A.J. Epenesa, Iowa Hawkeyes. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
If the Chiefs want to defend their Super Bowl title they need to add talent in the draft. Here are five prospects they could take in Round 1.
The Chiefs are the only team in the NFL that doesn’t have to figure out how to topple last year’s Super Bowl Champions. The task ahead of Patrick Mahomes and his teammates is to defend their spot atop the league for another season.
To do that, the franchise needs to add talent during the upcoming draft. The Chiefs don’t have a ton of holes to fill, but they still need to make the No. 32 overall selection count. Adding quality contributors on rookie-scale contracts will be particularly important for Kansas City as they try to manage their salary cap in the coming years. Without delay, here are five prospects the Chiefs would be wise to draft at the end of Round 1.
5. A.J. Epenesa
As long as Patrick Mahomes is at the controls of the Chiefs offense they’re going to put up a ton of points. That means the defense will be tasked with defending a lot of leads.
That’s why the Chiefs should always be on the lookout for quality talent along the defensive line. The uncertain status of Chris Jones at defensive tackle makes it a particularly pressing need for Kansas City.
Epenesa isn’t going to operate on the interior on all three downs, but he could slide to defensive tackle on obvious passing downs. That could be a great fit for a pass rusher who depends more on his power than burst from the edge.
Scouts are all over the map on Epenesa, but at worst, he would upgrade the Chiefs’ edge rushing rotation in 2020. That makes him a player they must consider with the No. 32 pick.