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DRAFT RECAP, MIZZOU & CHIEFS UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS & A PHONE CALL A DAY KEEPS TROUBLE AWAY?
The Washington Redskins traded their first round selections in three drafts plus a 2nd rounder in this past draft for the Rams' first round pick, overall #2. They went all-in to draft Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. I thought it was a bold, but a very smart move by Washington. The trade also should benefit the Rams, who have a lot of holes & having multiple 1st & 2nd round draft picks over consecutive years is just what the doctor ordered to revive a gravely ill patient. I also liked what the Colts did after they drafted Andrew Luck, they continued to build around their new quarterback. Adding two tight ends, two wide receivers, a power running back & an offensive lineman. After taking RG3, the Redskins took a pair of guards, neither one considered to be top-tier prospects, a so-so RB & a developmental tackle. Oh yeah, in the 4th round, they also selected Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins. Did the Skins get value? Yes, many people had Cousins in the 2nd round, not me mind you, but many did. My question is instead of expending another pick on offensive help for Griffin, you draft a QB prospect who could cause a split in the locker room if RG3 struggles finding his way early in his career? They had Rex Grossman & John Back already on the roster, why use a valuable 4th rounder on a backup quarterback? What kind of message does thissend to Griffin as well as the rest of the team. For everything the Redskins gave up to draft him, why not use all available picks to support him, not undermine him? I say this because Cousins won't be satisfied to sit & watch, he's going to camp to compete. Telling a mediocre veteran like Grossman he'll be a backup, end of story, shouldn't come as a shock. They cut Beck a less than an hour after drafting Cousins. But Cousins' presence could become an issue Washington could have avoided.
I told you on Saturday night I thought the Philadelphia Eagles had the best draft considering their needs. Their good work continued early Sunday when they signed undrafted free agent running back Chris Polk from the University of Washington. Polk has an injury history, but when healthy, he's been a very productive back that should have been drafted. I say he makes the Eagles 53-man roster opening day.
Another prospect who wasn't drafted because of a medical issue was Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu, a personal favorite of mine. He stayed in the Bay Area, signing with the Forty-Niners. Tho he was medically cleared months ago, his history of concussions scared a number of teams into removing him from their draft boards.
The teams that drafted Stanford prospects, Indy, Pittsburgh, Detroit etc. will have to wait for their new acquisitions to finish school before reporting for the rookie & full-squad mini camps. The NFL has a rule if school is still in session, they can't join the team beyond this weekend. Stanford is one of the few universities that has a quarters-system while most operate on a semester or tri-mester system. Classes at Stanford run into mid-June, the 14th to be exact.
Boise State has as many players drafted(6) as USC & Texas combined. Kind of shoots holes in all the haters' arguments that the Broncos didn't belong playing with the big boys huh? It should be noted Boise State has never signed a 4 or 5-star recruit. USC & Texas sign multiple 4 & 5-star recruits each & every year. Think Chris Peterson & his staff don't do an amazing job?
Speaking of Boise prospects, five more signed as undrafted free agents including quarterback Kellen Moore, NCAA football's all-time winner with a ridiculous 50-3 record. Honestly this is a record that may stand for a very long time. Moore is barely 6' tall, weighs barely 190-pounds, runs a 4.90 forty & has an underpowered arm. he was signed by the Detroit Lions yesterday, so he will get to go to camp with an NFL team. I think he sticks as a 3rd string QB either with the Lions or someone else in the league. His instincts, timing & football I.Q. are on the same level as Andrew Luck, RG3 or anybody that's been drafted in the past decade.
So your team is coming off a very disappointing 5-11 season, you have an offensive line that needs a lot of help, you have no viable wide receivers to work with your 2nd year quarterback, a pathetic pass rush & a serious talent issue within your secondary. But with your third round pick, you draft a punter? That's exactly what the Jacksonville Jaguars did Friday night. Picking a punter, I don't care if it's Ray Guy, when you have so many other holes, makes no sense at all. Bryan Anger better be awesome.
Best name signed as an undrafted free agent: Ishmaa'ily Kitchen, a 335-pound nose tackle from Kent State who signed with Baltimore.
Nine undrafted Missouri Tigers found a spot to go camping this August.
Denver--Austin Wuebbels--guard
Houston--Jerrell Jackson--wide receiver
Pittsburgh--Grant Ressel--place kicker
Tennessee--Beau Brinkley--long snapper
Oakland--Dominique Hamilton--defensive tackle
Carolina--Wes Kemp--wide receiver
Miami--Jacques Smith--defensive end/outside linebacker
New Orleans--Dan Hoch--offensive tackle
Minnesota--Terrell Rosonno--defensive tackle
Tight end Michael Egnew was the only Tger drafted.
The undrafted free agent prospects I liked for the Chiefs were posted Saturday night. Everyone of them were signed no later than yesterday morning, not one of them with Kansas City. Of the 25 prospects the Chiefs brought into town or visited for a private workout, Kansas City actually drafted 4 of them, Poe, Stephenson, Gray & Hemingway. Three signed as undrafted free agents, but once again, not by the Chiefs.
The Chiefs' needs at safety was well documented before the draft. They selected Da'Quan Menzie of Alabama, a corner prospect that probably move to safety. But yesterday they announced their undrafted free agent class & there are 5 safeties in the group of 14. Tysyn Hartman of Kansas State & Neiko Thorpe of Auburn have the best shot to make the 53-man roster. Fullback Taylor Gentry of North Carolina State & Cam Holland, a center from North Carolina, impressed me the most. The most tired prospect has to be running back Nate Eachus of Colgate who carried the ball 838 times on his college career. Whew.
The Oakland Raiders are doing a great thing for their community. They will donate 10% of all new season ticket sales from May 1st to June 30th to the Oakland public School system. The Golden State's burgeoning debt has hurt public school systems. The Raiders are doing their part & I applaud them for it.
Another Do-gooder is former Raider & Kansas City Royal, Bo Jackson. The recent one year anniversary of the tornadoes that killed over 200 people in the state of Alabama was observed in a very productive way. Jackson formed a small group of celebrities for "Bo Bikes Bama." Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong, Ken Griffey Jr. & Scottie Pippen participated in the 5-day, 300-mile bike ride that raised $413,000 for tornado relief in Tuscaloosa. Bo wasn't satisfied with the financial results & is planning another fund raiser.
Since I started this blog 3+ years ago, I've mentioned running back Caleb King on several occasions, mostly because he can't get his life in order. The former 5-star recruit out of Georgia went to Athens to play for the Dawgs & coach Mark Richt. He got in trouble off the field, was suspended for a few games here & there before finally being dismissed from the program for poor academic performance. Because his dismissal came after the 2011 draft, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent where he languished on their practice squad for the entire 2011 season. At a birthday party early Saturday morning, King beat a man so severely he sustained a skull fracture & some 50-stitches in his head. The party was at a private residence in Anoka County Minnesota & the victim was attacked by King because he made fun of King, saying "he resembled a celebrity." The man left the party & sat in a car waiting for his friends so they could leave. King went outside & began the assault that resulted in the victim being in serious condition with possible brain damage & King jailed for the time being. That kind of rage should scare off any remaining NFL holdouts as to King's talent. Instead of making $110,000 on the practice squad for another NFL team or $315,000 on an active roster, King will most likely have a future of making license plates for a few years.
The Rams took a chance at the top of the 2nd round drafting cornerback Janoris Jenkins. He has, shall we say, a checkered past. If you've read this blog recently, you know the past I'm talking about. Before the Rams pulled the trigger on his selection, they told Jenkins they intended to call him every single day for the foreseeable future to check on him to hopefully keep him on the straight & narrow. Jenkins is supremely talented & the Rams desperately need him to stay cool & produce as the shut down corner they envisioned. Coach Jeff Fisher made it clear to Jenkins that Fisher himself, his position coach & the defensive coordinator would do the phone check-ins. He also told Jenkins he better answer his phone when they call. This ought to be interesting, I hope the kid makes it.
I told you on Saturday night I thought the Philadelphia Eagles had the best draft considering their needs. Their good work continued early Sunday when they signed undrafted free agent running back Chris Polk from the University of Washington. Polk has an injury history, but when healthy, he's been a very productive back that should have been drafted. I say he makes the Eagles 53-man roster opening day.
Another prospect who wasn't drafted because of a medical issue was Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu, a personal favorite of mine. He stayed in the Bay Area, signing with the Forty-Niners. Tho he was medically cleared months ago, his history of concussions scared a number of teams into removing him from their draft boards.
The teams that drafted Stanford prospects, Indy, Pittsburgh, Detroit etc. will have to wait for their new acquisitions to finish school before reporting for the rookie & full-squad mini camps. The NFL has a rule if school is still in session, they can't join the team beyond this weekend. Stanford is one of the few universities that has a quarters-system while most operate on a semester or tri-mester system. Classes at Stanford run into mid-June, the 14th to be exact.
Boise State has as many players drafted(6) as USC & Texas combined. Kind of shoots holes in all the haters' arguments that the Broncos didn't belong playing with the big boys huh? It should be noted Boise State has never signed a 4 or 5-star recruit. USC & Texas sign multiple 4 & 5-star recruits each & every year. Think Chris Peterson & his staff don't do an amazing job?
Speaking of Boise prospects, five more signed as undrafted free agents including quarterback Kellen Moore, NCAA football's all-time winner with a ridiculous 50-3 record. Honestly this is a record that may stand for a very long time. Moore is barely 6' tall, weighs barely 190-pounds, runs a 4.90 forty & has an underpowered arm. he was signed by the Detroit Lions yesterday, so he will get to go to camp with an NFL team. I think he sticks as a 3rd string QB either with the Lions or someone else in the league. His instincts, timing & football I.Q. are on the same level as Andrew Luck, RG3 or anybody that's been drafted in the past decade.
So your team is coming off a very disappointing 5-11 season, you have an offensive line that needs a lot of help, you have no viable wide receivers to work with your 2nd year quarterback, a pathetic pass rush & a serious talent issue within your secondary. But with your third round pick, you draft a punter? That's exactly what the Jacksonville Jaguars did Friday night. Picking a punter, I don't care if it's Ray Guy, when you have so many other holes, makes no sense at all. Bryan Anger better be awesome.
Best name signed as an undrafted free agent: Ishmaa'ily Kitchen, a 335-pound nose tackle from Kent State who signed with Baltimore.
Nine undrafted Missouri Tigers found a spot to go camping this August.
