Jordan Sterns Landed the Perfect Fit in Kansas City

Jordan Sterns wore three uniforms in my mind since Thursday when the NFL Draft began in Philadelphia.

He was a New Orleans Saint, a Seattle Seahawk and a Kansas City Chief.

In New Orleans, I imagined him looming in the background behind a bevy of talented but underperforming safeties in Jarius Byrd and (specifically) Kenny Vaccaro. In Seattle, Sterns was part of the Legion of Boom, waiting his turn behind Earl Thomas, one of the men he models his game after.

But to me, Kansas City was perfect for a player who will undoubtedly earn his way onto the roster if not the field.

Even with the Chiefs picking Leon McQuay III, a safety from USC, the difference in grade from McQuay to Sterns is 0.11 out of 10, according to NFL.com. Although their ratings are almost identical, their play is contrasting.

McQuay is a great athlete. Tests well. Good ball skills. Fluid and fast. A true center fielder.

Sterns is an all right athlete. Plays better than he tests. More of an inside-the-box safety. Below average in space, but instinctual and gritty.

McQuay’s biggest weakness is his lack of awareness at times, which is one of Sterns’ greatest assets.

Scouts pointed to Sterns’ tackle number, leading Oklahoma State three straight seasons in the category, but it wasn’t until he opened his mouth that teams started to understand what kind of player they might get.

“He’s the type of player you want in your locker room,” a regional scout for an NFC East team told NFL.com. “He has to prove he’s the type of player you want on your sideline. Has to play up near the line. His instincts are nice.”

Those are the kinds of guys Kansas City plays. Good guys. Out-of-trouble guys. And if they aren’t good, Kansas City makes them good.

Sterns is also in one of the most fertile grounds in all of the safety realm. Feb. 28, Eric Berry became the highest-paid safety in the league at $78 million over six years. Berry is probably the most complete safety in the NFL with the ability to play center-field in a cover 3 and also to crack down on a running back hitting the gap.

Berry, Ron Parker and Daniel Sorensen will have their brains picked from a lot of rookies, but you have to imagine Sterns might be in their minds the most. He has the itch to improve, as a player, as a teammate, as a man. That was something he picked up and perfected at OSU.

He was a chief in Stillwater, and now he is a Chief in Kansas City.