The 2021 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs have put together a draft class that might be more impressive than anyone probably thought they’d be able to muster. While Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach has brought in some franchise players through the draft in previous years, his most recent 6-player haul has the potential to give the Chiefs core members at the turn of a new decade.
Here are your six new Chiefs:
Nick Bolton – LB – Missouri – Drafted 58th overall
In the second round, the Chiefs got an “undersized” linebacker that’s building a reputation for being a monster hitter.
Coming out of Missouri, Nick Bolton is an athletic linebacker with a high football I.Q. He has a knack for making the big play and loves to punish the ball carrier with a crushing hit.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid spoke to the media over the weekend following the pick and explained how Bolton can be a perfect fit in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo’s system:
“Well, he makes plays and he’s smart, he made all the calls at Missouri and we felt like he could do that here,” Reid explained. “Steve did and you loved his attitude, you love the whole story. I mean you guys are going to get a great story with this kid and how he came up through the ranks here. So he’s a good solid person and a heck of a football player.”
With his range and ability to tear through offensive lines, Bolton has the potential to become the MIKE linebacker on defense and should be able to start right away next to Anthony Hitchens and Willie Gay. As his pass coverage progresses, not only will he be the run-stopper Kansas City’s been looking for, but he’ll provide the Chiefs with a solid player for 2022 and beyond.
Creed Humphrey – C – Oklahoma – Drafted 63rd overall
At 63 overall, the Chiefs got an absolute steal in former Oklahoma offensive lineman Creed Humphrey. The two-time All-Big 12 center was a total stud with the Sooners from 2018-2020, and many draft experts had Humphrey ranked as one of the top o-linemen on the board.
At 6-feet-5-inches and 320-pounds, Humphrey called the protection schemes for the Sooners’ offensive line for three seasons as the team’s starting center. In high school, Humphrey was a wrestler before attending OU and will use his wrestling background to his advantage going into the pro’s.
During his college career, Humphrey showed that he’s a smart player that has nice footwork, great movement, and the core strength to hold up against the point of attack.
Following Day 2 of the ’21 draft, Brett Veach gave some insight on how Humphrey will fit on the Chiefs depth chart.
“Creed is another guy that’s played a lot of football. I mentioned earlier we had some flexibility there with Austin (Blythe) and with Joe Thuney. Now with Creed coming in here, needless to say, you feel good about leaving Thuney where he’s most comfortable, and that’s at that guard position. And Creed now gives you a bigger center option, and we had been talking about that. Again, it’ll be a great competition and they’re going to have to come in here and compete, and may the best man win. Austin has shown that he can come in and play, and he’s done that over his career and shown that he can do it at a high level. Creed offers a bigger body, and that pocket and the way that those larger linemen can affect the pocket is certainly different with Creed blocking in there.”
While he’s not a mauler by any stretch, Humphrey has the physical tools and football smarts that it takes to be a quality starter in the NFL.
Joshua Kaindoh – DE – Florida State – Drafted 144th overall
In the fourth round at 144th overall, the Chiefs snagged a long defensive end with a ton of upside.
Although he’s dealt with some injuries while at Florida State, Joshua Kaindoh has all the tools to be the edge rusher that Kansas City’s been missing. Standing at 6-feet-6-inches and 260-pounds, Kaindoh is a long-limbed edge rusher that possesses a good first step at the snap of the football.
In four seasons with the Seminoles, Kaindoh displayed a commitment to staying in his gap and moves well on stunts. His length also gives him the ability to disrupt passing lanes, and he did a decent job against zone-reads as an unblocked defender.
“Kaindoh is a very talented individual. He has all the tools that you’re looking for. He’s got the length, he’s got strength, he’s got speed, he’s got all the things that you’re looking for,” said Chiefs scout David Hinson. “He’s just been a little banged up over the last couple of years. That’s kind of held him back, but we’re excited about what kind of player he could be in the future.”
While he appears to be slow and stiff in certain areas of his game, Kaindoh is very raw going into his rookie campaign. But if Kansas City can mold him into the pass rusher they’re looking for, then they should have one heck of a steal.
Noah Gray – TE – Duke – Drafted 162nd overall
At 162nd overall, the Chiefs selected Noah Gray, who gives the Chiefs an athletic tight end whose name isn’t Travis Kelce. Standing at 6-feet-4-inches and 240-pounds, the product from Duke gives Kansas City a backup TE that is unlike anything they’ve had before.
Gray is a pass-catching tight end that displays a good variation in his route running and is explosive when coming out of his breaks. He has good flexibility in his hips, which allows him to adjust and catch a poorly thrown pass. After catching the ball, he’s able to snap his hips to turn upfield very quickly. Once the ball is in his hands, Gray isn’t an easy player to bring to the ground and sees the field very well.
As a blocker, Gray is athletic enough to keep opposing defenders in front of him and seal them off in the run game. He tends to play with an attitude and should also be an excellent special teams player.