Denver--Austin Wuebbels--guard
Houston--Jerrell Jackson--wide receiver
Pittsburgh--Grant Ressel--place kicker
Tennessee--Beau Brinkley--long snapper
Oakland--Dominique Hamilton--defensive tackle
Carolina--Wes Kemp--wide receiver
Miami--Jacques Smith--defensive end/outside linebacker
New Orleans--Dan Hoch--offensive tackle
Minnesota--Terrell Rosonno--defensive tackle
Tight end Michael Egnew was the only Tger drafted.
The undrafted free agent prospects I liked for the Chiefs were posted Saturday night. Everyone of them were signed no later than yesterday morning, not one of them with Kansas City. Of the 25 prospects the Chiefs brought into town or visited for a private workout, Kansas City actually drafted 4 of them, Poe, Stephenson, Gray & Hemingway. Three signed as undrafted free agents, but once again, not by the Chiefs.
The Chiefs' needs at safety was well documented before the draft. They selected Da'Quan Menzie of Alabama, a corner prospect that probably move to safety. But yesterday they announced their undrafted free agent class & there are 5 safeties in the group of 14. Tysyn Hartman of Kansas State & Neiko Thorpe of Auburn have the best shot to make the 53-man roster. Fullback Taylor Gentry of North Carolina State & Cam Holland, a center from North Carolina, impressed me the most. The most tired prospect has to be running back Nate Eachus of Colgate who carried the ball 838 times on his college career. Whew.
The Oakland Raiders are doing a great thing for their community. They will donate 10% of all new season ticket sales from May 1st to June 30th to the Oakland public School system. The Golden State's burgeoning debt has hurt public school systems. The Raiders are doing their part & I applaud them for it.
Another Do-gooder is former Raider & Kansas City Royal, Bo Jackson. The recent one year anniversary of the tornadoes that killed over 200 people in the state of Alabama was observed in a very productive way. Jackson formed a small group of celebrities for "Bo Bikes Bama." Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong, Ken Griffey Jr. & Scottie Pippen participated in the 5-day, 300-mile bike ride that raised $413,000 for tornado relief in Tuscaloosa. Bo wasn't satisfied with the financial results & is planning another fund raiser.
Since I started this blog 3+ years ago, I've mentioned running back Caleb King on several occasions, mostly because he can't get his life in order. The former 5-star recruit out of Georgia went to Athens to play for the Dawgs & coach Mark Richt. He got in trouble off the field, was suspended for a few games here & there before finally being dismissed from the program for poor academic performance. Because his dismissal came after the 2011 draft, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent where he languished on their practice squad for the entire 2011 season. At a birthday party early Saturday morning, King beat a man so severely he sustained a skull fracture & some 50-stitches in his head. The party was at a private residence in Anoka County Minnesota & the victim was attacked by King because he made fun of King, saying "he resembled a celebrity." The man left the party & sat in a car waiting for his friends so they could leave. King went outside & began the assault that resulted in the victim being in serious condition with possible brain damage & King jailed for the time being. That kind of rage should scare off any remaining NFL holdouts as to King's talent. Instead of making $110,000 on the practice squad for another NFL team or $315,000 on an active roster, King will most likely have a future of making license plates for a few years.
The Rams took a chance at the top of the 2nd round drafting cornerback Janoris Jenkins. He has, shall we say, a checkered past. If you've read this blog recently, you know the past I'm talking about. Before the Rams pulled the trigger on his selection, they told Jenkins they intended to call him every single day for the foreseeable future to check on him to hopefully keep him on the straight & narrow. Jenkins is supremely talented & the Rams desperately need him to stay cool & produce as the shut down corner they envisioned. Coach Jeff Fisher made it clear to Jenkins that Fisher himself, his position coach & the defensive coordinator would do the phone check-ins. He also told Jenkins he better answer his phone when they call. This ought to be interesting, I hope the kid makes it.
SO, THE BOTTOM LINE ON THE CHIEFS DRAFT IS........
I've been spreading ill will around the internet already regarding the Chiefs' draft. At least that's how others perceive it. I'm just stating the facts as I see it, but once again the more tolerant, patient Chiefs fans discount nearly everything I say. I'm "bitter" & "unwilling to give anyone a chance." Those are a few of the reactions I've gotten, we'll see how unhappy I make you this rainy Monday morning.
I will once again preface my remarks with the following indisputable facts:
1. The Chiefs have not won a playoff game in 18-years.
2. They've only won three playoff games since winning the Super Bowl 41-years ago.
3. The Chiefs are on their sixth head coach since they last won a playoff game.
4. Seven of the last ten 1st round draft picks have been defensive players. In the past ten years, the Chiefs have been in the bottom 10 in sacks league-wide all ten years.
5. The last QB Kansas City drafted in the first round was Todd Blackledge in 1983.
6. Blackledge is the last QB drafted by K.C., in any round, to win a game for the franchise.
7. Not too long ago the Chiefs had 21,000+ fans on the waiting list to buy season tickets.
8. On Sunday game days at Arrowhead, there are routinely 8,000-12,000 empty seats.
9. The other three teams in the AFC West have been in the Super Bowl since the Chiefs last won a playoff game.
Any arguments about those facts as I have presented them? Anyone see a trend or a problem? Now I will make my points regarding the Chiefs' portion of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Since there were no quarterbacks selected in the draft or eligible for unrestricted free agency next February, we must assume, barring a blockbuster trade, Matthew Gus Brennan Cassel is to be our starting quarterback for the near future. I define "near future as 1-3 years. It should be noted Cassel will turn 30-years of age in May. This post is not about Matt Cassel, I think he makes the most out what talent he has. I think he's pretty damn tough & there should be no doubts as to his work ethic. The problem with Matt Cassel is not who he is, rather who he is not. He is not Aaron Rodgers, Eli or Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, or any of the other elite, semi-elite, wannabe-elite or just way above average. He's not.
So why do the Chiefs continue to trot him out there attempting to fool their fans into thinking he's "The Man?" Beats the hell out of me folks. I'm not stupid, you're not stupid & yet, we're treated as tho we are. I get why they didn't draft a QB in the first three rounds in this draft, I do. Scott Pioli was in a bad spot to snag one of the top quarterbacks & drafting yet another QB on the draft's last day(rounds 4-7) trying to recreate the Tom Brady jackpot that was pick #199 in 2000 is pathetic. It shows how poor your drafting acumen really is. I'm not slamming Scott Pioli alone here, it's historically been a problem with this franchise.
So knowing that Cassel is the starting quarterback for the near future & he's 30-years old, what did Pioli do to improve their chances to gain one of those elusive playoff wins in the upcoming season? In one word, nothing. Oh, Devon Wylie might break a punt return for a touchdown, De'Quan Menzie could make a big play to change momentum in a game, but realistically that's about it.
Round 1
Unless the light goes on for Dontari Poe from day one & Romeo Crennel & D-line coach Anthony Pleasant coaches this young man up in a hurry, he's at least a year away. That's if he ever comes around to justify his lofty selection at #11 overall.
Round 2
Jeff Allen in the 2nd round was a solid pick but he will most likely have to change positions, moving to left guard. Allen played guard at the Senior Bowl & looked like he belonged there. He is advanced as a pass blocker for a college player. He was a 47-game starter at Illinois, so he has experience playing top-shelf competition. But he is probably a year away from starting for Kansas City.
Round 3
Donald Stephenson, the hometown boy, was an OK pick, certainly at least one round early. He's a tackle prospect who needs extensive work in the weight room & a lot of coaching. He probably needs two-years minimum before he is ready. Was he drafted to be the swing tackle, able to play both sides? Or was he drafted to be their ace in the hole in case Brandon Albert walks away from the Chiefs after this season? If the answer is the latter, I don't think he'll be ready in a year.
Round 4
Devon Wylie is going to be the next Dexter McCluster, or at least the the player Pioli thought Dexter McCluster would become. A slot receiver playing 30% of the snaps & returning punts. I will tell you this, Wylie is much quicker & faster than McCluster, that was obvious watching games & even more so at the combine. Wylie is fast, but he isn't is durable. like McCluster, he won't take a lot of pounding. If he makes the team & plays quite a bit, it means McCluster for Tony Gonzalez was a bust.
Round 5
De'Quan Menzie should make the Chiefs roster & get plenty of playing time as a rookie. He was a nickel corner at Alabama, but as a pro, I think he has to move to safety, he just isn't fast enough, even as a nickel back. What Menzie can do is use his outstanding instincts to find the ball. He has always played close to the line of scrimmage, he's very good in run support & is an excellent tackler. He also played on special teams well. Very competitive prospects with 2 national championship rings always interest me & Menzie was an excellent pick in this spot.
Round 6
Texas A&M RB Cyrus Gray was the choice & I have no idea why. With Peyton Hillis on a 1-year contract, drafting bigger, more durable back would've been my choice. Gray is dinged up more than average. He's not strong, doesn't break many tackles & his blitz pickup skills should scare the hell out of Matt Cassel. If you're a fumbler or deficient in pass blocking skills, you can't stay on the field, that's just a fact in today's NFL.
Round 7
Defensive end Jerome Long is essentially camp fodder. In the seven games I saw the Aztecs play, I couldn't even tell you if he was in the game or not. I assume he was, he was listed as a two-year starter, but he made no plays in the games I saw.
Michigan wide receiver Junior Hemingway is a special teams player & a guy who goes deep on Hail Mary attempts. Sorry, I don't see any way he plays many snaps. If he can run downfield to cover kicks & punts, he might make the roster, but to do that, he'll have to beat out Terrence Copper, a little used WR who is an excellent special teamer.
So is this draft just average or is it a bust? We won't know for three years but what I'm saying is there's little help for the upcoming season in this draft class. I know hindsight is 20/20, but when you're on the clock & being paid millions of dollars to make the right choice, I just think Scott Pioli came up short, again.
The way the draft unfolded, round by round, pick by pick, here's what my draft would've looked like.
1. David DeCastro--guard--Instant starter who's better now & in the future than Allen.
2. Mychal Kendricks--ILB--bigger, faster, more instinctive than Belcher. Hits like a bomb.
3. Stephenson--mainly because I think he has good upside even if it takes 2 years.
4. Alameda Ta'amu--NT--Today, he's a superior player to Poe, just not as much upside.
5. Menzie or Iowa CB Shaun Prater
6. Tommy Streeter--WR--Much larger Miami speedster who can stretch the defense.
7. Antonio Allen--safety--needed a safety, didn't draft one.
7. Hemingway--good as anybody to play special teams.
DeCastro, Kendricks & Ta'amu could start for Kansas City right now IMO & give them a helluva boost going into the 2012 season. The draft class they have, not so much. What I'm saying is 3 starters vs. none for this season. Even with Cassel, the Chiefs are close.If Dontari Poe becomes a Pro Bowl player, which at #11 overall he should, then this draft will be a success, they've needed a NT since they switched to the 3-4 defense. If he flops, they're right back where they were with another year shot & nothing to show for it, because instead of taking a lower risk prospect like Ta'amu, they swing for the fence with Poe. Like I always say, I want to be wrong, I want to eat my words, I want to watch a winning team, a playoff winning team, a team that can challenge for the Super Bowl title. Do you believe we're any closer after this draft?
