[sv slug=”andresmaldonado”]
The Kansas City Chiefs have eight picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. Every year, like all NFL teams, they put in countless hours of work putting together a big board of college players they could potentially pick. Sometimes teams hit on those picks but most of the time they miss and wish they could get a do-over.
In this two-part series, we will play a game of ”what if” and see how different the Kansas City Chiefs could have looked if they had that chance to fix their mistakes before they made them. Only players of the same position who were also available at the time of the selection are eligible to be swapped.
So just how different would Kansas City look if they knew then what they know now of the players in the draft? Let’s jump right in and start with the 2010 draft and see what we can come up with.
Just a quick note, only major picks will be addressed. I will go back to the 2010 draft and end in 2016, but I will not go through every year’s draft. Also, since it’s a game of ”what if” we will also not take injuries or cap into the equation, only their production. After all, we are asking “what if”, so what if they didn’t get injured and what if the Chiefs could make the cap work?
2010 NFL Draft:
Hit: Eric Berry, S, Tennesse.
The Chiefs clearly hit big in the 2010 draft with safety Eric Berry. Selected fifth overall, Berry made an immediate impact on the defense. When he was on the field, Berry was considered one of the best safeties in the league.
The 2010 draft had the most impactful misses of all the years I will be doing. This draft had three significant picks that could have changed the team at the wide receiver, defensive back, and tight end position.
Miss number one, WR:
Pick: Dexter McCluster, WR, Mississippi.
With the 36th overall pick, Kansas City selected Dexter McCluster, a wide receiver out of Mississippi. While McCluster was a hybrid RB/WR and mostly played special teams, he was selected as a receiver and the receivers the Chiefs could have picked instead make this a big-time miss. And as a matter of fact, two viable options could have been selected.
Throughout the seven seasons he played in the NFL as a wide receiver, he compiled a stat sheet of 236 receptions, 1,993 yards, and seven touchdowns.
As a rusher, he had 250 attempts, 1,042 yards, and two touchdowns.
As a kick returner, he had 74 returns, 1,554 yards, and zero touchdowns
He also was a punt returner and had 133 returns, 1,388 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
Who could they have picked instead?
There are two choices here that I would not have had a problem with. Both of these players would have drastically given Kansas City way more production at WR.
Option A: Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Southern Methodist.
The first miss is WR Emmanuel Sanders who was taken 82nd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs tried to sign Sanders when he became a free agent after the 2013 season and was in route to Kansas City before his plane made a mysterious stop in Denver. He ended up signing with the Denver Broncos and has since won a Super Bowl as a Bronco.
Option B: Antonio Brown, WR, Central Michigan.
The other receiver the Chiefs missed out in was Antonio Brown who was selected 195th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Brown has become the most hated man in football lately, subsequent of his tweets, you can’t deny his production.
There is no doubt that if Kansas City could do it over, they would have gladly selected one of these two instead.
Miss number two, DB.
Pick: Javier Arenas, DB, Alabama.
The Chiefs had two picks in the second round. With the 50th overall pick, they chose Javier Arenas, a defensive back out of Alabama. Arenas only played five seasons in the NFL and had 158 combined tackles, five sacks, 23 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
Who could they have picked instead?
Kam Chancellor, DB, Virginia Tech.
I know what you’re about to say. Kam Chancellor is a safety and Arenas is a cornerback. Technically you would be right. But the Chiefs picked safety Kendrick Lewis three picks after Chancellor got picked by the Seattle Seahawks at 133. For the sake of the game, we’ll continue with the swap. It’s still a position the team drafted, and I’m sure they would happily draft Chancellor 50th overall and select another CB at 136 overall instead of Lewis. CB Perrish Cox was picked right after Lewis by the Denver Broncos, so those two picks would still give them the positions they drafted.
Miss number three, TE:
Pick: Tony Moeaki, TE, Iowa.
With the 93rd overall pick, Kansas City drafted tight end Tony Moeaki out of Iowa. There isn’t too much to say about Moeaki. He played five seasons and had 91 receptions for 1,201 yards and six touchdowns. Who could the Chiefs picked instead? There are two scenarios, and both are no brainers.
Who could they have picked instead?
Scenario A: Jimmy Graham, TE, Miami.
In the first scenario, they could have picked TE Jimmy Graham. He was selected just two picks after Moeaki by the New Orleans Saints with the 95th overall pick. Graham has 71 touchdowns in nine seasons, so that alone justifies the swap. But the second scenario is the more intriguing swap.
Scenario B: Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona.
In the second scenario, at pick 36 instead of McCluster, they could have taken TE Rob Gronkowski. “Gronk” was taken 42nd by the New England Patriots. In this scenario, they could still take Brown at 195 and have the same positions drafted.
The latter would be the better scenario. The Chiefs would swap out McCluster and Moeaki for Gronkowski and Brown and still come away with Chancellor as well. The impact this would make for the Chiefs is vast, and it’s only the first draft.
Can you imagine a two TE set that includes Gronkowski and Travis Kelce? That’s a red zone heaven for any quarterback and a nightmare for defensive coordinators. Most fantasy teams can’t even match that.
I know this is all just fantasy draft scenarios, but that’s what makes mock drafts and fantasy football so entertaining. They give us fans the chance to play the role of General Manager and see ”what if”.
Make sure to check back in the coming weeks as I go through the rest of the draft classes. The team the Chiefs could have been will surprise you!