The Kansas City Chiefs suddenly have a need at safety with Bryan Cook heading into free agency, which means the position is now up in the air to some extent. Cook will get a big contract going forward even though safety doesn’t have a high value compared to some of the glamour positions, but it’s an open question as to whether the Chiefs will be able and willing to pay him.
There are other possibilities at the position, of course, and Matthew Chabot of Arrowhead Addict evaluated a few of the prominent draft prospects. All of them are a good fit for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, according to Chabot, so which one might be coming to Kansas City is mostly a matter of how much the Chiefs are willing to invest in draft capital.
Caleb Downs
Downs is the ultimate first-round wishlist option. He’s considered the best player in the draft, and he’s not going to fall out of the top five. That means a trade up, which would be especially costly for the Chiefs given that they don’t typically value safety all that much because they do a good job of developing safeties in the draft. Downs may be the best player in the draft, but he’s not going to Kansas City.
Dillon Thieneman
Thieneman is projected to be a second round pick by multiple sources, and some scouts think he might even make the top into the first round. He started his college career at Purdue, then transferred to Oregon. He can line up all over the field, which is a Chiefs’ requirement, and he has star potential so he resembles Cook in that regard. This is probably too high for the Chiefs to go after him, but he’s an excellent option if they like him enough to go there.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
McNeil-Warren played at Toledo, which ordinarily might make him suspect given that he’ll be stepping up a couple of levels in competition. But Toledo’s reputation jumped, according to Chabot, after the school sent cornerback Quinyon Mitchell to the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Rockets will likely send three secondary members to the NFL in April. But McNeil-Warren is considered a developmental athlete and the Chiefs need someone close to plug-and-play, which makes him a questionable fit as a second- or third-rounder.
Bud Clark
Clark is a Top 100 prospect who played at TCU, and he’s considered the best deep safety in the draft. He has elite ball skills, but his lack of versatility and physicality makes him a long shot to go to Kansas City.
Zakee Wheatley
Wheatley is 6’3” 200 pounds, but he’s more physical than he looks. The Penn State product is a good tackler, and he has the kind of versatility the Chiefs look for, plus he’s excelled as a special teamer, according to Chabot. As unlikely as it might seem, the lowest rated prospect on this list might be the best fit for Kansas City, especially if the Chiefs feel he can step in and contribute this season.