Please feel free to leave comments, positive or otherwise in the comments sections at the end of each post. Or you can email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com
I will once again preface my remarks with the following indisputable facts:
1. The Chiefs have not won a playoff game in 18-years.
2. They've only won three playoff games since winning the Super Bowl 41-years ago.
3. The Chiefs are on their sixth head coach since they last won a playoff game.
4. Seven of the last ten 1st round draft picks have been defensive players. In the past ten years, the Chiefs have been in the bottom 10 in sacks league-wide all ten years.
5. The last QB Kansas City drafted in the first round was Todd Blackledge in 1983.
6. Blackledge is the last QB drafted by K.C., in any round, to win a game for the franchise.
7. Not too long ago the Chiefs had 21,000+ fans on the waiting list to buy season tickets.
8. On Sunday game days at Arrowhead, there are routinely 8,000-12,000 empty seats.
9. The other three teams in the AFC West have been in the Super Bowl since the Chiefs last won a playoff game.
Any arguments about those facts as I have presented them? Anyone see a trend or a problem? Now I will make my points regarding the Chiefs' portion of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Since there were no quarterbacks selected in the draft or eligible for unrestricted free agency next February, we must assume, barring a blockbuster trade, Matthew Gus Brennan Cassel is to be our starting quarterback for the near future. I define "near future as 1-3 years. It should be noted Cassel will turn 30-years of age in May. This post is not about Matt Cassel, I think he makes the most out what talent he has. I think he's pretty damn tough & there should be no doubts as to his work ethic. The problem with Matt Cassel is not who he is, rather who he is not. He is not Aaron Rodgers, Eli or Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, or any of the other elite, semi-elite, wannabe-elite or just way above average. He's not.
So why do the Chiefs continue to trot him out there attempting to fool their fans into thinking he's "The Man?" Beats the hell out of me folks. I'm not stupid, you're not stupid & yet, we're treated as tho we are. I get why they didn't draft a QB in the first three rounds in this draft, I do. Scott Pioli was in a bad spot to snag one of the top quarterbacks & drafting yet another QB on the draft's last day(rounds 4-7) trying to recreate the Tom Brady jackpot that was pick #199 in 2000 is pathetic. It shows how poor your drafting acumen really is. I'm not slamming Scott Pioli alone here, it's historically been a problem with this franchise.
So knowing that Cassel is the starting quarterback for the near future & he's 30-years old, what did Pioli do to improve their chances to gain one of those elusive playoff wins in the upcoming season? In one word, nothing. Oh, Devon Wylie might break a punt return for a touchdown, De'Quan Menzie could make a big play to change momentum in a game, but realistically that's about it.
Round 1
Unless the light goes on for Dontari Poe from day one & Romeo Crennel & D-line coach Anthony Pleasant coaches this young man up in a hurry, he's at least a year away. That's if he ever comes around to justify his lofty selection at #11 overall.
Round 2
Jeff Allen in the 2nd round was a solid pick but he will most likely have to change positions, moving to left guard. Allen played guard at the Senior Bowl & looked like he belonged there. He is advanced as a pass blocker for a college player. He was a 47-game starter at Illinois, so he has experience playing top-shelf competition. But he is probably a year away from starting for Kansas City.
Round 3
Donald Stephenson, the hometown boy, was an OK pick, certainly at least one round early. He's a tackle prospect who needs extensive work in the weight room & a lot of coaching. He probably needs two-years minimum before he is ready. Was he drafted to be the swing tackle, able to play both sides? Or was he drafted to be their ace in the hole in case Brandon Albert walks away from the Chiefs after this season? If the answer is the latter, I don't think he'll be ready in a year.
Round 4
Devon Wylie is going to be the next Dexter McCluster, or at least the the player Pioli thought Dexter McCluster would become. A slot receiver playing 30% of the snaps & returning punts. I will tell you this, Wylie is much quicker & faster than McCluster, that was obvious watching games & even more so at the combine. Wylie is fast, but he isn't is durable. like McCluster, he won't take a lot of pounding. If he makes the team & plays quite a bit, it means McCluster for Tony Gonzalez was a bust.
Round 5
De'Quan Menzie should make the Chiefs roster & get plenty of playing time as a rookie. He was a nickel corner at Alabama, but as a pro, I think he has to move to safety, he just isn't fast enough, even as a nickel back. What Menzie can do is use his outstanding instincts to find the ball. He has always played close to the line of scrimmage, he's very good in run support & is an excellent tackler. He also played on special teams well. Very competitive prospects with 2 national championship rings always interest me & Menzie was an excellent pick in this spot.
Round 6
Texas A&M RB Cyrus Gray was the choice & I have no idea why. With Peyton Hillis on a 1-year contract, drafting bigger, more durable back would've been my choice. Gray is dinged up more than average. He's not strong, doesn't break many tackles & his blitz pickup skills should scare the hell out of Matt Cassel. If you're a fumbler or deficient in pass blocking skills, you can't stay on the field, that's just a fact in today's NFL.
Round 7
Defensive end Jerome Long is essentially camp fodder. In the seven games I saw the Aztecs play, I couldn't even tell you if he was in the game or not. I assume he was, he was listed as a two-year starter, but he made no plays in the games I saw.
Michigan wide receiver Junior Hemingway is a special teams player & a guy who goes deep on Hail Mary attempts. Sorry, I don't see any way he plays many snaps. If he can run downfield to cover kicks & punts, he might make the roster, but to do that, he'll have to beat out Terrence Copper, a little used WR who is an excellent special teamer.
So is this draft just average or is it a bust? We won't know for three years but what I'm saying is there's little help for the upcoming season in this draft class. I know hindsight is 20/20, but when you're on the clock & being paid millions of dollars to make the right choice, I just think Scott Pioli came up short, again.
The way the draft unfolded, round by round, pick by pick, here's what my draft would've looked like.
1. David DeCastro--guard--Instant starter who's better now & in the future than Allen.
2. Mychal Kendricks--ILB--bigger, faster, more instinctive than Belcher. Hits like a bomb.
3. Stephenson--mainly because I think he has good upside even if it takes 2 years.
4. Alameda Ta'amu--NT--Today, he's a superior player to Poe, just not as much upside.
5. Menzie or Iowa CB Shaun Prater
6. Tommy Streeter--WR--Much larger Miami speedster who can stretch the defense.
7. Antonio Allen--safety--needed a safety, didn't draft one.
7. Hemingway--good as anybody to play special teams.
DeCastro, Kendricks & Ta'amu could start for Kansas City right now IMO & give them a helluva boost going into the 2012 season. The draft class they have, not so much. What I'm saying is 3 starters vs. none for this season. Even with Cassel, the Chiefs are close.If Dontari Poe becomes a Pro Bowl player, which at #11 overall he should, then this draft will be a success, they've needed a NT since they switched to the 3-4 defense. If he flops, they're right back where they were with another year shot & nothing to show for it, because instead of taking a lower risk prospect like Ta'amu, they swing for the fence with Poe. Like I always say, I want to be wrong, I want to eat my words, I want to watch a winning team, a playoff winning team, a team that can challenge for the Super Bowl title. Do you believe we're any closer after this draft?
Please feel free to leave comments, positive or otherwise in the comments sections at the end of each post. Or you can email me at rich@richsfootballreport.com
WHO DID WELL & WHO DIDN'T, CHIEFS' RECAP & THE DRAFT HAS CONCLUDED, NOW WHAT?
I'm burned out, I've read notes, some of them I can't even make out what comment I was trying to make, watched endless NFL Network & ESPN for days & written copious posts on the NFL Draft. It's over but there's still work to be done, since I'm so tired, I better get started.
I'm not one to attach grades to every teams' draft, who knows how any of them will do down the road? But I do know what I like & don't like, here's a couple of each, beginning with the two I really liked.
Philadelphia
Hands down my favorite, I thought they addressed their obvious needs & did it so effectively, with players I'm personally impressed by, so the Eagles get my highest grade.
1. Fletcher Cox--DT Best DT in the class, got him with the 12th pick
2. Mychal Kendricks--LB Could become an elite LB, extremely talented with some pop.
2. Vinny Curry--DE Another pass rusher to help add to Philly's 50 sacks in 2011.
3. Nick Foles--QB Only pick I wasn't wild about.
4. Brandon Boykin--CB good value with this pick, he'll stick.
5. Dennis Kelly--OT Depth is a good thing, especially very large depth.
6. Marvin McNutt--WR Got a 4th round talent in the 6th round, excellent addition.
6. Brandon Washington--G Developmental player who has a good upside.
7. Bryce Brown--RB Very talented but very flaky, could stick but probably won't.
Cincinnati
I give the Bengals a hard time but in this draft, they hit a home run. Drafted WR A.J. Green & QB Andy Dalton last year & instead of going all defense this draft, the Bengals gave Dalton more ammo to succeed which is a very good gameplan.
1. Dre Kirkpatrick--CB Great talent, extremely immature. Keep him straight & he's A+.
1. Kevin Zeitler--G Extreme mauler who should start in Cincy for ten years.
2. Devon Still--DT Lots of potential, needs someone to ride him hard.
3. Mohammed Sanu--WR Big possession receiver who has always been very productive.
3. Brandon Thompson--DT Needed inside pass rush, here it is.
4. Orson Charles--TE paired with Jermaine Gresham, they could be like the Pats.
5. Shaun Prater--CB I wanted the Chiefs to grab this guy.
5. Marvin Jones--WR I wanted the Chiefs to grab this guy.
5. George Iloka--S I wanted the Chiefs.........................
6. Dan Herron--RB fine talent, head up you know where too often, straighten him out.
And the not-so-hot.
Oakland
Traded too many picks for QB's. A #1 & #2 for Carson Palmer. They surrendered their 3rd pick for Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft & sent their 4th round pick to Washington for Jason Campbell, who is now in Chicago. Worse yet, they intend to sign Matt Leinart to be their backup QB, making Pryor a very low priority. The new owners, management & coaching staff have a lot to clean up from Al Davis' last 5-years running the show.
I liked offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom & WR Juron Criner, but the other 4? Not so much, I'd never heard of two of them which is exactly the way Al Davis used to run the Raiders' draft. Some things die hard I guess.
