The Kansas City Chiefs are considering trading up in the draft to secure a top-tier pass rusher, with Texas Tech's David Bailey emerging as a leading candidate. The team's recent pre-draft visits have included Rueben Bain Jr., who has faced controversy due to his involvement in a fatal vehicle accident.
Could Kansas City Try To Move Up To Land This Top-Tier Pass Rusher Next Week?
The Kansas City Chiefs have been bringing in edge rushers, receivers and linemen in for pre-draft visits, and right now the smart moneyās on the Chiefs adding a big-time edge rusher with one of their two first-round picks next week.
But the big question now is which pass rusher? David Bailey of Texas Tech has jumped the line at this position, to the point where heās now next up to be drafted after quarterback Fernando Mendoza gets selected by the Las Vegas Raiders.
This could represent a unique opportunity for Kansas City. Their latest visit at this position was with Rueben Bain Jr., but that visit came with the media revelation that Bain was the driver in a fatal vehicle accident back in 2024.
That could sour the Chiefs on Bain given the upcoming trial of receiver Rashee Rice for his street-racing incident, and it could also send Kansas City back to another candidate who was once considered a lock to be the second pass rusher selected in the draft: Arvell Reese of Ohio State.
The Chiefs have already had Reese in for a visit. He has āperhaps the biggest upsideā of all the edge rushers, according to Sam Robinson of ProFootballRumors.com, and his intel had the New York Jets considering the possibility that āReeseās developmental track is not for them.ā
It could be for the Chiefs, though. They have a chance to take a rare big swing for a top draft pick, and Robinson also noted that Reese is āthe most uniqueā player from this group.
Why? Because Reese mostly played linebacker at Ohio State last season, so he only logged 97 snaps at the edge position, according to Ben Levine from the same outlet. But Reese still managed to rank seventh in FBS Division I pressure rate at 18.5 percent, and heās expressed a preference to work as a pass-rusher in the NFL.
The comps being thrown around here include names like Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter, and while Carter isnāt exactly an ideal comp, the point is that the Chiefs could get a player who could take some of the heat off of tackle Chris Jones while unlocking the sack potential of end George Karlaftis. Thatās a win-win-win possibility for the Chiefs, provided theyāre willing to play the guessing game as to where Reese will land.
Heās already done over a half-dozen visits to date, and this will be a fascinating game of draft poker next week when teams with top ten picks take to the podium.
Q&A
Who is the top pass rusher Kansas City Chiefs are targeting in the draft?
The top pass rusher the Kansas City Chiefs are targeting is David Bailey from Texas Tech.
What incident is Rueben Bain Jr. involved in that affects his draft prospects?
Rueben Bain Jr. was involved in a fatal vehicle accident in 2024, which has raised concerns about his draft prospects.
Why might the Kansas City Chiefs trade up in the draft next week?
The Kansas City Chiefs might trade up in the draft to secure a big-time edge rusher, as they have two first-round picks and a strong interest in enhancing their defensive line.
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