D
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs got the worse of every deal, and it shows in the D.
by CalvinylG ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 19 picks
· 2 steals
· 12 reaches
Call it belief, call it a gut call, but Javontae Jean-Baptiste at the 175th pick is 42 spots clear of consensus, and that is the headline. Too much went sideways, and the D is the honest tally.
The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. It is not that Hart is a bad player; it is that the Chiefs had louder needs to answer first. They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it.
Spend now, pay later; the math only works if this class delivers.
In the end, a class the front office will want to grow past quickly.
Pick-by-Pick
Xavier Legette in pick 34 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They paid a round early for Ruke Orhorhoro in slot 51, more than the board wanted. It fills a real need, too.
By-the-book stuff, Patrick Paul at pick No. 64 squarely in line with his ranking. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Nothing to complain about; Bralen Trice went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Christian Haynes at No. 68 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Max Melton in Round 3, Pick 15 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They liked Brenden Rice enough to skip the value, taking him in pick No. 84. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A big swing on Theo Johnson at Round 3, Pick 32, well ahead of any board in the building. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Cedric Gray at slot 98 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Matt Goncalves at the 103rd overall pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A real head-scratcher, Johnny Wilson in the Round 4 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Cam Hart adds a cornerback and leaves quarterback untouched.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Kitan Oladapo well ahead of where he belonged. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Dillon Johnson at No. 132 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Walter Rouse slid further than he should have, and Round 5, Pick 35 is lovely value for the offensive lineman. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Kendall Milton in pick No. 172 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The roster fit checks out.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Javontae Jean-Baptiste in the Round 5 slot, miles early. A need, and now a little less of one.
The board had cheaper options than Jared Wiley at the 190th overall pick, and it noticed. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They reached a country mile for Dominique Hampton at the 199th pick, and the board is aghast. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.