KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs currently have the 29th and 30th picks in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday.
General Manager Brett Veach will have opportunities to move up, stand pat or move down should they choose.
Here are some options to keep in mind for Thursday's first round and the potential range where some of these players could end up going:
Potential picks from 10 to 17
1. WR Jameson Williams, Alabama
What makes Williams so special is his combination of speed and suddenness with the ability to burst out of the change in direction before his ACL injury.
Williams was in closer to former Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson in terms of speed than he was to Tyreek Hill’s level, but cornerbacks are nervous enough about getting beat by him that they will either play off or won’t get hands on him.
Williams can take any catch the distance. He catches the ball cleanly and is willing to go over the middle to make a leaping grab.
2. DE Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State
Johnson is the perfect combination of speed, power, size and arm length. He comes screaming up the field and converts his speed into power to give tackles fits.
Johnson has good pop with his hands and keeps tackles disengaged from gaining control.
The key for him will be learning how to utilize the club and put off-balance tackles to the ground. He will also need to work on deciphering the run game quicker, but he doesn’t give up on plays and shows really good acceleration.
3. WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
Olave separates himself by his body control. He has a special ability to shift his momentum to tight rope the sidelines, contort his body to make a tough over-the-shoulder catch and not give away any subtle clues before doing it.
Olave is aggressive when attacking the football and adjusts well to the ball. His sudden and shifty style allows him to create separation along with his speed, which is on par with Williams' speed.
4. RT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
Penning is a road-grader. He wants to bury defenders on every play and take their soul.
Penning, who turned heads at the Reese's Senior Bowl, plays with a relentless attitude. He also has the strength and technique to back it up.
Penning moves well in space and dominates defenders to the whistle. He is what Trey Smith would be at tackle.
Potential picks from 20 to 30
5. OT Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
Raimann is a maintainer as a lineman. He is a solid pass-protector with good kick step, but he doesn’t glide like some of the top tackles.
Raimann will keep working when run-blocking, but he gets a little high with his pad level and that takes away some of his power to maul defenders.
He has plus athletic ability but lacks elite traits and can be slow to pick up and pass off in pass protection.
6. CB Kaiir Elam, Florida
Elam is the ideal size the Chiefs need in their future corners. He is willing to get physical with receivers.
Elam is comfortable in trail position and closing at the right moment to make a deflection. He has a little hitch in his quarter turn, but he makes up for it will his closing speed.
Elam tracks well and he puts himself in good position to make a play on the ball.
7. S Daxton Hill, Michigan
Hill has everything the Chiefs want in a safety. He can work in the slot and over the middle as well as in two-deep and single-high coverages.
Hill has the hip turn, acceleration and understanding of leverage to be in position consistently and announces his presence with authority against the run and when blitzing.
Hill lay the wood on his tackles. He is a dynamic player, who reads routes with ease and can switch his assignment on the fly.
8. WR George Pickens, Georgia
Pickens has a massive catch radius, making him potentially intimidating with his height and long arms. He also will climb the ladder to catch the football.
Pickens has impressive speed for his size and can breakaway from defenders after the catch with his ability to shake a guy.
He tracks the ball better than expected and shows a willingness to get physical when run-blocking — and, by physical, I mean that he will lay people out.
9. DT Devonte Wyatt , Georgia
Wyatt has such a quick first step, which is what makes him a potential top-10 selection. But off-the-field issues may cause him to drop.
He has elite lateral quickness, whichy allows him to reach three gaps over in the blink of an eye.
Wyatt has a good hand-swipe and rip-through technique and is at his best when attacking gaps.
Wyatt’s bull rush isn’t a strength, so he would likely play at the 3 technique.
10. OT Tyler Smith, Tulsa
Smith has a good anchor when he gets set, but he has a habit of letting pass rushers get into his chest and push him back.
His pad level is a bit high and it allows him to get walked back.
Once Smith gets his kick step timed well, he can ride a defender out with ease as long as he keeps his hands out of his holsters.
11. DE Boye Mafe, Minnesota
Mafe already has NFL-ready size with really quick hands when he gets isolated against a tackle on the edge.
He is a savvy pass rusher who uses his hand speed to keep the tackle disengaged so he can get past him.
Mafe hustles down the line of scrimmage and gives max effort on half the plays, but he can run a little hot and cold at times in the effort department.
12. DT Travis Jones, Connecticut
Jones would be a 1 technique in the Chiefs' scheme. He has the strength to take on a double team and hold the opponent at the point of attack.
