Under current general manager Brett Veach, the Kansas City Chiefs have done an amazing job of letting talent fall to them in the NFL draft.
And another one of those peculiar draft classes where that might occur again is 2024. First-round selections may be heavily weighted towards quarterbacks and offensive line and wide receiver prospects, leaving good defensive prospects for those with the patience to wait.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report projected that on April 16, Veach and KC will fall at a “shocking” position of No. 32 overall as a result of these anticipated tendencies.
After the L’Jarius Sneed trade, Kay stated, “the Chiefs could easily replace their No. 1 cornerback with [Alabama’s] Kool-Aid McKinstry.” “The back-to-back defending champions are receiving so much value from the draft slot that this pick won’t be shocking because of the prospect choice.”
“McKinstry might not be the class’s unanimous top corner, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he had the greatest career of any player in 2024,” the author continues.
Kay went on to note that Bleacher Report’s scouting department currently has McKinstry ranked as the third best cornerback this year, and the 15th best prospect overall — which would be insane value at a Super Bowl champion draft slot.
“[And 15th] may ultimately be too low of a ranking for a player who earned first-team All-American honors this past year and looks poised for a promising professional career,” Kay argued. Noting: “Although McKinstry had just one interception since the start of the 2022 campaign, he forced a collegiate-high 26 incompletions in single coverage during that span, according to Pro Football Focus.”
The NFL writer concluded that teams will likely “regret” allowing KC to get their hands on McKinstry if he falls to the end of round one.
Chiefs Could Target WR & OT Later If They Prioritize Defense Once Again
The only problem with Kay’s plan is that it disregards two clear areas of need — left tackle and wide receiver. Now, this is thought to be a deep class at both of those positions, so there’s a chance Kansas City can pass on offense and still find help on Day 2 of the draft.
Having said that, it’s been a while since the Chiefs prioritized offense in round one.
Potential Chiefs Draft Target Kool-Aid McKinstry Known for Versatility & Consistency in Coverage
If Kansas City elects to forgo positional need and target the best player available, they could do far worse than McKinstry.
Bleacher Report scout Cory Giddings highlighted his “versatility” in different coverages and schemes, as well as his “vision and route recognition.”
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