Our first full seven-round 2021 mock draft for the Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s entirely too early to consider the players the Kansas City Chiefs might come away with during the 2021 NFL draft. But that also means it’s the perfect time to release our way-too-early mock draft projections.
After winning Super Bowl LIV, the Chiefs actually have a bountiful selection of draft picks. They saw several players leave in free agency and are projected to receive two compensatory draft picks on Day 3. The draft order isn’t anywhere close to being set, but we’re going to go by the latest updated full draft order from Tankathon.com.
Let’s take a look at our earliest iteration of a full mock draft for Kansas City:
Texas is predicted to end up in the Alamo Bowl again after this season. 247Sports has UT facing off against USC down in San Antonio.
After defeating Utah in the 2019 edition of the Valero Alamo Bowl, Texas is predicted to end up there again this upcoming season. In their way-too-early bowl projects, 247Sports has the Longhorns facing off against the USC Trojans down in San Antonio.
Here is what they had to say on the possible matchup.
Both of these Top 15 programs are expecting more out of the 2020 season, each blessed with top-end quarterbacks, but without a conference title for either, it’s hard to assume a berth in the New Year’s Six will happen unless they finish with a single blemish. Texas travels to LSU, takes on Oklahoma in Dallas and must navigate several other challenging matchups during Big 12 play. After the seismic opener vs. Alabama, the Trojans would likely have to run the table in the Pac-12 to reach the final four. Given Clay Helton’s hot seat, USC will be an interesting team to watch for sure.
If the prediction is correct, Texas and USC will be playing for the seventh time in their histories and the fourth time since 2000. The latest matchups came in Tom Herman’s first two seasons as head coach, where the Longhorns and Trojans split a home-and-home series.
Senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger would end his career the way he began it, facing off against USC. His first start against a Power 5 program was in 2017 against the Trojans.
As for the rest of the Big 12, 247Sports predicts no one from the conference will make the College Football Playoff for the third time since the inaugural 2014 edition.
Baylor vs Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl
Iowa State vs Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl
Kansas State vs Virginia in the First Responders Bowl
Oklahoma vs Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl
Oklahoma State vs Virginia Tech in Cheez-It Bowl
TCU vs Tennessee in the Outdoors Bowl
West Virginia vs South Carolina in the Cactus Bowl
With the Sugar Bowl hosting a College Football Playoff semifinal, the Big 12 has no automatic qualifier into the New York 6 bowl games. Oklahoma would represent the conference in the NY6, facing off against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium.
It is too early to predict the 2020 college football season. The goal for Texas should be trying to compete for a Big 12 championship and a spot in the NY6 bowls. Another Alamo Bowl appearance could be seen as a disappointment in year four of Tom Herman.
ESPN projects UT to be a six-seed in the East region for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. It would be the second six seed for UT under Shaka Smart.
The 2019-2020 college basketball season never got the ending it deserved, with most conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament getting canceled due to COVID-19. To make up for it, Joe Lunardi has released his way-too-early Bracketology for the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Lunardi projects Texas to not only make the tournament but to be a six-seed in the East region. If his projections are correct, it will be the second time Shaka Smart has been a six-seed during his time in Austin, with the first coming in 2016.
The Longhorns would get no easy matchups throughout the bracket as teams such as Villanova, Ohio State, West Virginia, Michigan State, LSU, and Duke also make up the East region. Texas would also face the winner of a First Four game, which Lunardi projects to be former conference rival Colorado and the SEC’s South Carolina.
As usual, major conferences make up a big chunk of the field, with the Big 12 having seven representatives in the tournament. Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and West Virginia all make the cut, with the Bears and Jayhawks coming in as two-seeds.
If 2019-2020 was a down year for the Big 12, 2020-2021 will be a swing back to reality. Kansas and Baylor are expected to continue their dominance, while schools such as Texas Tech and even Oklahoma State are expected to take a step up.
Texas must adjust and raise the bar as well. Returning 100% of their production will help, but Smart’s squad must show up consistently throughout the season. If they can, a six seed in the NCAA Tournament could be on the cards.
With the season now over, all attention has been turned to the 2020-2021 season. The USA TODAY has even released a way-too-early top 25.
Texas ended the 2019-2020 season on a hot streak, winning five out of their last six games. Going into the Big 12 Tournament, they would have had the opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament with a win against Texas Tech.
With the season now over due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all attention has been turned to the 2020-2021 season. The USA TODAY has even released a way-too-early top 25 for next season.
Unfortunately, the Longhorns just miss out of the top 25, falling behind four other Big 12 schools. However, they should find their way ranked at some point next season, as Shaka Smart has the looks of a contender in the conference.
Nobody from this year’s roster is expected to depart for next season, barring any transfers. Star guards Matt Coleman, Courtney Ramey, and Andrew Jones should be back, ready to lead Texas towards the top of the Big 12.
If the Longhorns can add five-star forward Greg Brown, they could even become a favorite to make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Texas may not be ranked right now, expectations should be high for 2020-2021.
