The Kansas City Chiefs are hard at work on draft preparations already, with scouts in attendance at both the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl this week. They’ll continue gathering information to help the team make the best additions possible in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft in April.
With the Chiefs’ season coming to an end, we’ll be focusing more and more on the draft in the coming weeks, but our friends at Draft Wire have already been hard at work. They released their latest three-round mock draft, shortly after the conclusion of the divisional round of the playoffs.
In this mock draft, they managed to hit on some of the biggest needs for Kansas City in this draft, adding defensive line help early, plus a weapon for Patrick Mahomes and some help in the secondary. Keep in mind, the NFL won’t publish an official draft order with compensatory picks until after Super Bowl LVI, so this draft won’t include the extra third-round pick that the Chiefs are projected to receive for losing Ryan Poles to the Chicago Bears.
All that said, here’s a look at the latest mock draft from Draft Wire:
Round 1: Cincinnati DE Myjai Sanders
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Chiefs GM Brett Veach already confirmed that the defensive line will be a big emphasis for Kansas City this offseason. Getting more edge rush help seems like a good place to start and Cincinnati DE Myjai Sanders is certainly one of the top players at the position in this draft class.
Here is what Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling had to say about his decision to select Sanders for Kansas City:
“This defense is at its best when Chris Jones is able to work inside, and the Chiefs can rely on others to get pressure off the edge. Sanders has a fantastic combination of size, length, power and athleticism, giving him a sky-high ceiling.”
The 6-5 and 258-pound edge rusher has long arms, a natural bend, ankle flexion and an explosive first step. He’s been extremely productive with, 119 tackles, 24.5 tackles-for-loss, 13.5 sacks, 12 passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the ACC over the past four seasons.
There is some question about whether Sanders would be a scheme fit in Kansas City. That said, it’s clear this is an area where they need improvements.
Round 2: Clemson WR Justyn Ross
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As a freshman at Clemson in 2018, Ross exploded as a dynamic playmaker in the Tigers’ offense. The 6-4 and 205-pound wideout averaged 21.7 yards per reception on just 46 catches. He’d finish his career at Clemson with 158 catches for 2,379 yards and 20 touchdowns.
The big question about Ross is his medical history. He missed his entire junior season after undergoing a congenital fusion on his spine, repairing two fused vertebrae and a bulging disc. He’ll need to be cleared at the NFL Scouting Combine by the training staff in Kansas City for this to be a draft pick they’d consider.
Round 3: Missouri CB Akayleb Evans
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Evans started his career at Tulsa before transferring to Mizzou as a senior in 2021. Listed at 6-2 and 188 pounds, Evans has the makings of a press man corner at the next level. He’s the type of guy who could come in and replace a player like Charvarius Ward who is slated to hit unrestricted free agency. Evans is already turning heads in Senior Bowl practice with his physicality, so expect his stock to rise throughout the pre-draft process.
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