The Kansas City Chiefs paid a lot to trade up to draft Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Chiefs traded the Buffalo Bills their 27th overall pick, a third-round draft pick this year and their first round selection for 2018 in order to draft the Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback. What they received in exchange for those three draft picks was a player that one NFL scout called a "crazy" and "reckless" quarterback.
Patrick Mahomes NFL Draft scouting report
Different NFL scouts will look at players in different ways. The one scout that spoke up about Patrick Mahomes before the 2017 NFL Draft called the Texas Tech quarterback "reckless." According to the scout, there are quarterbacks who play like gunslingers, such as Brett Favre.
However, the scout pointed to the bowl game in his senior year where he had three or four plays that were considered "off the wall." The scout then said that Mahones will have up to 20 plays in a game where you have no idea what he is trying to do out there. The scout said that Mahones throws into space and has poor mechanics.
The positives of the Chiefs drafting Mahomes
There is one important thing to keep in mind. The Kansas City Chiefs have a good team already but they just spent a high first round draft pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and gave up future picks in order to draft Patrick Mahomes despite already having Alex Smith as their starting quarterback. Smith is signed through 2018 and Kansas City will want him to serve as a mentor to Mahones for one or two years.
That is selling a lot for a first round draft pick that won't pay off until 2018 or 2019. However, learning under Alex Smith, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when it comes to avoiding turnovers and mistakes will probably help Patrick more than coming in and starting for a team from the start.
Patrick Mahones intangibles
While Patrick Mahones is considered "reckless" by at least one NFL scout, there are many positives for the Kansas City Chiefs when it comes to his skills. Simply looking at his college stats show why he was a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He threw an eye-popping 77 touchdowns in the last two seasons, more than anyone else in that period, including the other Chiefs option in Deshaun Watson.
While he worked a spread offense in college, he will need time to learn the NFL system. Mahomes is big (6-2, 225) and he has a big arm. He also has legs and can score by running the ball, with 22 touchdowns in college on the ground. He will change everything fans know about the Kansas City Chiefs offense when and if he becomes their starter.
