What Chiefs’ Big Board Could Show Entering NFL Draft

Kansas City barbecue establishments wouldn’t be the only ones excited to see the Chiefs draft a nose tackle with the 31st selection on Thursday night. Steve Spagnuolo and Chris Jones would be elated, too.

Kenneth Grant might be there at the end of the first round. So could Walter Nolen, and either would look great in the middle of the Chiefs’ defensive line.

Pro Football Focus this week completed a top 100 big board for every NFL team, and listed three-technique defensive tackle and nose tackle among the Chiefs’ most important needs.

Jones, a homegrown talent, has dominated for the Chiefs from the three-technique, referring to a defensive lineman’s primary pre-snap alignment (positioned on the outside shoulder of the offensive guard toward the offensive tackle – or the B gap between the guard and tackle).

But drafting a player like Nolen would better allow Spagnuolo to move Jones around the defensive line, capitalizing on mismatches and freeing up Jones to pressure the passer from the edge. Drafting a mammoth nose tackle like Grant would give Spagnuolo similar opportunities, especially after the Chiefs signed veteran free agent Jerry Tillery.

The only board that counts is the one in the Chiefs’ draft room, and Brett Veach is well-positioned to stay true to that confidential list and take the best player available at 31. If the PFF board is similar to how Kansas City has positioned prospects, most of those players will be gone by the time Kansas City is on the clock just before midnight.

But Nolen and Grant, ranked No. 7 and 9, respectively, on that Kansas City board, according to PFF, might be there.

“Nolen isn't the most polished interior defender,” PFF wrote of the 6-3, 305-pound Mississippi defensive tackle, “but he might be among the most physically gifted. If he continues to grow in his pre-snap plan and hand usage, he can be an impactful, versatile defensive tackle with a high floor due to his strength in run defense.”

Grant was equally strong against the run at Michigan, but there’s no comparison to the amount of space he can occupy. At 6-3 and 339 pounds, Grant could be a nightmare for NFL centers and guards. One of his weaknesses, PFF said, is his lack of a more consistently aggressive mindset.

“Grant brings a rare combination of quickness and size to the nose tackle position,” PFF assessed. “He has the strength to dominate single blocks and hold up against doubles. When he's in attack mode, he is an imposing player.”

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