2015 NFL mock draft: Chiefs select Arik Armstead

With the 18th pick in Pride Of Detroit's 2015 NFL mock draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead. Heir Apparent is serving as the Chiefs' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.

When researching for the mock draft it became apparent that the Chiefs and Lions have pretty similar needs coming into the draft. CB is a big need, and Trae Waynes would have been ideal if he had fallen to 18, but unsurprisingly he was already off the board at this point. I could have gone down the WR route, but with Kevin White, Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker off the board, I don't see the value at 18, and they have attempted to address the issue with the signing of Jeremy Maclin in free agency. Interior OL and RT are also substantial needs, but I'm not a fan of Cameron Erving, and my preferred OL options (Brandon Scherff, La'el Collins, Ereck Flowers and Andrus Peat) have already gone too. Addressing the OL will have to wait...

That leaves DL. Dontari Poe is an ascending talent in the league, but outside of that their quality and depth are lacking. I considered Malcom Brown but see him as a better fit in a 4-3 scheme, so I've gone for Arik Armstead to slot into their 3-4 scheme as a DE. He is raw, but has exceptional size and quickness and should be strong against the run (as required from your 5-tech) whilst he improves his pass-rushing ability at the start of his NFL career.

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Check out the 2015 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.