The Chiefs drafted West Alabama WR Tyreek Hill in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, and the decision "thrust" the team into the "conversation about the sincerity of the NFL's efforts to prevent and discourage domestic violence," according to Paylor & Palmer of the K.C. STAR. Hill was kicked off Oklahoma State's team in '14 after he was "arrested and accused of punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend." He "pleaded guilty Aug. 21, 2015, to domestic abuse by strangulation." The Chiefs were "aware of the incident, but that didn't deter them from selecting Hill." In an unusual move, Chiefs GM John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid on Saturday met with reporters to "discuss Hill's selection" and attempt "to ease concerns." Dorsey said he had "long discussions" with Reid and Chiefs Chair & CEO Clark Hunt before making the selection. Dorsey: "I just want everybody to understand that we have done our due diligence with regards to full vetting each one of our draft-class members" (K.C. STAR, 5/1). Hunt said of the possibility of the Chiefs selecting OT Laremy Tunsil, "I don't think we felt that he was going to fall all the way to 28, so it wasn't really something that we had to consider" (K.C. STAR, 4/30).
BEING A BORE: In Baltimore, Mike Preston wrote there was "no buzz surrounding the Ravens draft." It was as "exciting as watching another rerun of 'I Love Lucy.'" The team should have "been bold and rolled the dice" on LB Myles Jack or LB Noah Spence. They had a shot at a "possible big time player, a steal in the draft," but GM Ozzie Newsome "couldn't pull the trigger." Preston: "This is the NFL. There are no Boy Scouts here" (Baltimore SUN, 5/1). Also in Baltimore, Peter Schmuck wrote under the header "Ravens' Past Dictated Safe Draft, And That's OK." Whether or not Notre Dame OT Ronnie Stanley "was a sexy pick is irrelevant." The fact that he "was a 'safe' pick does not make him a bad pick" (Baltimore SUN, 5/1).