Jones doesn't get moved off the ball and shows a strong bull rush with a strong grip and a power club to go with it.
He shows more straight-line acceleration, but it's really his power that separates him and helps make him a great run defender.
13. CB Kyler Gordon, Washington
Gordon does well in man coverage. He looks comfortable reacting to a receiver and adjusting to their route, but shows some hesitancy in zone coverage.
Gordon has great arm length to slow down or feel out receivers' routes. He also is capable of being physical in run support.
Gordon is still learning how to recognize and drive on routes, which is why he struggles in zone as multiple assignments seem to overwhelm him.
14. Lewis Cine, Georgia
Cine has the versatility and speed to play strong safety, two-deep coverage or as a box safety with an attitude to punish in run support or over the middle.
He is a good blitzer and great tackler in open space.
Cine also is really good at picking up and passing off in zone coverage.
15. DE Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
Ebiketie is a finesse rusher who is going to win with his acceleration and rip move around the corner. He has great lateral quickness and a really good close.
Ebiketie sizes up tackles well, gets them past the quarterback and cuts underneath for the sack. His acceleration and quickness shines on twists, games and stunts.
Ebiketie has solid strength and can hold his own in run support, but there is room to improve. He also showcased his leaping ability with multiple field-goal blocks.
16. WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State
Dotson is a dynamic receiver. He is an aggressive pass-catcher who tracks the ball well, attacks the football and will climb the ladder, if needed. He is very shifty and able to create separation with his fakes.
Dotson understands how to contort his body to make a catch or wall off a defender. He is a well-rounded receiver with all the needed attributes and also has a good feel for voids in coverage.
Current Chiefs draft picks
The Chiefs enter Thursday with 12 selections across the draft's seven rounds, including two in each of the first four rounds. Each NFL Draft pick has relative value as outlined via Draftek.com. Here is the assumed trade value for:
Round 1, No. 29 overall (from Miami): 640 points
Round 1, No. 30 : 620 points
Round 2, No. 50 (from Miami): 400 points
Round 2, No. 62: 284 points
Round 3, No. 94: 124 points
Round 3, No. 103 (Comp): 88 points
Round 4, No. 121 (from Miami): 52 points
Round 4, No. 135: 38.5 points
Round 7, No. 233 (from Minnesota): 1 point
Round 7, No. 243 (from New England): 1 point
Round 7, No. 251: 1 point
Round 7, No. 259 (Comp): 1 point
Potential first-round trade partners
No. 9 — Seattle (1,350 points)
No. 11 — Washington (1,250 points)
No. 12 — Minnesota (1,200 points)
No. 13 — Houston (1,150 points)
No. 15 — Philadelphia (1,050 points)
No. 21 — New England (800 points)
No. 24 — Dallas (740 points)
No. 26 — Tennessee (700 points)
Chiefs team needs, in order
1. Defensive end
2. Wide receiver
3. Cornerback
4. Safety
5. Offensive tackle
6. Defensive tackle
2022 NFL Draft info
Thursday, April 28
Round 1: 7 p.m. (10 minutes per pick)
Friday, April 29
Round 2: 6 p.m. (7 minutes per pick)
Round 3: approximately 9:15 p.m. (5 minutes per pick)
Saturday, April 30
Rounds 4-6: 11 a.m. (5 minutes per pick)
Round 7: after sixth round (4 minutes per pick)
More NFL Draft content
RELATED | Nick Jacobs: 2022 NFL Draft final 1st-round mock draft
RELATED | Nick Jacobs’ big board of best draft fits for Chiefs
RELATED | Palmer: Chiefs trade down, not up in NFL 1st-round mock draft
RELATED | Chiefs mock draft 2.0: Nick Jacobs' projects what Brett Veach may do
RELATED | Chiefs mock draft 1.0: Nick Jacobs' picks for Kansas City
RELATED | Kansas City Chiefs' first-round options in 2022 NFL Draft
RELATED | Chiefs may be more likely to trade down than up in draft
RELATED |Tod Palmer: Chiefs seven-round mock draft
—
Want more insight about the Kansas City Chiefs? The “4th & 1” podcast is the twice-weekly, Chiefs-centric podcast from KSHB 41 News, the official broadcast “Home of the Chiefs.” Analyst Nick Jacobs and host Tod Palmer analyze and breakdown the Chiefs’ opponent and performance for pre- and post-game episodes — available on iTunes, Spotify, Omny or your preferred podcast platform — each week during the season.