“I think what makes him attractive is that, and I’m not saying he’s Travis [Kelce], but he can run some of those routes, he can do some of those things that Travis does as a receiver, split out while also giving you some flexibility in terms of being able to line up in the backfield, and can do some fullback responsibilities,” explained Assistant Director of Player Personnel Mike Bradway.
“And I think the kid can become a really good special teams player because as Dave [Toub] has said many times, this kid is a high character kid, he’ll do anything you want, he’s tough, he’s physical, he’ll throw his body around. So, I think you don’t just pigeonhole him as just a receiving tight end, I think the guy’s got some ability to be more than that. So, he is something different than we’ve had the last couple of years.”
Unlike many of the second-string tight ends that came before him, Gray has the skill set to serve as the perfect complement next to Travis Kelce and gives Patrick Mahomes another target to throw to. While he might not be the true answer for whenever Kelce retires, Gray has the tools to be a valuable asset of an already dangerous offense.
Cornell Powell – WR – Clemson – Drafted 181st overall
At 181st overall, the Chiefs drafted a wide receiver that they hope will fill in the shoes left by Sammy Watkins, who left Kansas City earlier this off-season via free agency. Cornell Powell played five seasons at Clemson but had to wait his turn behind an abundance of wide receiver talent.
From 2016-2019, Powell put up very pedestrian numbers because of this, but he finally got his chance to display his talents during his final campaign, last season.
Before declaring the 2021 draft, Powell had an incredible 2020 season by catching 53 passes for 882 yards and 7 touchdowns.
At 6-feet, 210-pounds, Powell is a big, strong receiver that has the ability to turn upfield after the catch and makes an effort to run through defenders if he needs to. He is the kind of receiver that is willing to do the little things and puts in a great effort to get them done. Powell also has some experience on special teams as a returner, which Dave Toub is going to love.
Following the draft, Chiefs Director of College Scouting Ryne Nutt gave some insight on how Powell will fit into Kansas City’s plans going forward.
“He’s going to be like our post-up receiver,’’ he said. “Like Dave [Hinson] said, when you see this kid he’s big, he’s strapped up, he’s got big muscles, he’s strong, he’s very good after the catch, that’s kind of where he shines, so who better to use him than coach Andy Reid, a Hall of Fame head coach,” he explained.
“[Reid] finds where your receivers are, what they’re best at, and then he’ll play his game up to that, and I think this kid is going to be great for our offense and kind of filling in where Sammy [Watkins] left off.”
Powell probably won’t start right away as most of the Chiefs’ rookie receivers usually don’t. Andy Reid’s playbook is notoriously known to be a difficult and complex offense to learn and takes time to fully have it dialed in. That said, Powell should see some playing time and will have his chance to contribute on special teams.
Trey Smith – G – Tennessee – Drafted 226th overall
At 226th overall, the final pick of the Chiefs’ 2021 draft class, Kansas City selected a former five-star recruit that was regarded by ESPN as the top recruit of the 2017 class.
At 6-feet-6-inches and 330-pounds, the Chiefs added an absolute monster to their offensive line by drafting Trey Smith from Tennessee.
Smith was a total mauler during his time with the Vol’s. He’s got heavy hands that can throw opposing defenders off balance with a single punch and loves to finish them off in the dirt. His size and power make him a great run blocker, and there aren’t many players that can withstand the amount of force he creates when he’s paving the way for a running back.
Smith definitely shows the mentality of an old-school offensive guard. He plays with an aggressive demeanor and is one of the strongest offensive linemen of the 2021 draft class.
After the draft, Chiefs scout Pat Sperduto took to the podium to talk about what likes about Smith.
“He started over 40 games, so that says a lot about his dedication to being a member of that program and he wanted to be such a big part of the turnaround at Tennessee,” Sperduto started.
“He is a guy that when we get him every single day, he’s going to hit the field and try to get better. He’s going to do whatever he has to do, even when he was going through the medical stuff, he was still going through some of the practices whether he could participate or not,” he said.
“He would be out there in gear going through stuff that allowed him to be prepared for games on Saturday. That says a lot. I mean, it’s so easy to get disenchanted in today’s society. So many kids, get down and get depressed, but not this kid. This kid just kept working and it shows you the dedication because he did it in the classroom as well. I mean he’s a really smart kid, he’s self-aware, he’s mature. Like I said you know Adam asked if I thought he could compete for a job. He’s going to compete, this kid’s going to find a way to play and find a way to get on the field and participate and be a part of the success story. So, as I said, I love the kid. Personally, I think this kid is going to make our football team a better football team,” he explained.
For a long time, the Chiefs have lacked an o-line that carries a certain nastiness. Now, K.C. has a guy that gives them exactly that. Smith is a massive human that excels in pass protection and is a dominant run blocker. While it’s unclear where Smith will be on the offensive line right now, he’ll have the opportunity to compete for a starting role.
