2017 NFL mock draft: Takkarist McKinley lands with Kansas City Chiefs

Going into the NFL draft this year, the Kansas City Chiefs are in a unique position. They don’t have an overwhelmingly huge need. Do they need a cornerback? Sure, but that player would be the No. 2 to Marcus Peters. A quarterback of the future is needed, but it’s kind of a luxury choice. An inside linebacker makes sense, but Derrick Johnson isn’t ready to retire just yet.

That could mean that on draft night the Chiefs could just sit back and take the best player available with the 27th pick. That’s pretty much what Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride does in our community mock draft.

Thorman: The Chiefs stick with premium positions in the first round of the draft. The top four quarterbacks are off the board. I like Adoree’ Jackson, cornerback out of USC, but I’m not sure he fits the size and physicality the Chiefs are looking for (and they already have a dynamic return man). Running back and inside linebacker are needs but don’t fit our premium positions requirements.

We turn to one of those positions you can’t have enough of: pass rusher. Despite having Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, and Dee Ford last season, the Chiefs were actually not very good in the pass rusher department. Hali is sticking around another year while Ford’s entering the final year of his contract. McKinley is described as a raw prospect who needs work on his hand skills, which happens to be an area where Hali is elite. The Chiefs have the bodies for 2017 already so McKinley is under no pressure to produce early.

Analysis: I like the notion of targeting premium positions in the first round, but if you consider cornerback one, there are some excellent options available. Joel is correct that Jackson doesn’t necessarily fit the mold in Kansas City. A player like Alabama’s Marlon Humphrey or even Ohio State’s Gareon Conley do. It’s surprising that both are still available with this pick. It is smart, however, to get a pass rusher a year in advance before the need develops. Ford has been inconsistent in his career, but will still fetch a big contract because of the premium position he plays. Hali will turn 34 in November and may be gone, too. McKinley may see limited snaps on a team like the Chiefs in 2017, but moving forward he’d be a building block on the defense.

That does it for our three picks for the day. Tomorrow Blogging the Boys gets us going at 9 a.m. ET with a pick that will surely have people talking. Hint: It’s one of my top five players available.