Normally, comments made by GMs and coaches at the NFL combine are mostly noise. They’re part of the mandatory press appearances that many of them loathe, but they’re also part of the drill.
But Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach provided some useful nuggets here and there, through, and one in particular is easy to tie into yesterday’s Trent McDuffie trade, which netted the Chiefs a strong haul of draft picks that gives Kansas City more options as the team goes through a roster overhaul.
The comment is about draft position, and it’s telling:
“Man, if we were just at 4 or 5, we’d be exactly where we want to be,” Veach said.
Tie that to the McDuffie trade, and it’s easy to see where this could be going. The Chiefs now have the extra draft capital to move up from the ninth pick to either of those slots, which would put a variety of possibilities into play.
Specifically, there are two names to watch here: Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate, and his teammate, edge rusher Arvell Reese. The mock drafts are currently going through a post-combine shuffle with evaluations in and different free agents becoming available, but Reese was dubbed the second pick of the draft in The Athletic’s latest mock, while Tate has fallen from the top five to eighth.
None of this means much right now, but one or both players were basically out of range at nine. Now they could be in play if the Chiefs want to engineer a deal for either one, and Notre Dame running back Jerimiyah Love could also be in play, although that’s extremely unlikely.
What’s especially intriguing about Tate is that he’s considered NFL-ready with a strong, complete skill set, and he could allow the Chiefs to move on from receiver Rashee Rice if they’re so inclined. Rice is facing a civil suit that specifies some nasty domestic violence allegations, and he could be facing yet another suspension, pending the results of an NFL investigation.
Tate, meanwhile, can “win at all three levels,” according to draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic, although there is a bit of controversy about his 40-yard dash time of 4.53 at the combine in the so-called “underwear Olympics.”
Veach also cited improving the defensive line as a priority, and that’s where Reese comes into play, along with Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. Either would strengthen the pass rush, which turned anemic late in the season.
It’s important to remember that this process is just starting. There’s going to be a lot more noise about these players and the Chiefs’ plans, but the important thing to remember at this point that the Chiefs now have a lot more options as the April draft approaches.