FPC Chiefs 2021 Mock Draft: Holecek 4.0

We have finally made it! The calendar has officially turned to the week of the 2021 NFL Draft. Rumors have swirled for months and months. Surprises will still run about later on this week. But also, we have one final Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft Monday to complete. This one will certainly look different than our first three mocks, however, which you can read here, here and here.

Due to last Friday’s Orlando Brown Jr. acquisition, the Chiefs are left without a first round pick on Thursday. For our thoughts on the trade, listen here or read here. The team likely figured they could not add a better offensive tackle from where they were sitting, compared to someone of Brown Jr.’s caliber. Meanwhile, the team could take more of a best player available route this weekend, now that their primary need is taken care of. And that is just what we tried to do in this mock draft. To complete this exercise, I used the mock draft machine over at The Draft Network. Without further ado, let’s take a look at what this draft haul looked like.

2nd Round- 63rd Overall

Nico Collins, Wide Receiver, Michigan

After trading back from 58th overall, I was hoping for there to be two receivers still on the board five picks later. That was Elijah Moore from Ole Miss and Nico Collins from Michigan. Unfortunately, Moore went the pick before this one. Collins is not a terribly bad consolation prize, though. While picking up an extra pick, I still got a perfect guy to play the role of X-receiver. Collins is a physical pass catcher, who knows just how to use his larger frame to his advantage. But, do not discount his athletic profile. He can surprise and create separation with quickness and stellar body control.

Despite limited production and refinement needed in releases off of the line of scrimmage, this receiver could be the perfect possession type of wideout that Kansas City needs. He is generally automatic in contested catch situations and has soft, natural hands. Finally, a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes would likely love to mix in his tougher style with the likes of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.

3rd Round- 69th Overall

Tyson Campbell, Cornerback, Georgia

TRADE ALERT!

The Chiefs acquire: 3rd Round pick (69th overall) and 5th Round pick (149th overall)

The Bengals acquire: 2nd Round pick (58th overall)

After making the trade, my main goal was to go best player available. There were some EDGE defenders that caught my attention. Nonetheless, I could not pass up the playmaking ability of cornerback Tyson Campbell. This player can do it all in pass coverage. He can press at the line of scrimmage and disrupt opposing receivers before the play can get going. Elsewhere, the Georgia defender shows extreme confidence and calmness in man coverage. He is rarely fooled by fakes from the receivers and rarely loses track of the football. The ball production has not always resonated. Yet, his stout technique will likely lead to more consistent results at the NFL level.

For the Chiefs, this could allow them to keep L’Jarius Sneed at the slot cornerback position, if they so choose. Campbell may not flash a ton of versatility. Though, he fared well when moving around the formation with his man, or triggering hard downhill and laterally in short areas. This pick is meant more for the long term outlook of the team, given Sneed’s amazing rookie campaign and the future questions surrounding Charvarius Ward‘s status.

4th Round- 126th Overall

Elerson Smith, EDGE, Northern Iowa

Northern Iowa defensive end Elerson Smith playing in the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

TRADE ALERT!

The Chiefs acquire: 4th Round pick (126th overall) and 6th Round pick (205th overall)

The Titans acquire: 4th Round pick (144th overall) and 5th Round pick (181st overall)

Another trade, as this time I decided to move up nearly 20 spots in the Fourth Round. After seeing a few EDGE defender names I liked come off the board one by one, I needed to get a guy I felt was worth it. The Chiefs need to find a long term fit at defensive end, opposite of Frank Clark. Elerson Smith may be just the type of player that could fill that role. He has the qualifications of a typical fit in a Steve Spagnuolo defense at the position. Smith possesses immense hand and core strength, as well as ample length (33.25″ arms). Add in his size (6’6”, 262 pounds), and it is a match made in heaven.

Surely, Smith will still need the time to develop and grow. He has not played the defensive end position very long. The competition will be greater than what he faced at Northern Iowa. In the meantime, what he showed at the Senior Bowl was quite exciting. He has the explosiveness and quickness out of his stance to stress opposing blockers as a pass rusher. Smith can also bend, dip and corner fairly smoothly for his frame around the edge. To boot, his change of direction skills could allow him to become a three down player for the Chiefs defense.

5th Round- 149th Overall

Trey Hill, Interior Offensive Lineman, Georgia

I think out of all of the possible interior offensive lineman picks on day three of the draft, Trey Hill is who I would pound the table for the most out of any. Again, this is a player that will need to technically refine his game greatly. The hand technique and footwork could both see some improvements. This pick is about the long term future of the team, once again, as the Chiefs know not all of their selections will make an impact in year one. So, what are the positives about Hill? First off, his massive frame makes him incredibly difficult to get around up front. Hill is literally a brick wall. He also displays significant power at the point of attack and good leverage.

With Austin Blythe only signed for one season, Kansas City can take their time with developing Hill. At center, he is patient and has a plethora of moves in his toolbox for counteracting pass rush moves. The issues with him are very fixable. If Hill can work through them, I like his value at center here on day three, rather than options the Chiefs could have at center on late day two.

5th Round- 175th Overall

Justin Hilliard, Linebacker, Ohio State

Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard sets up for a defensive play in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Baron Browning, Pete Werner and Tuf Borland have garnered much of the attention among the Ohio State linebackers. However, do not forget about Justin Hilliard. Injuries and that deep linebacker room have hindered his snap count. A technically sound player at the second level of the defense, Hilliard could be a sneaky good find here in the late stages of the Fifth Round.

I have honestly abandoned any of the possible linebacker prospects in this draft, from a Chiefs perspective. They love Anthony Hitchens, who did have a better season in 2020 to his credit. Plus, Willie Gay was seemingly starting to put it altogether at the end of last season. With Hilliard, Kansas City could be adding an extremely smart and instinctive player to the position. He is quick to read and diagnose where the play is heading. The hands are usually fairly active, which helps to deconstruct and break down block attempts. Consequently, Hilliard offers a ton of upside when dropping into coverage, and is rarely caught out of position when dropping back.

6th Round- 205th Overall

Cameron Sample, EDGE, Tulane

At this point in the draft, it is all about taking the best talent that is available. I was astonished to still see Cameron Sample on the board here. And I would highly doubt that he actually falls this far come the real draft. But, what a hit this could be late in the selections for the Chiefs defense.

With Sample, they would be adding yet another explosive pass rusher, similar to Smith. He shows quickness in both rushing the passer and with his hand technique. Sample can bend around the corner and close on the quarterback with solid burst. Most of all, there is plenty of outside-inside pass rush versatility that a team could employ with him, if they see fit. He may need to add more mass and bulk to his frame. Sample can win in a variety of ways, though.

6th Round- 207th Overall

Josh Ball, Offensive Tackle, Marshall

After filling some secondary needs, let’s make sure we add another offensive lineman for the Chiefs. Kansas City, and specifically Andy Reid, has generally leaned towards having athletic blockers. Marshall’s Josh Ball consistently fires out of his stance and has the range to handle quicker, stronger pass rushers. His length is certainly NFL worthy. Add in his size (6’8”, 350 pounds), and Ball could eventually develop into someone who can wear down on opponents quickly.

Kansas City does have Brown Jr., Lucas Niang and Mike Remmers for offensive tackle options. On the other hand, adding more depth and experienced players to the position will still be a top priority. Ball may be a late round ticket that could further establish a new, more comfortable identity up front for the Chiefs retooled offensive line.

Be on the lookout for our final two FPC Chiefs draft prospect profiles in the next couple of days. Keep locked on to @FullPressNFL for draft coverage all week long. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.

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