New Orleans
Traded their #1 pick last year to draft RB Mark Ingram, so they got something. Forfeited their 2nd pick in the Bounty Program punishment. Their first pick was Akiem Hicks, a DT from Regina Canada who is light years away from being NFL-ready. Wisconsin WR Nick Toon was next & he'll probably make it as a slower version of Marques Colston. The other three strictly camp fodder. A franchise in need of some uplifting news didn't get it this weekend in New York.
Green Bay roared out to a 13-0 record before getting severely thrashed at home by the Giants in the playoffs. Their defense just wasn't as good as the offense. The Packers drafted 6 defenders with their first 6 picks. That's why this team is in contention most of the time, identify a problem, fix it.
Pittsburgh is another example of this. They needed a nose tackle & a bunch of help on the offensive line. The only need they failed to fix was at RB, their only selection was Florida speed merchant Chris Rainey, but he's not a Steeler kind of pound-it-out back. The got the best offensive lineman in the draft, guard David DeCastro. Took tackle Mike Adams in the second round. Both were extremely good value picks. As to the nose tackle, Pittsburgh got Alameda Ta'amu, a 2nd round talent, in the 4th round. This is why this franchise is successful year after year, their ability to draft well, that & Ben Roethlisberger.
Adams is from Pennsylvania & a lifelong Steeler fan. When he found out thru his agent the Steelers had removed him from their draft board for failing a drug test at the combine & his shaky decision making in the Ohio State "Tattoo-Gate" mess, he was devastated. He drove from Columbus to Pittsburgh & asked to have a 15-minute meeting with owner Art Rooney II & coach Mike Tomlin. Whatever he promised, worked. Hopefully he can stay on the straight & narrow while having a great NFL career.
Here's another interesting tidbit. Wide receivers Greg Childs & Jarius Wright played middle school & high school football together. They made a pact they would stay together at the college level & only talked to recruiters who would honor that pact. They ended up playing for Arkansas & both started in the Razorbacks 3-receiver offense. Then in the drafts' 4th round on Saturday, they both were selected by, get this, the Minnesota Vikings. Pretty amazing.
The Chiefs' 7th round selections, DE Jerome Long & WR Junior Hemingway breakdown like this:
Jerome Long--DE--San Diego State--6' 3" 282
I'm going to be honest with you, I saw the Aztecs 3 times this past season & 4 times in 2010. In those games, I never, ever noticed Long doing anything that caught my attention, so I know zip about him. I could lie & look up something on the internet, even that won't work. I looked for something to tell you but he's kind of the invisible man.
Junior Hemingway--WR--Michigan--6' 1" 228
I saw a lot of Junior the past three years. But to be fair, 2009 &'10 were a mess during Rich Rodriguez's regime(say that fast three times). Plus Denard Robinson is the ultimate free-lancing quarterback in the land, making it difficult to judge any receivers because he seldom threw the ball on time or with both feet on the ground or with a lot of accuracy. Hemingway fought for many of his receptions because he doesn't gain a lot of separation in his routes. But he does fight for the ball & with his long arms & powerful hands, he usually secured it(anyone remember his spectacular YD catch in the Suar Bowl?). Hemingway missed a lot of playing time with shoulder, hamstring & ankle injuries over his 5-years in Ann Arbor.
I'll have much more on the Chiefs' draft as well as any undrafted free agents they sign on Monday. I'm taking the day off tomorrow. Just one more topic to cover & that is what undrafted free agents should the Chiefs target IMO? Here they are;
Coryell Judie--CB--Texas A&M
Leonard Johnson--CB--Iowa State
Eddie Pleasant--S--Oregon
Trevor Coston--S--Maine
Tony Dye--S--UCLA
Brett Roy--OLB/DE--Nevada
Shawn Loiseau--ILB--Merrimack
Nick Jean-Baptiste--NT--Baylor
Drew Nowak--DE--Western Michigan
Levy Adcock--OT--Oklahoma State
Kevin Koger--TE--Michigan
Chris Owusu--WR--Stanford
Wes Kemp--WR--Missouri
Chris Polk--RB--Washington
I'm not one to attach grades to every teams' draft, who knows how any of them will do down the road? But I do know what I like & don't like, here's a couple of each, beginning with the two I really liked.
Philadelphia
Hands down my favorite, I thought they addressed their obvious needs & did it so effectively, with players I'm personally impressed by, so the Eagles get my highest grade.
1. Fletcher Cox--DT Best DT in the class, got him with the 12th pick
2. Mychal Kendricks--LB Could become an elite LB, extremely talented with some pop.
2. Vinny Curry--DE Another pass rusher to help add to Philly's 50 sacks in 2011.
3. Nick Foles--QB Only pick I wasn't wild about.
4. Brandon Boykin--CB good value with this pick, he'll stick.
5. Dennis Kelly--OT Depth is a good thing, especially very large depth.
6. Marvin McNutt--WR Got a 4th round talent in the 6th round, excellent addition.
6. Brandon Washington--G Developmental player who has a good upside.
7. Bryce Brown--RB Very talented but very flaky, could stick but probably won't.
Cincinnati
I give the Bengals a hard time but in this draft, they hit a home run. Drafted WR A.J. Green & QB Andy Dalton last year & instead of going all defense this draft, the Bengals gave Dalton more ammo to succeed which is a very good gameplan.
1. Dre Kirkpatrick--CB Great talent, extremely immature. Keep him straight & he's A+.
1. Kevin Zeitler--G Extreme mauler who should start in Cincy for ten years.
2. Devon Still--DT Lots of potential, needs someone to ride him hard.
3. Mohammed Sanu--WR Big possession receiver who has always been very productive.
3. Brandon Thompson--DT Needed inside pass rush, here it is.
4. Orson Charles--TE paired with Jermaine Gresham, they could be like the Pats.
5. Shaun Prater--CB I wanted the Chiefs to grab this guy.
5. Marvin Jones--WR I wanted the Chiefs to grab this guy.
5. George Iloka--S I wanted the Chiefs.........................
6. Dan Herron--RB fine talent, head up you know where too often, straighten him out.
And the not-so-hot.
Oakland
Traded too many picks for QB's. A #1 & #2 for Carson Palmer. They surrendered their 3rd pick for Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft & sent their 4th round pick to Washington for Jason Campbell, who is now in Chicago. Worse yet, they intend to sign Matt Leinart to be their backup QB, making Pryor a very low priority. The new owners, management & coaching staff have a lot to clean up from Al Davis' last 5-years running the show.
I liked offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom & WR Juron Criner, but the other 4? Not so much, I'd never heard of two of them which is exactly the way Al Davis used to run the Raiders' draft. Some things die hard I guess.
New Orleans
Traded their #1 pick last year to draft RB Mark Ingram, so they got something. Forfeited their 2nd pick in the Bounty Program punishment. Their first pick was Akiem Hicks, a DT from Regina Canada who is light years away from being NFL-ready. Wisconsin WR Nick Toon was next & he'll probably make it as a slower version of Marques Colston. The other three strictly camp fodder. A franchise in need of some uplifting news didn't get it this weekend in New York.
Green Bay roared out to a 13-0 record before getting severely thrashed at home by the Giants in the playoffs. Their defense just wasn't as good as the offense. The Packers drafted 6 defenders with their first 6 picks. That's why this team is in contention most of the time, identify a problem, fix it.
Pittsburgh is another example of this. They needed a nose tackle & a bunch of help on the offensive line. The only need they failed to fix was at RB, their only selection was Florida speed merchant Chris Rainey, but he's not a Steeler kind of pound-it-out back. The got the best offensive lineman in the draft, guard David DeCastro. Took tackle Mike Adams in the second round. Both were extremely good value picks. As to the nose tackle, Pittsburgh got Alameda Ta'amu, a 2nd round talent, in the 4th round. This is why this franchise is successful year after year, their ability to draft well, that & Ben Roethlisberger.
Adams is from Pennsylvania & a lifelong Steeler fan. When he found out thru his agent the Steelers had removed him from their draft board for failing a drug test at the combine & his shaky decision making in the Ohio State "Tattoo-Gate" mess, he was devastated. He drove from Columbus to Pittsburgh & asked to have a 15-minute meeting with owner Art Rooney II & coach Mike Tomlin. Whatever he promised, worked. Hopefully he can stay on the straight & narrow while having a great NFL career.
Here's another interesting tidbit. Wide receivers Greg Childs & Jarius Wright played middle school & high school football together. They made a pact they would stay together at the college level & only talked to recruiters who would honor that pact. They ended up playing for Arkansas & both started in the Razorbacks 3-receiver offense. Then in the drafts' 4th round on Saturday, they both were selected by, get this, the Minnesota Vikings. Pretty amazing.
The Chiefs' 7th round selections, DE Jerome Long & WR Junior Hemingway breakdown like this:
Jerome Long--DE--San Diego State--6' 3" 282
I'm going to be honest with you, I saw the Aztecs 3 times this past season & 4 times in 2010. In those games, I never, ever noticed Long doing anything that caught my attention, so I know zip about him. I could lie & look up something on the internet, even that won't work. I looked for something to tell you but he's kind of the invisible man.
Junior Hemingway--WR--Michigan--6' 1" 228
I saw a lot of Junior the past three years. But to be fair, 2009 &'10 were a mess during Rich Rodriguez's regime(say that fast three times). Plus Denard Robinson is the ultimate free-lancing quarterback in the land, making it difficult to judge any receivers because he seldom threw the ball on time or with both feet on the ground or with a lot of accuracy. Hemingway fought for many of his receptions because he doesn't gain a lot of separation in his routes. But he does fight for the ball & with his long arms & powerful hands, he usually secured it(anyone remember his spectacular YD catch in the Suar Bowl?). Hemingway missed a lot of playing time with shoulder, hamstring & ankle injuries over his 5-years in Ann Arbor.
I'll have much more on the Chiefs' draft as well as any undrafted free agents they sign on Monday. I'm taking the day off tomorrow. Just one more topic to cover & that is what undrafted free agents should the Chiefs target IMO? Here they are;
Coryell Judie--CB--Texas A&M
Leonard Johnson--CB--Iowa State
Eddie Pleasant--S--Oregon
Trevor Coston--S--Maine
Tony Dye--S--UCLA
Brett Roy--OLB/DE--Nevada
Shawn Loiseau--ILB--Merrimack
Nick Jean-Baptiste--NT--Baylor
Drew Nowak--DE--Western Michigan
Levy Adcock--OT--Oklahoma State
Kevin Koger--TE--Michigan
Chris Owusu--WR--Stanford
Wes Kemp--WR--Missouri
Chris Polk--RB--Washington
CHIEFS' COMPLETE DRAFT LIST
Round 1.
Dontari Poe--NT--Memphis
Round 2.
Jeff Allen--G/T--Illinois
Round 3.
