It wasn’t hard to find draft projections that had the Chiefs landing quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the first round, but they typically didn’t have that pick happening with the 10th overall pick.
There was word before the start of the draft that Kansas City might be coming up, however, and they wound up dealing next year’s first-round pick to Buffalo as part of a package that netted them the chance to draft Mahomes. Coach Andy Reid said they like Mahomes’ energy and intensity as well as his ability to make plays under pressure and that they feel comfortable with his ability to handle a pro-style offense after putting him through his paces.
Reid doesn’t think Mahomes will be ready to handle such an offense right off the bat, which leaves Alex Smith as the starter and Reid said he’s not concerned that paying a big price for Smith’s heir apparent will lead to any unease inside the team.
“I don’t worry about Alex on this,” Reid said, via the Kansas City Star. “Alex knows we trust him. Alex is the starting quarterback. Nothing is going to change there. The kid is going to take some time. He understands that. But there’s gonna be a day Alex isn’t playing anymore and we’ll need someone to step in and play.”
Smith has some familiarity with the scenario after seeing Colin Kaepernick come to the 49ers and make his way from the bench to the starting lineup. That started out well for the 49ers as the Niners went to the Super Bowl after Kaepernick took over in his second season and the Chiefs would love a similar taste of success, although they’d surely prefer it come without the quick fizzle that followed for the 49ers.