KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first mock draft I dropped last week showcased what I would potentially do if I was in the Kansas City Chiefs' shoes for the 2022 NFL Draft.
The mock draft laid out below is meant to predict what I think Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach will do with the 12 picks he has available to him.
1st Round, No. 29 overall — WR Jameson Williams, Alabama
I don't believe the Chiefs will be making their first pick at 29.
Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams is expected to go anywhere from 10th overall to 17th overall as he is arguably the only player in this draft who can replicate parts of Tyreek Hill's game that make the offense so dangerous.
The reality is that Hill got too expensive, especially with the typical wide-receiver cliff looming at the age of 30.
Getting Williams in the first round provides five cost-controlled years of a player with similar traits and skills when healthy.
If Williams goes before Kansas City can move up, I expect former Ohio State star Chris Olave to be the next trade up target unless an edge rusher unexpectedly falls.
If the Chiefs hold strong at No. 29, it means none of the 16 to 18 players Veach and company have a first-round grade on made it into a striking distance they were comfortable with.
1st Round, No. 30 overall — DE Boye Mafe, Minnesota
Kansas City probably will want to come away with an edge rusher among their top four picks.
Minnesota edge rusher Boye Mafe has been linked to them through the mock draft process for a reason. We'll see on draft night whether those rumors circulating have been on purpose or not.
Mafe already has the size you want in an NFL defensive end. He showcases the necessary speed-to-power to succeed in the NFL and is a strong run-support defensive end.
Mafe has really quick hands when he gets an offensive tackle one-on-one. He is a savvy pass rusher who can utilize his hand speed to disengaged from tackles.
Mafe will hustle down the line of scrimmage and give max effort. He just runs a little hot and cold at times, like Chris Jones did coming out of Mississippi State.
He could replace the ability lost when Emmanuel Ogbah left for free agency.
The Chiefs could also go secondary here with Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon or Michigan safety Daxton Hill.
2nd Round, No. 50 overall — DT Travis Jones, Connecticut
This pick could end up being involved in a trade-up scenario, but for the exercise I'm making the pick.
Jones would provide the Chiefs with a good one technique. He has the strength to take on double teams and hold offensive linemen at the point of attack, which would allow linebacker Nick Bolton to flow freely and give Chris Jones more one-on-one opportunities.
Jones, who had 4.5 sacks last season for the Huskies, has a strong bull rush, a good grip and a power club to go with it.
He accelerates in a straight line with less than desirable lateral quickness pass-rushing wise, but Jones is a great run defender who would close down his gap.
2nd Round, No. 62 overall — S Nick Cross, Maryland
Maryland safety Nick Cross has the athletic ability and range to be a quality safety in this league. He has one of the better combinations of speed, acceleration and quick-twitch ability among prospects in the draft.
Cross is a fearless competitor and trusts his instincts when reading a play. He can succeed in single-high and two-deep looks as well as blitzing and in run support.
Cross sees the routes well and times his jumps equally well to make plays on the ball in addition to delaying his blitzes to the perfect time.
3rd Round, No. 94 — DE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
San Diego State defensive end Cameron Thomas is an edge rusher who wins with effort.
He isn't the best athlete among edge rushers, but you never have to question if he will give you everything he's got. He is a tough football players whgo has quality instincts and a nice quick-twitch to go with it.
Thomas will need to continue developing his hand-fighting skills and how to counter after his first pass-rush move fails, but he shoots the gap well.
3rd Round, No. 103 — CB Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska
Nebraska's Cam Taylor-Britt brings a physical presence when he is on the football field.
He will lay the wood in run support and on blitzes, regularly separating receivers from the football.
Taylor-Britt will need to continue working on connecting with his hands in press coverage, but he has the acceleration to catch up out of the trail position.
He also can turn on another gear when tracking the ball in the air.
Taylor-Britt saw reps at safety, slot and outside corner. That kind of versatility is always a good thing in the Chiefs' scheme.
4th Round, No. 121 — CB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State
Sam Houston State cornerback McCollum is a physical corner with fantastic size. He will happily reroute receivers and stay in their hip pocket until the ball is gone.
McCollum is a physical tackler who refuses to let the ball-carrier get past him. He will sell out to stop the run and force a fumble.
McCollum has the necessary mentality Chiefs covet in their corners, tracks the ball well and adjusts accordingly to put himself in better position.
4th Round, No. 135 — OT Max Mitchell, Louisiana
Lousiana offensive tackle Max Mitchell is a very promising right tackle. He has good sets and a solid punch to go with it, while his kick step and mirror were impressive on tape.
Mitchell gets to the second level quickly in the run game, has quality pulls and peels off well for double teams to pickup the unaccounted for defender.
Mitchell's arm length shows when keeping defenders from walking him back.
7th Round, No. 233 — S Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee State
Middle Tennessee State safety Reed Blankenship will likely see the bulk of his time on special teams.
He shows promise as a safety who processes routes and the keys in the backfield quickly, but Blankenship also shines as a open-field tackler.
7th Round, No. 243 — LB Zakoby McClain, Auburn
Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain may not check all the boxes size-wise, but he plays with an attitude that would benefit the Chiefs special teams and defense.
He hits like a freight train, and McClain shows good instincts plus a willingness to battle through blocks.
7th Round, No. 251 — WR Jerreth Sterns, Western Kentucky
Highly productive Western Kentucky wide receiver Jerreth Sterns could become Patrick Mahomes' next Albert Wilson.
He shows a lot of skill as a potential slot receiver who is capable of using his speed and quick-twitch ability to get open.
Sterns also has enough speed and acceleration to challenge defenses vertically.
7th Round, No. 259 — OG Jason Poe, Mercer
Mercer guard Jason Poe has an ideal pull and trap blocker. He is able to get out into space with ease and lay out defenders once he gets there.
Peo isn't necessarily a need, but he's a nice lineman to take a flier on.
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