Donald Stephenson--G/T--Oklahoma
Round 4.
Devon Wylie--WR--Fresno State--5' 9" 187
Chiefs needed outside speed, they drafted outside speed. Wylie ran 4.39 & believe me he plays that fast. He blurs right by DB's. Has very large hands for his size & catches the ball consistently. Dangerous in the open field after the catch & as a punt returner.
Round 5.
De'Quan Menzie--safety--Alabama--5' 11" 195
Like the other Tide corners, Menzie played right on the line of scrimmage. Fierce tackler vs. the run. Too slow to play corner at the next level, plus his vertical isn't enough & I expect the Chiefs will move hi into safety. He's plenty big & when you see him tackle, you'll know he will make this team. Superior special teamer as well.
Round 6.
Cyrus Gray--RB--Texas A&M--5' 10" 206
When he's healthy, Gray is a home run hitter. Fast with super acceleration but he doesn't break tackles, goes down with too many arm tackles. Decent pass receiver, no blitz pickup skills & his injury history is troubling.
Round 7.
Jerome Long--DE--San Diego State--6' 3" 282
Round 7.
Junior Hemingway--WR--Michigan--6' 1" 228
I'll have the round seven capsules as well as a quick list of undrafted free agents worth signing later tonight.
A FEW MORE NAMES FOR TODAY
In the post I wrote last night, I neglected to give any candidates at cornerback for the late rounds. I'm a fan of LSU's Ron Brooks, blazing speed, superior special teams player & nickel back. Couldn't crack the starting lineup outside because he played with three #1 draft picks.
Two others to consider, Furman's Ryan Steed & Coryell Judie of Texas A&M. Judie has injury history, shoulder & hamstring, but is a solid tackler in run support, coverage & on special teams. Very good skills attacking the ball when it's in the air. Steed is a player I haven't seen too much but he showed me he could tackle in the open field, important for DB's & on coverage teams.
B.J. Coleman of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a late round QB who has developmental possibilities. Live, strong arm, the Tennessee transfer has prototypical QB size & decent pocket awareness. Consistent accuracy has been his problem.
Utah State's Robert Turbin is a running back I told you about during this process. He's strong, quick & very solid catching the ball. Low center of gravity, finishes runs & has excellent short yardage skills. Very productive runner but not a polished blocker in pass protection.
Two more receivers to consider, Cal's Marvin Jones & Devin Wylie from Fresno State. Jones is a solid route runner who despite some injury history, is fearless, especially over the middle. Doesn't play as fast as he times but he gets enough separation to make a lot of plays. Wylie is smaller than Jones' 6' 1" 191, but he's faster & it shows. Just 5' 9" 185, Wylie hardly gears down at all going into breaks & explodes out of them. Big hands for his size & he routinely snatches the ball from the air. Dangerous return man in the open field but has been dinged up a lot, played at 175 until his senior season & he took a beating at times. Thanks to my buddy John Cooney for reminding me about Jones.
Two others to consider, Furman's Ryan Steed & Coryell Judie of Texas A&M. Judie has injury history, shoulder & hamstring, but is a solid tackler in run support, coverage & on special teams. Very good skills attacking the ball when it's in the air. Steed is a player I haven't seen too much but he showed me he could tackle in the open field, important for DB's & on coverage teams.
B.J. Coleman of Tennessee-Chattanooga is a late round QB who has developmental possibilities. Live, strong arm, the Tennessee transfer has prototypical QB size & decent pocket awareness. Consistent accuracy has been his problem.
Utah State's Robert Turbin is a running back I told you about during this process. He's strong, quick & very solid catching the ball. Low center of gravity, finishes runs & has excellent short yardage skills. Very productive runner but not a polished blocker in pass protection.
Two more receivers to consider, Cal's Marvin Jones & Devin Wylie from Fresno State. Jones is a solid route runner who despite some injury history, is fearless, especially over the middle. Doesn't play as fast as he times but he gets enough separation to make a lot of plays. Wylie is smaller than Jones' 6' 1" 191, but he's faster & it shows. Just 5' 9" 185, Wylie hardly gears down at all going into breaks & explodes out of them. Big hands for his size & he routinely snatches the ball from the air. Dangerous return man in the open field but has been dinged up a lot, played at 175 until his senior season & he took a beating at times. Thanks to my buddy John Cooney for reminding me about Jones.
CHIEFS DRAFT "BIG" PLUS WHO IS GETTING IT RIGHT?
Rounds two & three of the NFL Draft concluded this evening in just over 4 hours, the league has got this process hitting on all eight cylinders, they've made it just right for primetime TV. In the old days, rounds 1-3 were on one day & it took 9-10 hours, they rattled off 3 rounds in two nights in just slightly more than 7 hours. The new rookie salary scale makes trading much easier & less costly, which increases the excitement. On Saturday, rounds 4-7 will finish the process & that will kickoff the signing of undrafted free agents. For draft geeks like me, even that part of the process is interesting.
The Chiefs continued to go big tonight, drafting two offensive linemen, Illinois' Jeff Allen & Oklahoma's Donald Stephenson. Both played tackle in college. I think Kansas City will move Allen inside to left guard & Stephenson will stay as a reserve tackle for now. Allen was a 4-year starter for the Illini & he's solid fundamentally, good footwork & a natural knee bender allowing him to maintain his balance & leverage. Quite good in pass blocking but he doesn't blow anyone off the line on running plays. Assignment sound, smart & tough. Team captain & All-Big Ten academic team. He could use some better conditioning, looks soft around the middle. Allen measured 6' 4" 307 at the combine with 33 1/2" arms & big paws measuring 10".
Stephenson, a graduate of Blue Springs High School, was only a 1-year starter at OU, but he might have the bigger upside of the two. The 6' 6" 312-pound tackle with 35" arms, ran a 4.94 forty & leaped 35 1/2" in the vertical jump showing his lower body explosion. He does need to get stronger in the upper body, only 19 bench press reps & it shows in his punch, doesn't really rock anybody. But like Allen, he can pass block. His blitz pickups need work. He has the feet to play left tackle in the NFL, he just needs patient coaching, increased upper body strength & some experience. Stephenson is thrilled to be drafted by his hometown team.
The Chiefs offensive line is now as young as it's ever been at any time in the franchise's history. Ryan Lilja is 30, Eric Winston 28, Brandon Albert 27, Jon Asamoah 23, Rodney Hudson, Jeff Allen & Donald Stephenson all 22. Lilja & Albert are in their contract years, Albert could be tough to sign. The two picks made tonight give the team better options with more versatility. Plus both are above average pass blockers coming out of college.
So what should we look for on Saturday from the Chiefs? They still need at least one safety & two of my personal favorites went tonight, Brandon Taylor & Brandon Hardin. A wide receiver with a little speed, a corner & a defensive end. Inside linebacker is picked over with the exception of James-Michael Johnson from Nevada. A couple of wide receivers who can blow the top off a defense with their speed, Miami's Tommy Streeter & Michigan State's Keshawn Martin. Neither has a lot of starting experience, but have shown marked improvement each season & can get behind defenses. Another wideout to consider is Chris Owusu from Stanford. He has sustained three concussions in the past two seasons which has limited his playing time. If he has a doctor's clearance, Owusu has blazing speed & experience playing in a pro-style offense. At safety a foursome to watch would be Oklahoma State's Markelle Martin, Boise State's George Iloka, Maine's Trevor Coston & from South Carolina, Antonio Allen.
Some additional information on the selection of NT Dontari Poe in the first round. GM Scott Pioli said they turned down two offers to trade down for additional picks. He said they were worried if they got too far from their original slot at #11, he would be drafted by someone else.
Should the commissioner's wife be worried?
The team that has really impressed me so far is the Philadelphia Eagles. They needed to fortify their front seven. They got it & then some. After trading for tackling machine Demeco Ryans, they drafted DT Fletcher Cox, LB Mychal Kendricks & DE Vinny Curry. This defense recorded 50 sacks last year but they couldn't stop the inside run. Should be vastly improved in 2012, plus the drafted trio all have pass rush ability.
New Colts' quarterback Andrew Luck got a lot of help tonight as Indy selected his Stanford teammate, tight end Coby Fleener, Clemson TE Dwayne Allen & speedster T.Y. Hilton.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had offensive line problems for several years. First it was age, then injuries. They've made a commitment to fix the problem. Drafting guard David DeCastro in round one, the Steelers followed that up with offensive tackle Mike Adams. He'd had off-field issues at Ohio State, a part of the "Tattoo-Gate" scandal that cost Jim Tressell his job. Adams followed his bad decisions in Columbus with a failed drug test at the combine for pot. This is the right team for Adams, going to that locker room, he will either straighten up or he'll be out on his ass. Adding this pair to center Maurkice Pouncey & tackle Marcus Gilbert, they've gone a long way toward fixing the problem.
San Francisco confused the hell out of me. They already have three productive running backs, Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter & newly acquired Brandon Jacobs for short yardage & goal line. Tonight they drafted Oregon speedster LaMichael James. Not only is there a question of dividing up the workload in this backfield, there's the issue with the turf the Niners play on at home. It's soggy, loose & slow. Maybe their new stadium out in Santa Clara will have field turf, but that's at least two years down the road. Frisco also passed on speedster wideout Stephen Hill in favor of A.J. Jenkins, who was not rated as a first rounder on anyone's draft board.
Missouri tight end Michael Egnew got himself drafted by the Miami Dolphins in round three. No one from Texas, Florida or Florida State had been selected as of yet. When was the last time that trio went three rounds deep without a selection?
The Chiefs continued to go big tonight, drafting two offensive linemen, Illinois' Jeff Allen & Oklahoma's Donald Stephenson. Both played tackle in college. I think Kansas City will move Allen inside to left guard & Stephenson will stay as a reserve tackle for now. Allen was a 4-year starter for the Illini & he's solid fundamentally, good footwork & a natural knee bender allowing him to maintain his balance & leverage. Quite good in pass blocking but he doesn't blow anyone off the line on running plays. Assignment sound, smart & tough. Team captain & All-Big Ten academic team. He could use some better conditioning, looks soft around the middle. Allen measured 6' 4" 307 at the combine with 33 1/2" arms & big paws measuring 10".
Stephenson, a graduate of Blue Springs High School, was only a 1-year starter at OU, but he might have the bigger upside of the two. The 6' 6" 312-pound tackle with 35" arms, ran a 4.94 forty & leaped 35 1/2" in the vertical jump showing his lower body explosion. He does need to get stronger in the upper body, only 19 bench press reps & it shows in his punch, doesn't really rock anybody. But like Allen, he can pass block. His blitz pickups need work. He has the feet to play left tackle in the NFL, he just needs patient coaching, increased upper body strength & some experience. Stephenson is thrilled to be drafted by his hometown team.
