Chiefs Updated Draft Tek 2012 Draft List
By merlin
Now that the Chiefs have risen from the dead, it’s time to take a tour though the draft needs for the 2012 draft. Has this caused me to change the draft needs? This is a bit of a preview of the needs I loaded into Drafttek.com as your Chiefs analyst. For the sake of this discussion, I am going to stratify the needs into three tiers, primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary needs: Quarterback, Left Offensive Tackle, Right Offensive Tackle.
QB: Let’s end this Matt Cassel discussion. He is what we have seen. Cassel can be a decent quarterback if surrounded by good talent. Is that enough to win a Super Bow? Yes, it is. However, it makes the journey harder. Although Pioli has never spent a first-round pick on a quarterback and has an obvious man crush on Cassel, Pioli should be open to pulling the trigger on a quarterback. I do like Ricki Stanzi, but if a good QB is available in round one, you may have to make that selection.
LOT: Albert is having a good year, so I am starting to waver on this one. Anyway you slice it, the Chiefs need more young talent on the offensive line. Right now, I can only count on Albert and Asamoah as prime young talent. Hopefully, Rodney Hudson will join that group.
ROT: Barry Richardson needs to be our backup swing tackle. Nothing is locked in concrete, but this one is going to hard to lower in priority
Secondary needs: Running Back, Tight End, Nose Tackle, Strong Inside Linebacker, Cornerback
Running Back: Yes, Battle is a nice story. Do you want to count on him next year? Running back is a commodity these days and Jones’ lifespan is about up. It’s time to bring in another power back.
Tight End: The Chiefs could use a nice young blocking tight end to pair with Tony Moeaki.
Nose Tackle: Is Jerrel Powe the next Terrance Cody? That is, will he sit on the bench, play a bit and emerge in season two? I hope so. Unless I hear some positive vibes coming from Chiefs camp, this need could escalate.
Strong Inside Linebacker: I have a soft spot for Jovan Belcher. However, I can’t let that color my analysis. He is playing better, but needs to improve his pass defense.
Cornerback: I do think the Chiefs will re-sign Carr. Even with that, the Chiefs could always use another good corner and I haven’t seen enough out of Jalil Brown to take this need away.
Tertiary needs: Wide Reciever, Guard, Center, Free Safety
Breaston has emerged and Baldwin finally hit the field. This may tempt some to move this need down. A forth wide receiver is never a bad idea. I am tempted to keep this need regardless of how they do. Then again, I am open to argument. The Chiefs need better backup talent on the offensive line, so I don’t see taking guard or center off this list. Anyone want to argue about moving that need up? I might do it if I am convinced that Albert will stay at left tackle. The Chiefs don’t use the traditional strong safety skill set, so I lump both safety positions together under free safety. John McGraw is about done. The Chiefs like to sign veteran players here, so don’t be shocked if the Chiefs pass on this position in the draft.
OK, Addicts, that is where I am coming from this week. What are your needs? Can you make a case to move one of my needs up or down? Do you have any additions to my list? I don’t work in a vacuum, so I am open to well-reasoned arguments.