ESPN’s top draftnik, Mel Kiper Jr., has released a brand new 2021 NFL mock draft. In this projection, Kiper makes a very interesting and risky pick for the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 31, selecting Stanford OT Walker Little.
Following the 2018 season, Little was in the conversation to be one of the top offensive tackles in college football. Things are now much less clear as Little has played in just a single game over the past two seasons. In 2019, Little suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first game of the year against Northwestern. When he returned to health in 2020, he opted out before the season began in order to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft.
Here’s what Kiper had to say about his choice:
“This might be a new name for some, but Little made my preseason Big Board all the way back in August of 2019. That was ahead of the 2020 draft. Then he injured his knee in the season opener and missed the rest of that season and opted out of 2020, so he hasn’t played much football since. I called Little more of a finesse tackle in 2019, but he has a great frame (6–7, 315 pounds) and can move his feet. He started as a true freshman at Stanford. There is some projection here, but Little has some great tape from 2017 and 2018. Scouts will be able to see him up close at his pro day next month. And if you watched Patrick Mahomes run for his life in Super Bowl LV, you know the Chiefs could use a tackle.”
Kiper is definitely on the right track with the Chiefs’ need at tackle early in the draft. The long-term future at both tackle positions is unclear in Kansas City, even with the recent positive news surrounding Mitchell Schwartz. Kiper admits there’s some projection to this draft pick, but I think that’s a big understatement. Your only tape on this kid is from two-plus years ago and medical evaluations are going to be different this year due to the lack of a scouting combine.
I’m definitely intrigued by Little’s tape. He glides in pass protection and he has some nastiness to him in the run game. It’s just tough to know where he’s at in terms of his development and with his health. Drafting Little in the first round still seems like a pretty big risk and I’m not certain it’s one that the Chiefs can afford to take.
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