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PFF draft board: Kansas City Chiefs

CLEMSON, SC - OCTOBER 25: at Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2014 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Tyler Smith/Getty Images)

PFF is putting together team-specific draft boards for all 32 franchises using our draft rankings and evaluation of how each player fits in specific schemes.

Included are three ideal targets for each team with their first-, second-, and third-round picks, along with a team-specific draft board (at the bottom of this article) that includes every player in PFF’s draft rankings.

Here is the entry for the Kansas City Chiefs:

Round 1 (28th overall)

Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson

Marcus Peters’ promising rookie season alleviates the loss of Sean Smith to some extent, but the Chiefs still need help in the secondary. The nickel spot can be manned by Phillip Gaines, but he can’t be relied upon as a starter. Need, value, and scheme come together perfectly in this scenario, as Alexander falls into Kansas City’s lap. He’s an ideal fit in Bob Sutton’s press-man defense, where he can use his physicality to his advantage.

Eli Apple, CB, OSU

If Alexander, the top press-man corner in this class, is off the board, Apple could come into consideration. He needs to work on tracking the ball in the air, and will have to adjust to the NFL's illegal-contact rule, but has all the tools to succeed in the pros. Apple’s length helps him disrupt receivers’ timing at the line of scrimmage, and he has the speed to recover deep if he fails to make a clean initial jam. There’s a drop-off in the quality of cornerbacks after the five top-tier prospects (Apple is fifth), which might play a part in the Chiefs’ decision at pick No. 28.

Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State

Andy Reid has invested more draft capital—particularly first-round picks—in the defensive line than any other position group throughout his tenure with the Eagles and Chiefs. The addition of Calhoun makes sense from a long-term perspective. He’s a refined pass-rusher with the ability to win with speed or power, even if his work against the run leaves a little to be desired. An impressive combine workout suggests he has the athleticism to make the transition from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker under Sutton.

Round 2 (59th overall)

Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

Reid started his career as a QB coach under Mike Holmgren in Green Bay. He is always on the lookout for a new signal-caller. Alex Smith is competent, but far from elite. It appears increasingly likely Lynch will be off the board by this point, but his selection at the end of Day 1/early Day 2 will be based more on potential than production. The underclassmen from Memphis lacks consistency with his passing location, but is capable of making every throw. Lynch should start coming into play towards the end of Round 2.

Kyler Fackrell, OLB, Utah State

Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are entrenched as the starters at outside linebacker, but Hali is getting on in his career and Reid likes to load up on pass-rushers. Dee Ford has underperformed since being selected two years ago. Fackrell can be used creatively to rush the passer in the nickel from a roaming linebacker position (he’s especially effective on stunts and loops) early in his career, before taking over full-time from Hali down the road.

Bronson Kaufusi, DE/OLB, Brigham Young

Interior pass-rushers will also figure prominently on the Chiefs’ board. In many ways, it is a more pressing need than outside linebacker, given Dontari Poe’s injury concerns. None of Kansas City’s current defensive lineman recorded a positive grade as pass-rushers in 2015. Kaufusi ranked behind only DeForest Buckner amongst 3-4 defensive ends in that facet of play last season, knocking the QB down an impressive 24 times.

The Chiefs' third-round pick was forfeited due to free-agency tampering.

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