Notre Dame Draft Watch: Julian Love Makes Sense for Kansas City Chiefs

A few days after Notre Dame’s loss in semifinal of the College Football Playoff, Julian Love declared for the 2019 NFL Draft. The junior cornerback is projected to go as high as the first round.

Julian Love played a huge role in the Notre Dame secondary over the last three years. The 5′ 11″ cornerback set a single-season record for pass breakups in 2017 and then went on to become Notre Dame’s all-time leader in that category.

According to analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, Love is regarded as one of the top four cornerbacks available in the upcoming NFL Draft. Depending on how high some of the other cornerbacks are selected, Love could hear his name called before the conclusion of the first round.

In today’s NFL, there is no shortage of teams looking to improve their secondary. This is a byproduct of offensive schemes in the league becoming more pass-heavy.

A few teams with needs at cornerback that I think would be a good fit for Julian Love are: Kansas City, Green Bay, Indianapolis, and Detroit.

Love grew up in the Chicagoland area and spent three years in South Bend, Indiana. So it is safe to say he is a Midwest guy at heart. The transition to living in any of those cities would likely be a smooth one for him.

Of the four teams I mentioned, I think the Kansas City Chiefs would be the best fit.

The Chiefs defense ranked 31st in passing yards allowed per game in the 2018 regular season. That statistic may have been influenced by the fact that opposing offenses were throwing more often to keep up with Kansas City’s offense, but there is no denying that the Chiefs need to strengthen their secondary.

The Chiefs, who will select somewhere from 29th to 32nd overall based on the results of the playoffs, appear to be Love’s best chance to be selected in the first round of the draft. Granted, this could change with trades or surprising numbers from the NFL Combine.

Every player wants to play for a contender, that is exactly what the Chiefs have become in recent years. Love is not the type of player who would shy away from the opportunity to play for one of the top teams in the league.

Love would get the opportunity to compete against some of the best offensive players in the NFL at every Chiefs practice. Being in that environment could help him grow into one of the best defensive backs in the league.

He would also have the opportunity to earn playing time and make an impact as a rookie in Kansas City. The Chiefs will frequently put more than four defensive backs on the field at a time. So, in addition to both cornerback spots, Love can also compete for snaps at the nickel position.