Brett Veach’s approach to the 2020 free agency period was keeping as many players together from their 2019 roster as possible. The general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs was successful, with all of the major contributors on the Super Bowl LIV-winning squad returning for at least one more year.
It is great to see so many familiar faces coming back for a run at a Super Bowl repeat but what does that mean for the 2020 NFL Draft and years to come? Well, with quite a few prominent players being probable cap casualties in 2021, Veach should look ahead in the upcoming draft in preparation for the eventual departures.
Round 1, Pick 32 – Houston OT Josh Jones
Eric Fisher is one of those staples on the Kansas City offensive line that could be a cap casualty in 2021. The 2013 number one overall selection is set to hit free agency in 2022 but carries over $14.5 million in cap space commitments in 2021 with only three million in dead money. We could possibly see a restructure/extension to keep him around but the team could prioritize other players.
Jones has the potential to be a top-20 talent in most draft classes, but with such a loaded OT class, he could fall to the Chiefs at 32. He has good size and some really nice traits but he needs refinement in his technique. Jones could push Fisher for playing time and might even unseat the incumbent, but Kansas City doesn’t need to be in a hurry with this pick.