Apr 15, 2021
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN's premier draft analyst, made two selections on behalf of the Kansas City Chiefs in his latest 2021 NFL mock draft, and both selections make a ton of sense for the Chiefs.
The hesitance in the headline stems from the fact that — generally speaking — I'm left unimpressed by most non-Kansas City-based mock drafters when they choose for the Chiefs. It's tough to fully understand a team's needs and tendencies if you're not specifically covering that organization closely, but I think Kiper did something very on-brand for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach in his latest mock.
While the Chiefs obviously need a left tackle, I've become increasingly lukewarm on the crop of players who are likely to be available at the 31st overall pick. In Kiper's mock, the draft's top tackles — Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater, Christian Darrisaw, Alijah Vera-Tucker (more likely a future guard) and Tevin Jenkins — went fifth, 13th, 14th, 17th and 20th, respectively. Then, with the 31st pick, he selected Penn State EDGE Jayson Oweh.