The Chiefs offensive line is now as young as it's ever been at any time in the franchise's history. Ryan Lilja is 30, Eric Winston 28, Brandon Albert 27, Jon Asamoah 23, Rodney Hudson, Jeff Allen & Donald Stephenson all 22. Lilja & Albert are in their contract years, Albert could be tough to sign. The two picks made tonight give the team better options with more versatility. Plus both are above average pass blockers coming out of college.
So what should we look for on Saturday from the Chiefs? They still need at least one safety & two of my personal favorites went tonight, Brandon Taylor & Brandon Hardin. A wide receiver with a little speed, a corner & a defensive end. Inside linebacker is picked over with the exception of James-Michael Johnson from Nevada. A couple of wide receivers who can blow the top off a defense with their speed, Miami's Tommy Streeter & Michigan State's Keshawn Martin. Neither has a lot of starting experience, but have shown marked improvement each season & can get behind defenses. Another wideout to consider is Chris Owusu from Stanford. He has sustained three concussions in the past two seasons which has limited his playing time. If he has a doctor's clearance, Owusu has blazing speed & experience playing in a pro-style offense. At safety a foursome to watch would be Oklahoma State's Markelle Martin, Boise State's George Iloka, Maine's Trevor Coston & from South Carolina, Antonio Allen.
Some additional information on the selection of NT Dontari Poe in the first round. GM Scott Pioli said they turned down two offers to trade down for additional picks. He said they were worried if they got too far from their original slot at #11, he would be drafted by someone else.
Should the commissioner's wife be worried?
The team that has really impressed me so far is the Philadelphia Eagles. They needed to fortify their front seven. They got it & then some. After trading for tackling machine Demeco Ryans, they drafted DT Fletcher Cox, LB Mychal Kendricks & DE Vinny Curry. This defense recorded 50 sacks last year but they couldn't stop the inside run. Should be vastly improved in 2012, plus the drafted trio all have pass rush ability.
New Colts' quarterback Andrew Luck got a lot of help tonight as Indy selected his Stanford teammate, tight end Coby Fleener, Clemson TE Dwayne Allen & speedster T.Y. Hilton.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had offensive line problems for several years. First it was age, then injuries. They've made a commitment to fix the problem. Drafting guard David DeCastro in round one, the Steelers followed that up with offensive tackle Mike Adams. He'd had off-field issues at Ohio State, a part of the "Tattoo-Gate" scandal that cost Jim Tressell his job. Adams followed his bad decisions in Columbus with a failed drug test at the combine for pot. This is the right team for Adams, going to that locker room, he will either straighten up or he'll be out on his ass. Adding this pair to center Maurkice Pouncey & tackle Marcus Gilbert, they've gone a long way toward fixing the problem.
San Francisco confused the hell out of me. They already have three productive running backs, Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter & newly acquired Brandon Jacobs for short yardage & goal line. Tonight they drafted Oregon speedster LaMichael James. Not only is there a question of dividing up the workload in this backfield, there's the issue with the turf the Niners play on at home. It's soggy, loose & slow. Maybe their new stadium out in Santa Clara will have field turf, but that's at least two years down the road. Frisco also passed on speedster wideout Stephen Hill in favor of A.J. Jenkins, who was not rated as a first rounder on anyone's draft board.
Missouri tight end Michael Egnew got himself drafted by the Miami Dolphins in round three. No one from Texas, Florida or Florida State had been selected as of yet. When was the last time that trio went three rounds deep without a selection?
JIM BROWN'S WRONG, ASANTE TRADED, PREVIEWING FRIDAY'S 2ND & 3RD ROUNDS & WE MAY HAVE SEEN THE LAST PRO BOWL, YEAH LIKE YOU REALLY WATCHED IT
Jim Brown, the running back against whom all others are measured, sure does have some issues. The Hall of Famer from the Cleveland Browns was asked yesterday what he thought of Trent Richardson possibly being drafted by the Browns. His response? "He's just ordinary, nothing special, just ordinary" Brown remarked. I have always thought of brown as the all-time best at his position, but he is often cruel when asked anything regarding football. yes Brown was pretty much in a league of his own, but he's a jerk a lot of the time. We get it Jim, you were awesome, we know because you compare everyone to yourself. No one measures up in your eyes, that's cool, but calling Richardson "ordinary' is just wrong, he's far from ordinary. Forget the football, the senior prom story I told you about a coupla weeks ago is far from ordinary, in fact it's extraordinary. Relax Jim, you'll always have your place in the hearts of Browns' fans as well as football fans worldwide, no need to trash a fine young man to preserve your own legacy.
The Eagles traded cornerback Asante Samuel on Thursday to Atlanta for a 7th round pick in this draft. The 4-time Pro Bowler is obviously worth more than a 7th round selection, the Eagles got rid of him to dump his contract. They owed him $23.2 million over the next two seasons. After the Falcons completed the trade, they agreed to a new 3-year deal worth $14.5 million. Samuel played for the Patriots as well & has 45 career interceptions.
Anyone perusing the draft eligible lists might be amazed by the number of prospects from Boise State, 16 in all. Of course they won't all be drafted, probably 7 or 8 will hear their names called during the three days & I think possibly the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide, will be the only team with more. The Tide had 4 first round selections, Boise State, two. The amazing thing about Boise's prospects is the football program has never signed a 4 or 5-star recruit in school history. Bama signs 8-10 every year. For all the trash talking the "Spud-Haters" do, you can't ignore their success in coaching up 2 & 3-star recruits.
The draft will resume tonight at 7PM ET. The Rams, after seeing their 1st round trade down with Washington sort of go up in smoke when both players they coveted, WR Justin Blackmon & OT Matt Kalil, were snagged by teams that moved around to get what they were looking for. St. Louis finally got a pick at #14 which they used on LSU DT Michael Brockers. The Rams have three picks in the first 13 of the second round. They still need wide receivers, an offensive tackle & a corner.
Denver, who traded out of the first round, have two picks in round two as do the Ravens & Eagles.
The teams with twin first round selections fared well for the most part. Tampa picked Bama safety Mark Barron & then traded back into the bottom of the round to select Boise State running back Doug Martin. New England used their two picks plus two in rounds two & three, to move up to select Syracuse DE Chandler Jones & Bama LB Dont'a Hightower. Cleveland used their twin picks to get the draft's best runner, Trent Richardson, also from Alabama & Okie State QB Brandon Weeden. Cincinnati had two selections, their own plus one from Oakland, received in the Carson Palmer trade. They selected Bama CB Dre Kirkpatrick & Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler. Finally, the Vikes got their man, offensive tackle Matt Kalil while receiving additional picks in rounds 4, 5 & 7. They too traded back into the bottom of the round for Baltimore's pick at #29 & selected Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith, probably a stretch.
So what do the Chiefs do on Friday? After the Poe selection in round one, who the hell knows? I'm going to throw out a few names, without any hope of one of them being right.
Mychal Kendricks--ILB--Cal
Cordy Glenn--G/T--Georgia
Brandon Taylor--S--LSU
Josh Robinson--CB--Central Florida
Brock Osweiler--QB--Arizona State
Brandon Brooks--G/T--Miami of Ohio
Derek Wolfe--DE--Cincinnati
The players union is finally close to agreeing with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the Pro Bowl is no longer relevant. Like it ever was? I hope they do away with it, it's an embarrassing exhibition that certainly can be put out of it's misery.
The Eagles traded cornerback Asante Samuel on Thursday to Atlanta for a 7th round pick in this draft. The 4-time Pro Bowler is obviously worth more than a 7th round selection, the Eagles got rid of him to dump his contract. They owed him $23.2 million over the next two seasons. After the Falcons completed the trade, they agreed to a new 3-year deal worth $14.5 million. Samuel played for the Patriots as well & has 45 career interceptions.
Anyone perusing the draft eligible lists might be amazed by the number of prospects from Boise State, 16 in all. Of course they won't all be drafted, probably 7 or 8 will hear their names called during the three days & I think possibly the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide, will be the only team with more. The Tide had 4 first round selections, Boise State, two. The amazing thing about Boise's prospects is the football program has never signed a 4 or 5-star recruit in school history. Bama signs 8-10 every year. For all the trash talking the "Spud-Haters" do, you can't ignore their success in coaching up 2 & 3-star recruits.
The draft will resume tonight at 7PM ET. The Rams, after seeing their 1st round trade down with Washington sort of go up in smoke when both players they coveted, WR Justin Blackmon & OT Matt Kalil, were snagged by teams that moved around to get what they were looking for. St. Louis finally got a pick at #14 which they used on LSU DT Michael Brockers. The Rams have three picks in the first 13 of the second round. They still need wide receivers, an offensive tackle & a corner.
Denver, who traded out of the first round, have two picks in round two as do the Ravens & Eagles.
The teams with twin first round selections fared well for the most part. Tampa picked Bama safety Mark Barron & then traded back into the bottom of the round to select Boise State running back Doug Martin. New England used their two picks plus two in rounds two & three, to move up to select Syracuse DE Chandler Jones & Bama LB Dont'a Hightower. Cleveland used their twin picks to get the draft's best runner, Trent Richardson, also from Alabama & Okie State QB Brandon Weeden. Cincinnati had two selections, their own plus one from Oakland, received in the Carson Palmer trade. They selected Bama CB Dre Kirkpatrick & Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler. Finally, the Vikes got their man, offensive tackle Matt Kalil while receiving additional picks in rounds 4, 5 & 7. They too traded back into the bottom of the round for Baltimore's pick at #29 & selected Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith, probably a stretch.
So what do the Chiefs do on Friday? After the Poe selection in round one, who the hell knows? I'm going to throw out a few names, without any hope of one of them being right.
Mychal Kendricks--ILB--Cal
Cordy Glenn--G/T--Georgia
Brandon Taylor--S--LSU
Josh Robinson--CB--Central Florida
Brock Osweiler--QB--Arizona State
Brandon Brooks--G/T--Miami of Ohio
Derek Wolfe--DE--Cincinnati
The players union is finally close to agreeing with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the Pro Bowl is no longer relevant. Like it ever was? I hope they do away with it, it's an embarrassing exhibition that certainly can be put out of it's misery.
WAS ROUND ONE "POE-TENTIAL" OR POE + POWE = PO' DRAFTIN'?
