Breeland

Speaks

Speaks’ season is over. Not only does he have the suspension, but he was already on injured reserve with a torn MCL and meniscus. The 2018 second-rounder will be a depth option in 2020 once all of these things are taken care of.

Speaks had surgery earlier this week to clean up his MCL and meniscus, and he won’t play for the Chiefs in 2019 because of it. The 2018 second-rounder made 1.5 sacks and 24 tackles across 16 games as a rookie.

Speaks is dealing with a sprained MCL as well as a meniscus injury. Both are to his right knee. The 2018 second-rounder collected 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks over 16 games last season including four starts. The Chiefs haven’t offered a timetable yet, though it’s safe to assume he won’t be available for the team’s opener at Jacksonville on September 8.

Speaks (6’3/283) turned pro after making 19 starts for the Rebels, tallying 15 career tackles for loss and nine sacks. An early-career defensive tackle who moved to end last season, Speaks put versatility on tape and logged impressive 68th-percentile SPARQ results before the draft, suggesting room for further growth. Speaks is a boom-bust prospect with upside for a Michael Bennett-style role but a Datone Jones floor. Undersized but explosive, Speaks’ closest comp may be old Titans/Dolphins DL Jason Jones.

The Chiefs are listing Speaks, who weighed in at 283 pounds at the Combine, as an outside linebacker. He began his Ole Miss career at defensive tackle before converting to defensive end. “When you’re young, you might have one move that’s your favorite move,” Reid said. “In the NFL, they take that away from you. How are you going to counter that? Are you going to work on those things that help counter that move and add to the repertoire that you can throw at the offensive lineman?” Speaks is beginning his career as a reserve behind Justin Houston and Dee Ford.

An early-career defensive tackle who moved to end last season, Speaks put versatility on tape and logged impressive 68th-percentile SPARQ results before the draft, suggesting room for further growth. Speaks is a boom-bust prospect with upside for a Michael Bennett-style role but a Datone Jones floor. Undersized but explosive, Speaks’ closest comp may be old Titans/Dolphins DL Jason Jones.