Kansas City’s First Round Pick Sets Them Up for a Bright Future
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has expressed confidence in his starting quarterback, Alex Smith, saying that he believes the Chiefs can win a Super Bowl championship with Smith under center. Reid’s high praise of the 32 year old signal caller makes the Chiefs selection of Patrick Mahomes II with the 10th overall draft pick a surprise.
While the Chiefs are committed to Smith for the foreseeable future, this move is a clear indication that the team is preparing itself for the day that Smith retires or is no longer a viable option at quarterback. The 12 year veteran and former top overall pick will mentor the 21 year old rookie out of Texas Tech until that time comes.
Mahomes is just the third quarterback to ever be drafted by the Chiefs in the first round, behind Steve Fuller and Todd Blackledge. He’s also just the third quarterback in college football history to have over 5,000 yards of total offense in multiple seasons. Along with leading the Red Raiders to the Texas Bowl in his sophomore year, Mahomes accounted for 11,252 yards over his three seasons at Texas Tech, ranking third all time in the school’s history. His legs are almost as dangerous as his arm. Of his 115 touchdowns during that span, 22 were by the ground.
Oftentimes Mahomes’ teammates at Texas Tech could be heard calling him “the musician.” Mahomes can make astounding plays outside the pocket, similar to Aaron Rodgers. His arm strength is impressive, as shown by his 78 yard throw at his pro day. His mobility allows him to escape pressure and complete passes outside the pocket, and he is capable of making just about every throw.
Despite the talent that Patrick Mahomes II has, there are things that have to be worked on before he is ready to be a franchise quarterback. Coaches and analysts have called him “not NFL ready just yet,” and Andy Reid has said that he will not start in 2017. Until then, Mahomes will be learning under a quarterback that has made himself an established starter in this league. He will have to improve on his ability to read an NFL defense along with his post-snap decision making. His accuracy improved as he played more games at Texas Tech, but oftentimes his eagerness to make explosive plays got him in trouble.
Despite some of his bad habits, the Kansas City Chiefs chose to make a statement about who they want to lead their offense in the future. If Mahomes can develop to reach his potential, Kansas City could boast a potent passing offense in the future.