Sorry about the lame headline, the names just kind of lent themselves to it. Now the Chiefs have a Poe & a Powe right? The question is, can Romeo Crennel & D-line coach Anthony Pleasant coach this pair up to something resembling an effective nose tackle? If, within say 24 games, Dontari Poe lives up to his amazing potential, then the risk Scott Pioli & Crennel have taken, will be worth it tenfold & they will be saluted for it, especially by me. However, if things turn out like the Tyson Jackson reach, the next draft Pioli participates in could very well be his last for a while. The majority of the crowd at the Chiefs' official draft party in the team's practice facility was less than impressed, boos rang out loudly.
I've said this many times here, I'm a lifelong Chiefs' fan, went to their first game in Kansas City way back in 1963. All I want is another Super Bowl run with a few playoff victories along the way. But when the Arrowhead braintrust passes on prospects who already play at a higher level than the risky kid you just drafted, you can find yourself looking for other employment. Tyson Jackson tops Pioli's bust list, Tony Moeaki(extensive college injury history) & Jonathan Baldwin are candidates as well. Nothing that Jackson did at LSU indicated he was worthy of the third overall pick in the draft. Baldwin had a history of run-ins with teammates & coaches, he gets drafted by the Chiefs & in his first week sustains a broken hand in a locker room fight. Moeaki didn't play a full 12-game schedule at Iowa & we're surprised he has only played 12 games in two seasons in Kansas City?
I received two emails from guys who know a helluva lot about the NFL, it's their business to know. I also had an hour-long phone conversation with my Chiefs insider yesterday afternoon as well. All of us agreed Poe was a tremendous risk. All four of us wanted DeCastro. Mind you, these are not people who are easily influenced by me or anyone else, they know what they see with their own eyes. Poe was so far down everyone's list for possible 1st round selections, well let's just say no one was excited by his game film. How is the 11th overall player picked unable to make the Conference-USA all-league team? I doubt we'll see another prospect from this conference drafted Friday, that's how mediocre the talent level is & against it, Poe had almost no impact. Not having heard from any of my expert buds after the selection, I can only speak for myself. I like Romeo, I think he's a fine coach & if he believes Poe can be all-world, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. There will be plenty of time later to incite the torch & pitchfork mob if things don't go well. Let's see how the remainder of the draft goes before we start our hunger strike.
One more thought, if Al Davis was still alive, Dontari Poe would've been a Raider, Al wouldn't have had it any other way.
I've said this many times here, I'm a lifelong Chiefs' fan, went to their first game in Kansas City way back in 1963. All I want is another Super Bowl run with a few playoff victories along the way. But when the Arrowhead braintrust passes on prospects who already play at a higher level than the risky kid you just drafted, you can find yourself looking for other employment. Tyson Jackson tops Pioli's bust list, Tony Moeaki(extensive college injury history) & Jonathan Baldwin are candidates as well. Nothing that Jackson did at LSU indicated he was worthy of the third overall pick in the draft. Baldwin had a history of run-ins with teammates & coaches, he gets drafted by the Chiefs & in his first week sustains a broken hand in a locker room fight. Moeaki didn't play a full 12-game schedule at Iowa & we're surprised he has only played 12 games in two seasons in Kansas City?
I received two emails from guys who know a helluva lot about the NFL, it's their business to know. I also had an hour-long phone conversation with my Chiefs insider yesterday afternoon as well. All of us agreed Poe was a tremendous risk. All four of us wanted DeCastro. Mind you, these are not people who are easily influenced by me or anyone else, they know what they see with their own eyes. Poe was so far down everyone's list for possible 1st round selections, well let's just say no one was excited by his game film. How is the 11th overall player picked unable to make the Conference-USA all-league team? I doubt we'll see another prospect from this conference drafted Friday, that's how mediocre the talent level is & against it, Poe had almost no impact. Not having heard from any of my expert buds after the selection, I can only speak for myself. I like Romeo, I think he's a fine coach & if he believes Poe can be all-world, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. There will be plenty of time later to incite the torch & pitchfork mob if things don't go well. Let's see how the remainder of the draft goes before we start our hunger strike.
One more thought, if Al Davis was still alive, Dontari Poe would've been a Raider, Al wouldn't have had it any other way.
FIRST ROUND LIVE STREAM
This post will be updated with every pick as they happen. If you have comments, use the email box at rich@richsfootballreport.com
1. Indianapolis--Andrew Luck--QB--Stanford
No surprise, the right selection.
2. Washington--Robert Griffin III--QB--Baylor
After giving up all the draft picks to move up into St. Louis' spot, obviously no surprise.
3. Cleveland--Trent Richardson--running back--Alabama
Browns give up three of their 13 picks to move up one spot(4-5-7) & take the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson.
4. Minnesota--Matt Kalil--tackle--USC
Vikes pick up 3 extra picks plus the tackle they wanted all along.
5. Jacksonville--Justin Blackmon--wide receiver--Oklahoma State
Blaine Gabbert is smiling ear to ear. Gutsy move by the Jags, gave Tampa a 4th.
6. Dallas--Morris Claiborne--cornerback--LSU
Cowboys surrender their 2nd to move up 8 spots for the DB they're desperate for. Rams now have 3 second round picks in the top half of the round plus Dallas' pick at #14 overall.
7. Tampa Bay--Mark Baron--safety--Alabama
Picked up an extra 4th rounder & got the best safety.
8. Miami--Ryan Tannehill--quarterback--Texas A&M
Mild surprise to me, huge reach, but if his old coach, Mike Sherman, didn't take him, he was headed into a free fall.
9. Carolina--Luke Kuechly--linebacker--Boston College
Thought it would be Fletcher Cox.
10. Buffalo--Stephon Gilmore--cornerback--South Carolina
Great pickup gives the Bills a solid pair of corners.
11. Kansas City--Dontari Poe--nose tackle--Memphis
Not happy at all. It's on Romeo now to get this kid playing like his potential says he should. We'll see.
12. Philadelphia--Fletcher Cox--defensive tackle--Mississippi State
Why didn't Pioli pull the trigger on this guy instead? Great pass rush potential, non-stop motor. Have to give Seattle a 4th & 6th to move up 3 spots.
13. Arizona--Michael Floyd--wide receiver--Notre Dame
Larry Fitzgerald is thrilled with this pick, help is on the way.
14. St. Louis--Michael Brockers--defensive tackle--LSU
Rams need help everywhere.
15. Seattle--Bruce Irvin--linebacker--West Virginia
Really??????? First huge reach of the draft.
16. New York Jets--Quinton Coples--defensive end--N. Carolina
Very high bust factor, second behind Poe.
17. Cincinnati--Dre Kirkpatrick--cornerback--Alabama
Needed talent in Bengal secondary, but off-field issues should be watched.
18. San Diego--Melvin Ingram--OLB--South Carolina
I don't like playing against this guy, he's special.
19. Chicago--Shea McClellin--OLB/DE--Boise State
Excellent player w/ non-stop motor but maybe too high here. Good fit for this defense tho.
20. Tennessee--Kendall Wright--wide receiver--Baylor
Kind of a surprise, but Kenny Britt is hurt or in trouble too much.
21. New England--Chandler Jones--defensive end--Syracuse
Good edge rusher with excellent technique to get to the QB. Gave up
22. Cleveland--Brandon Weeden--quarterback--Oklahoma State
Great pick in the right spot.
23. Detroit--Riley Reiff--tackle--Iowa
Perfectpick for a team that needs tackle help, right about where he should have gone.
24. Pittsburgh--David Decastro--guard--Stanford
Mark it down, he makes 8 Pro Bowls minimum playing in this offense.
25. New England--Dont'a Hightower--linebacker--Alabama
Belichick gets two good defenders by moving around. Still don't know what they gave up in either trade, both networks falling behind with details.
26. Houston--Whitney Mercilus--linebacker--Illinois
Another pass rusher for Wade Phillips to use. Good pick for this defense.
27. Cincinnati--Kevin Zeitler--guard--Wisconsin
They passed on DeCastro to take Kirkpatrick with pick 21, had to settle for 2nd best with this pick. Very, very tough guy.
28. Green Bay--Nick Perry--linebacker--USC
Line him up opposite Clay Mathews & the pass rush gets better in a hurry.
29. Minnesota--Harrison Smith--safety--Notre Dame
Trade back into the first round by giving Baltimore their 2nd & 4th to get him.
30. San Francisco--A.J. Jenkins--wide receiver--Illinois
Thought Stephen Hill would go here, but Jenkins is the choice.
31. Tampa Bay--Doug Martin--running back--Boise State
Gave up their 2nd rounder & 4th to get back into the first round to make the right choice with complete back in martin.
32. New York Giants--David Wilson--running back--Virginia Tech
The world champs close out the fastest first round ever with a solid pick to improve their backfield. Watch the fumbling tho, good kid.
I'll have another post in about an hour.
1. Indianapolis--Andrew Luck--QB--Stanford
No surprise, the right selection.
2. Washington--Robert Griffin III--QB--Baylor
After giving up all the draft picks to move up into St. Louis' spot, obviously no surprise.
3. Cleveland--Trent Richardson--running back--Alabama
Browns give up three of their 13 picks to move up one spot(4-5-7) & take the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson.
4. Minnesota--Matt Kalil--tackle--USC
Vikes pick up 3 extra picks plus the tackle they wanted all along.
5. Jacksonville--Justin Blackmon--wide receiver--Oklahoma State
Blaine Gabbert is smiling ear to ear. Gutsy move by the Jags, gave Tampa a 4th.
6. Dallas--Morris Claiborne--cornerback--LSU
Cowboys surrender their 2nd to move up 8 spots for the DB they're desperate for. Rams now have 3 second round picks in the top half of the round plus Dallas' pick at #14 overall.
7. Tampa Bay--Mark Baron--safety--Alabama
Picked up an extra 4th rounder & got the best safety.
8. Miami--Ryan Tannehill--quarterback--Texas A&M
Mild surprise to me, huge reach, but if his old coach, Mike Sherman, didn't take him, he was headed into a free fall.
9. Carolina--Luke Kuechly--linebacker--Boston College
Thought it would be Fletcher Cox.
10. Buffalo--Stephon Gilmore--cornerback--South Carolina
Great pickup gives the Bills a solid pair of corners.
11. Kansas City--Dontari Poe--nose tackle--Memphis
Not happy at all. It's on Romeo now to get this kid playing like his potential says he should. We'll see.
12. Philadelphia--Fletcher Cox--defensive tackle--Mississippi State
Why didn't Pioli pull the trigger on this guy instead? Great pass rush potential, non-stop motor. Have to give Seattle a 4th & 6th to move up 3 spots.
13. Arizona--Michael Floyd--wide receiver--Notre Dame
Larry Fitzgerald is thrilled with this pick, help is on the way.
14. St. Louis--Michael Brockers--defensive tackle--LSU
Rams need help everywhere.
15. Seattle--Bruce Irvin--linebacker--West Virginia
Really??????? First huge reach of the draft.
