Todd McShay Talks Geno Smith, Chiefs’ Draft
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, ESPN.com’s NFL Draft experts, appeared on the “First Draft” podcast recently and they were asked about the 2013 NFL Draft and more specifically, about QBs and the Kansas City Chiefs
“I think they could go offensive tackle,” Kiper said. “Bottom line, there’s no consensus on who the Kansas City Chiefs will take and number two, who they should take.”
“I completely agree,” added McShay. “You know, obviously, the two questions that hav to be answered first, as you mentioned; what are they going to do at the QB position? You’d love, if you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan or more importantly in this case, a member of their front office, you would love for it to be a year ago and to have multiple options and to have that problem. That the Indianapolis Colts faced, between Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Instead, they have the worst case scenario in that theres not a true, legitimate option at that #1 pick in this year’s class that you feel great about at the QB position. And you ran through the top two guys. Mike Glennon’s a guy that we’ve heard a lot about. Tyler Wilson’s another name that’s been linked to Kansas City, not necessarily at the one pick but if they were to trade back or move back into the first round just to secure him, I don’t even think they would need to. But when it’s all said and done, what are they going to do at the QB position? Make a move in free agency, then maybe draft one in the second, third round and try to develop a young QB and just kind of start over at that position. It doesn’t sound great in terms of what their options are but their options are what their options are and they’ve got to move on.”
“Do they re-sign Branden Albert at LT, I think that’s the second question,” McShay continued. “If they do re-sign Albert and kind of solidify that offensive line or at least that left tackle position, then does bringing in Luke Joeckel make any sense? And I don’t think it does. You’re not going to make the #1 overall pick a guard. Can you move Branden Albert to right tackle? Maybe. Cn you move Luke Joeckel to right tackle? Maybe. But I don’t think you want to spend that kind of money to go and re-sign a veteran, an established player and then draft the first player in the 2013Draft and put him at the right tackle position or move Albert over. To me, if they do re-sign Branden Albert then the decision is to go elsewhere. In my opinion, right now based off the tape I’ve done and there’s still a lot of work to do, but in my opinion, Star Lotulelei from Utah, would be the best option because he fits perfectly as a five-technique and he’s absolutely dominant versus the run. Not just taking up space but also getting off of blocks and making plays. And he’s not a great pass rusher but there aren’t many great pass rushers on the interior anyway. He can collapse the pocket, he can get pressure on the QB and I think he would be a massive upgrade to that defensive line and I know it’s frustrating to Chiefs fans. They don’t want to hear it because they drafted Glenn Dorsey, they drafted Tyson Jackson, they drafted Dontari Poe last year and it still has never been a dominant group but if you bring in Lotulelei and add him with Poe and with Jackson, I think now all of the sudden you have the right combination in a 3-4 front.”
McShay was then asked about the QBs. He mentioned that last year he game Andrew Luck a 99 grade, RG3 a 98 grade and Ryan Tannehill a 94 grade.
What about Geno Smith?
“Geno Smith has my highest grade right now and it’s a 90. So it’s a fringe first, second round grade. Mike Glennon has an 87, Matt Barkely, has a, I’m sorry, 88, 87 range, both of them. And the fourth is Tyler Wilson at an 80. I have one fringe first-rounder in Geno Smith and two legitimate mid to early second-rounders and one fringe second rounder in Tyler Wilson.”
McShay then said, given each team’s needs at the QB position, is that he thinks we might see teams like the Chiefs moving back into the first round in the 20’s to snag a Geno Smith or Matt Barkley.
What do you think, Addicts? Would you be ok with the Chiefs taking another player at #1 and then trading future picks to move back into round one to snag Geno?