6 surprise prospects for Chiefs in first round of 2021 NFL draft
By now you’ve probably seen well over a dozen different scenarios with various prospects selected for the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. There’s plenty of repetition and some names that fans have probably become familiar with in mock drafts. However, there’s always a handful of players selected that sneak into the first round of the draft and surprise some people.
Here’s a quick look at six of those players who could potentially surprise Chiefs fans at pick No. 31:
TCU DB Trevon Moehrig
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All but one safety currently under contract with the Chiefs is set to become a free agent in 2022. The Chiefs use their safeties often and they're pretty important to the success of Steve Spagnuolo's defense. Moehrig is widely considered to be the top safety in the draft because of his ball skills and range. If the Chiefs don't intend to re-sign important pieces like Daniel Sorensen and Tyrann Mathieu in 2022, this could be a way to help offset those losses and address a future need.
Alabama DT Christian Barmore
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Barmore is a player that the NFL is reportedly higher on than most members of the media. He was among the first 10 players to accept invitations to attend the 2021 NFL draft in Cleveland, which is typically a good sign that the player will be drafted early. The Chiefs added Jarran Reed this offseason and have quite a bit of depth on the interior defensive line already, but if Barmore is the best player on their draft board I could see Kansas City making the investment. They'd probably have to play Chris Jones as an edge rusher a bit more frequently to get the best four guys on the field.
Northern Iowa OT Spencer Brown
Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Des Moines Register
This wouldn't be the first time that a super-athletic draft prospect made his way into the first round. Anyone remember a guy by the name of Dontari Poe. Brown is a bit more prolific an athlete compared to Poe, at least if we're to believe his pro day numbers are accurate. He basically posted the top athletic testing numbers of all-time for an offensive tackle. Brown's freakish athleticism combined with the Chiefs' blatant need for a left tackle and who knows what happens. Maybe they fall in love with the player and swing for the fences at pick No. 31.
Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat
A lot of people haven't ruled out a cornerback in the first round and for good reason. There's a pretty stunning history of great players at this position coming out of the back half of the first round. FSU CB Asante Samuel Jr. is one player that probably isn't talked about enough, both as a first-rounder and as an option for the Chiefs. His father had some of his best seasons as a professional playing for Andy Reid in Philadelphia. Samuel Jr. is also a player that seems to have a lot of interest, holding virtual pre-draft meetings with 24 teams, including seven teams who have met with him multiple times per The Draft Network's Justin Melo.
Florida OT Stone Forsythe
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
You probably know by now that the Chiefs ran the offensive line drills at the University of Florida pro day. With news that there's quite a bit of variance in the offensive line rankings around the league, I wouldn't be shocked to find out that Kansas City is higher on Forsythe than other teams. I could see them taking him as early as pick No. 31 because he excels in pass protection and has rare movement skills for a player of his size. He's not quite the athlete that Spencer Brown is, but he still posted very good numbers at his pro day.
Oklahoma C Creed Humphrey
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys drafted Travis Frederick at pick No. 31 a few years back and for a good while he was regarded as one of the top centers in the NFL. Humphrey is also in a similar boat as Northern Iowa's Spencer Brown in terms of his athleticism. His numbers from his pro day place him in some rare company and that alone could intrigue a team like the Chiefs.
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