The Kansas City Chiefs had two safeties depart during the 2019 free agency period.
Jordan Lucas, who played a reserve role and special teams, signed with the Chicago Bears. Then there’s Kendall Fuller, who was a jack-of-all-trades defensive back. He ended up back with the Washington Redskins following free agency. We also don’t know exactly when Juan Thornhill will be ready to return from a knee injury he suffered in the final game of the regular season and if he’ll be as effective as he was pre-injury.
While the Chiefs invested heavily in the position just a season ago, adding another safety isn’t out of the question for Kansas City. The team could look to add replacements for Lucas and Fuller, while also adding some insurance for Thornhill. Looking to the future, The Chiefs might opt to find a cheaper replacement for Daniel Sorensen, who is set to become a free agent in 2021. Here’s a look at some of the players the team could consider in each round of the 2020 NFL draft:
Round 1: Alabama DB Xavier McKinney
Many have McKinney as their top-rated safety prospect and for good reason. In 2019, McKinney was the top tackler for the Alabama Crimson tide with 95 total tackles. He also has a nose for the football, forcing a total of four fumbles and intercepting three passes. As a sophomore, McKinney turned some heads becoming the MVP of the Orange Bowl with 5 total tackles and four passes defended against Kyler Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners.
McKinney has played snaps all over the defense for Alabama. At 6-foot and 201 pounds, he’ll line up as a deep safety, in the box and as a nickel corner. I think he’ll have that same type of versatility in the NFL, but he seems to play his best when he’s allowed to attack downhill. I’d start him off closer to the line of scrimmage in the NFL and see how he handles that role. I think Kansas City will covet a player with McKinney’s type of versatility. He would make the defense even harder to read pre-snap than it already is Thornhill, Mathieu and Sorensen in the secondary.