New Chiefs LB is Ready to Grow

The Kansas City Chiefs had a deep draft class this past weekend, adding players up and down with higher projections than originally slotted. One of those players was the Chiefs' fifth-round selection, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa out of Oregon, who had a projected draft selection in the fourth round.

What that means is the Chiefs are getting a player with higher upside than what a typical fifth-round pick is worth. Bassa had a strong collegiate career with the Ducks, playing in 55 games, 236 total tackles, 125 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss and had 4.5 quarterback sacks.

Adding another player in the linebacker room is something the Chiefs didn't necessarily have to do, but an extra addition doesn't hurt. Bassa has tremendous upside, and with the proper coaching from both defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and the veterans in the room, his future is bright.

In his introductory press conference after hearing his name announced, Bassa touched on what goals he has for himself in year one, and they are all surrounded around growth.

"My main mindset headed into this first year is to learn from guys like Drue {Tranquill} and guys like Nick {Bolton}," Bassa said. "So, coming with a growth mindset, an open mindset for whatever position that they see me at, that's the position that I am going to master and put my best foot forward for."

Learning from the likes of Tranquill and Bolton is two top-end players to take in wisdom from. Tranquill collected 94 total tackles last season in Kansas City and has reached triple digits once before in his career as well. Bolton, on the other hand, has recorded more than 100 total tackles in three out of the four seasons he has played in the NFL.

"He’s capable on passing downs, with man-cover talent and an ability to attack the pocket as a blitzer. A move to Will linebacker would allow Bassa to play more run-and-hit football, which could bolster his chances as a good ‘backer with the potential to develop into a starter," NFL.com's Lance Zeirlein wrote.

With the consensus of upside, Bassa has the right mindset heading into his first year in the league, as the start of his NFL career is bright.

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