The Kansas City Chiefs have selected Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines with the 87th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Gaines ranked No. 137 on SB Nation's top 200 big board and at No. 18 among cornerbacks.
Gaines was a first-team All-Conference USA selection in 2012 and 2013. He joined Rice in 2009 and got an extra year of eligibility due to his injuries. His best season was in 2013 in which he put up 36 tackles, four tackles for a loss and four interceptions. He finished his career with 175 tackles, 11.0 for loss, two sacks and four interceptions to go along with a whopping 38 passes defensed.
Gaines joins a Chiefs team still smarting from a heartbreaking loss in the first round of the playoffs against the Colts, one in which Andrew Luck brought the Colts back from a 38-10 deficit. The Chiefs brought in free agent Chris Owens and now Gaines to join Sean Smith, Brandon Flowers, Ron Parker and Marcus Cooper among corners expected to vie for solid playing time.
NFL Draft
Combine results
Height: 6'0
Weight: 193 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.38 seconds
Bench press: 11 reps
Vertical jump: 36.5"
Broad jump: 10'2
20-yard shuttle: 4.04 seconds
3-cone drill: 6.62 seconds
His interception numbers are low, but fortunately he started to show he actually had hands in his most recent season, snagging all four of his career interceptions. But his 38 passes defensed is definitely strong, with 18 of them coming in 2012. His combine numbers were very impressive, posting top times in the 40-yard dash, 3-cone and 20-yard shuttle for his position.
Over at Gang Green Nation, they provided a quick scouting report for Gaines. Among his positives were his speed, his length and his ball skills. They suggested that Gaines "should have had more interceptions" based on his skill set. Among his negatives, they said he may extend his arms too much which could draw penalties, and of course he has the durability concerns thanks to multiple college injuries.