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. (Clemson) – It’s a mystery he lasted this long, but the depth of the linebacker position might run eight to ten deep in this draft. Adding Trotter would give the Chiefs much-needed depth in the linebacker position. He’s a solid rusher who can cover backs and tight ends when called upon. He was a finalist for the Butkus Award this past season, so you know he has NFL talent. You can never have enough solid linebackers on your roster.
Round 5 (Pick 159 from Dallas)—RB Cody Schrader (Missouri) – He might be my favorite running back in this draft. He’s as good a playmaker as Jonathan Brooks from Texas, and he’s had a fantastic journey from a walk-on at Missouri to one of the best running backs in the SEC the last two years. He’d complement Isiah Pacheco perfectly and give Andy Reid another weapon out of the backfield.
Round 6 (Pick 211 from 49ers) – DT Khristian Boyd (Northern Iowa) – What’s not to love about this young man? He has a motor that never stops, and the Chiefs would be wise to grab him in the sixth round if he’s still on the board. If there is an area of weakness on the Chiefs defense, it is depth at the defensive tackle position. Boyd would become an instant rotation guy for Steve Spagnuolo.
Round 7 (Pick 248 from Buffalo) – WR Tahj Washington (USC) – Why not take a pair of Trojan receivers? Washington has always been one of my favorite players in this draft. He’s a steal in round seven. If Rice is off the board in the fourth round, I’d have no problem if the Chiefs added Washington’s playmaking talents earlier in the draft. He led USC receivers in yards and touchdowns last year, and the three-year starter will be a gem for any team that drafts him on Saturday.