16. New York Jets--Quinton Coples--defensive end--N. Carolina
Very high bust factor, second behind Poe.
17. Cincinnati--Dre Kirkpatrick--cornerback--Alabama
Needed talent in Bengal secondary, but off-field issues should be watched.
18. San Diego--Melvin Ingram--OLB--South Carolina
I don't like playing against this guy, he's special.
19. Chicago--Shea McClellin--OLB/DE--Boise State
Excellent player w/ non-stop motor but maybe too high here. Good fit for this defense tho.
20. Tennessee--Kendall Wright--wide receiver--Baylor
Kind of a surprise, but Kenny Britt is hurt or in trouble too much.
21. New England--Chandler Jones--defensive end--Syracuse
Good edge rusher with excellent technique to get to the QB. Gave up
22. Cleveland--Brandon Weeden--quarterback--Oklahoma State
Great pick in the right spot.
23. Detroit--Riley Reiff--tackle--Iowa
Perfectpick for a team that needs tackle help, right about where he should have gone.
24. Pittsburgh--David Decastro--guard--Stanford
Mark it down, he makes 8 Pro Bowls minimum playing in this offense.
25. New England--Dont'a Hightower--linebacker--Alabama
Belichick gets two good defenders by moving around. Still don't know what they gave up in either trade, both networks falling behind with details.
26. Houston--Whitney Mercilus--linebacker--Illinois
Another pass rusher for Wade Phillips to use. Good pick for this defense.
27. Cincinnati--Kevin Zeitler--guard--Wisconsin
They passed on DeCastro to take Kirkpatrick with pick 21, had to settle for 2nd best with this pick. Very, very tough guy.
28. Green Bay--Nick Perry--linebacker--USC
Line him up opposite Clay Mathews & the pass rush gets better in a hurry.
29. Minnesota--Harrison Smith--safety--Notre Dame
Trade back into the first round by giving Baltimore their 2nd & 4th to get him.
30. San Francisco--A.J. Jenkins--wide receiver--Illinois
Thought Stephen Hill would go here, but Jenkins is the choice.
31. Tampa Bay--Doug Martin--running back--Boise State
Gave up their 2nd rounder & 4th to get back into the first round to make the right choice with complete back in martin.
32. New York Giants--David Wilson--running back--Virginia Tech
The world champs close out the fastest first round ever with a solid pick to improve their backfield. Watch the fumbling tho, good kid.
I'll have another post in about an hour.
CHIEFS COULD BE IN THE RIGHT SPOT AT #11 & ANSWERS TO THE MOST OFTEN ASKED DRAFT QUESTIONS
With several teams interested in moving up just enough to get a shot at drafting one of two players, Alabama safety Mark Barron or Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, the Chiefs could be in a good spot at #11 to trade down & pick up extra picks. Dallas(14), Philadelphia(15) & the Jets(16) have an interest in one or both of these defenders. Personally, I don't see Cox still being on the board when the Chiefs' turn comes around, but you never know. If Cox is there, the Chiefs could take him, he should be a major upgrade over Tyson Jackson. But it might be that Pioli & company have their sights set on guard David DeCastro or Melvin Ingram & trading down 3-5 spots to pick up an additional 3rd or 4th round pick & it won't keep them from getting one of these prospects.
I've received at least 15 emails wanting to know if the Chiefs could trade down with Cincinnati or New England. Both teams have two 1st round selections, Cincy at #17 & #21, New England at #27 & #31. Absolutely won't happen, neither team would surrender both picks in a draft that's deep at positions both teams need.
Another frequently asked question is "Dontari Poe, why not?" "Crennel could whip this kid into shape" they say. The trouble with Poe is he could be a coach killer. He might never make an impact & they already have one of those guys in Tyson Jackson. The Chiefs are close, taking a shot with a player like Poe is quite a risk. Drafting DeCastro, Kuechly or Cox is not only safer, but each would start immediately, Poe might not ever start. But to be fair, Poe might become the best nose tackle in the league, but might is the key word.
Several readers suggested Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower instead of Kuechly. I resisted at first, my gripe with Hightower is he doesn't make many tackles outside the box, his lateral range is non-existent. Plus he doesn't stay on the field in obvious passing situations. But one thing Hightower has is pop, he hits people & when he steps into the hole, he usually wins. He's about an inch shorter than Kuechly & is about 25-pounds heavier. If K.C. trades down, I could see Hightower being a possibility, if they stay at eleven, probably not.
I had a number of other questions & statements.
Brandon Weeden at #44? No way he's there, I think he'll go in round one. Brock Osweiler could be there at forty-four, but not Weeden.
"You're so hot on Mychal Kendricks, no one else is." I don't know what you're reading, but he's considered the third ILB in this draft & should go no lower than early 3rd round. Very productive at Cal & rocked 'em at the combine. When was the last time you saw an ILB run 4.47? Hits like a bomb too.
"You like Stephenson because he's from Blue Springs & so are you, Utah's Tony Bergstrom is better." Everyone's entitled to their opinion, here is mine on these two.
They're exactly the same size, 6' 5' 312. Both are underpowered, neither has good enough footwork to play outside consistently, they would be better at guard & as emergency tackles. Stephenson ran 4.91, Bergstrom 5.27. Stephenson has 35" arms, Bergstrom 32". Stephenson is 23 years old, Bergstrom 26. Except the bench press, Stephenson was better in every test & drill at the combine. Bergstrom bends at the waist too often, losing leverage & balance. Stephenson bends at the knees, sinks his butt & drops anchor. He has to have good technique because like I said, he's underpowered, especially in the upper body. Don't get me wrong, I like Bergstrom, just not as much as Stephenson.
"You used to be so hot on Ryan Broyles, now nothing, was his injury so bad he no longer interests you?" No, I absolutely like Broyles, he's an excellent receiver & dangerous punt returner. Two things about Broyles, excellent route runner & crazy ball skills. He might have to start the season on the PUP list, but I think he should become a very solid NFL player.
"I've seen a bunch of mock drafts & some of them have K.C. taking a center in round 2 named Konz, what's the story?" Peter Konz of Wisconsin, easily the best center in this draft. I think Pioli/Crennel will allow Rodney Hudson be the starter without bringing in outside help, at least for this season.
"Heard a draft expert on the radio today who said DeCastro is good, but overrated. You say?" I really like Washington NT Alameda Ta'amu, he's tough to move & excels versus the run. Decastro moved him around consistently, Ta'amu never came close to a tackle in the game. Who was the "draft expert" on the radio? I've heard some of these guys & many of them are in their twenties, what have they seen to compare to? Did they see John Hannah or Gene Upshaw play? How many years did it take them to become an "expert?" That guy has an opinion, just like you do, doesn't make him an expert. DeCastro, if he remains healthy, will make multiple Pro Bowls, mark it down. He is not overrated, he's the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson came into the league in 2001 as the 17th overall pick.
I'll have some final pre-draft thoughts, news & rumors later today & I will review each days selections after the session is finished.
I've received at least 15 emails wanting to know if the Chiefs could trade down with Cincinnati or New England. Both teams have two 1st round selections, Cincy at #17 & #21, New England at #27 & #31. Absolutely won't happen, neither team would surrender both picks in a draft that's deep at positions both teams need.
Another frequently asked question is "Dontari Poe, why not?" "Crennel could whip this kid into shape" they say. The trouble with Poe is he could be a coach killer. He might never make an impact & they already have one of those guys in Tyson Jackson. The Chiefs are close, taking a shot with a player like Poe is quite a risk. Drafting DeCastro, Kuechly or Cox is not only safer, but each would start immediately, Poe might not ever start. But to be fair, Poe might become the best nose tackle in the league, but might is the key word.
Several readers suggested Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower instead of Kuechly. I resisted at first, my gripe with Hightower is he doesn't make many tackles outside the box, his lateral range is non-existent. Plus he doesn't stay on the field in obvious passing situations. But one thing Hightower has is pop, he hits people & when he steps into the hole, he usually wins. He's about an inch shorter than Kuechly & is about 25-pounds heavier. If K.C. trades down, I could see Hightower being a possibility, if they stay at eleven, probably not.
I had a number of other questions & statements.
Brandon Weeden at #44? No way he's there, I think he'll go in round one. Brock Osweiler could be there at forty-four, but not Weeden.
"You're so hot on Mychal Kendricks, no one else is." I don't know what you're reading, but he's considered the third ILB in this draft & should go no lower than early 3rd round. Very productive at Cal & rocked 'em at the combine. When was the last time you saw an ILB run 4.47? Hits like a bomb too.
"You like Stephenson because he's from Blue Springs & so are you, Utah's Tony Bergstrom is better." Everyone's entitled to their opinion, here is mine on these two.
They're exactly the same size, 6' 5' 312. Both are underpowered, neither has good enough footwork to play outside consistently, they would be better at guard & as emergency tackles. Stephenson ran 4.91, Bergstrom 5.27. Stephenson has 35" arms, Bergstrom 32". Stephenson is 23 years old, Bergstrom 26. Except the bench press, Stephenson was better in every test & drill at the combine. Bergstrom bends at the waist too often, losing leverage & balance. Stephenson bends at the knees, sinks his butt & drops anchor. He has to have good technique because like I said, he's underpowered, especially in the upper body. Don't get me wrong, I like Bergstrom, just not as much as Stephenson.
"You used to be so hot on Ryan Broyles, now nothing, was his injury so bad he no longer interests you?" No, I absolutely like Broyles, he's an excellent receiver & dangerous punt returner. Two things about Broyles, excellent route runner & crazy ball skills. He might have to start the season on the PUP list, but I think he should become a very solid NFL player.
"I've seen a bunch of mock drafts & some of them have K.C. taking a center in round 2 named Konz, what's the story?" Peter Konz of Wisconsin, easily the best center in this draft. I think Pioli/Crennel will allow Rodney Hudson be the starter without bringing in outside help, at least for this season.
"Heard a draft expert on the radio today who said DeCastro is good, but overrated. You say?" I really like Washington NT Alameda Ta'amu, he's tough to move & excels versus the run. Decastro moved him around consistently, Ta'amu never came close to a tackle in the game. Who was the "draft expert" on the radio? I've heard some of these guys & many of them are in their twenties, what have they seen to compare to? Did they see John Hannah or Gene Upshaw play? How many years did it take them to become an "expert?" That guy has an opinion, just like you do, doesn't make him an expert. DeCastro, if he remains healthy, will make multiple Pro Bowls, mark it down. He is not overrated, he's the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson came into the league in 2001 as the 17th overall pick.
I'll have some final pre-draft thoughts, news & rumors later today & I will review each days selections after the session is finished.