Keep Calm And Draft “A” Quarterback
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Morning, Addicts!
Stop me if you’ve heard this:
"Before I begin, allow me to clarify my position: I’m convinced that Geno Smith should be the player the Kansas City Chiefs take with the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. I believe he can help turn this organization around and bring championship-caliber football back to this town. If John Dorsey selects any other player with the #1 pick I’ll be supremely disappointed."
That was the preface to last week’s article about WVU’s quarterback Geno Smith. I’m still firmly entrenched on that bandwagon, but I’m now willing to be open-minded about what happens on the opening night of the 2013 NFL Draft. For months I’ve been swooning over Geno and trying to convince everyone who would listen that he’s the right guy for this organization. In my humble opinion, there are no other options for this football team.
In reality, the NFL Draft is never that cut and dry. John Dorsey has a very impressive draft record. Andy Reid has proven that he can get the absolute best out of his starting quarterbacks. While neither of them are infallible, they’ve both forgotten more about the draft than I’ll ever know. The debate about who the right quarterback is will rage on for another nine weeks, but none of us can forget about the people ultimately making the decision on that Thursday night. John Dorsey’s the captain of this ship and it’s his opinion that counts. I’m prepared to trust his evaluation of the 2013 quarterback class.
By now, most of Chiefs Kingdom is in full panic mode after Dorsey’s well publicized comments last week:
"There is no quarterback where personnel guys can definitely say, ‘He’s a first-round pick. There were so many inconsistencies in the collective group. There was not one guy that stood up and said, ‘I’m the guy in the position this year.’ There really wasn’t one clear-cut guy. There are too many technical flaws, scheme flaws. There are so many different variables that there are a lot of people all over the place on naming the top four or five guys and who those guys would be."
That’s a curious thing for Dorsey to say given all we’ve heard from the draft pundits over the past 3 months. We’ve heard time and time again that as many as three quarterbacks could be taken in the opening round. Keep in mind that it’s mid-February and we’re still 4 days away from the NFL Combine. Dorsey and the Chiefs will have a chance to see these quarterbacks up close later this week. He’ll also have the opportunity to interview and get to know these players. There’s no way to undersell the importance of that aspect of the draft process.
I’ve said all offseason that I won’t cry in my beer if the Chiefs wind up with extra picks and Tyler Wilson at quarterback. I believe that as many as three quarterback prospects from this class are capable of having successful NFL careers. I want John Dorsey to get his guy. I’m hoping that he thinks it’s Geno Smith, but I’m not going to run him out of town on a rail if he doesn’t. His tenure here in Kansas City depends on him making the right decision. Picking the wrong guy will eventually cost him his job.
Geno Smith seems to be the best option available to Dorsey. Star Lotulelei and Luke Joeckel are the only other players worthy of the Chiefs’ top choice. If the reports are accurate though, Branden Albert will be re-signed (eliminating Joeckel). Lotulelei would be the only alternative if Dorsey isn’t sold on Smith. Trading down seems unlikely in 2013. I’m not confident that the Chiefs will be able to find a trade partner for this class. The consensus is that there’s no clear cut #1 pick. We could see that change over the next two months, but as it stands, the Chiefs are probably going to turn their first blue card in from the 1-hole in this year’s draft.
This is a nervous time for all who pledge allegiance to this franchise, but the Combine this weekend may make life easier for all parties. If Geno Smith lights it up for all NFL eyes to see, he could paint Dorsey into a corner. On the slim chance that doesn’t happen, I still expect this team to draft a quarterback this year. This team and this fanbase needs a talented and bright young quarterback to believe in. This team and this fanbase needs a quarterback who isn’t currently occupying an NFL roster. Enjoy your weekend and be sure to make time for Sunday’s Combine coverage of quarterbacks (NFL Network). We’ll reconvene next week to talk about what happened.
Until next time, Addicts!