NFL Draft Profiles: Quarterbacks The Chiefs May Want Target

Dec 1, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback

(11) throws a pass during the first half of the game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. Denver won 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

There is a rule some teams live by that suggest a team should draft or acquire a quarterback every year. The idea is if you don’t have one of the top or elite quarterbacks then you should always be looking the next one, and if you do have an elite quarterback then the drafted quarterback could bring back strong value in a trade or be a top-level backup.

Kansas City signed former Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray after the draft last season after trading two second round draft picks for Alex Smith and spending millions on backup Chase Daniel. Drafting a quarterback who could be better than Bray or Daniel may be a wise move for the Chiefs even if they think Smith is their long-term solution at the position. Remember, Smith does have a history injuries.

There are three things Kansas City may be looking for in a quarterback:

1. Decision-Making. The two most successful quarterbacks in Andy Reid‘s system were players who protected the ball. Donovan McNabb had a career 2.2 interception percentage, the best of any quarterback since the merger with a minimum of 4,000 attempts. Alex Smith had a 1.4% interception rate in 2013. Protecting the ball is a premium.

2. Short and medium range accuracy. Many of the throws Reid will ask his quarterback to make are in the short-to-medium range. His offense is based on getting the ball to speedy players in space. There are a lot screens, timing routes, and finding tight ends in the seam. This isn’t to say having a big arm is useless to Reid, because he’ll use it the quarterback has it, but if the quarterback cannot make the basic throws in Reid’s offense then he’s worthless to Reid.

3. Athleticism. Reid wants quarterbacks who can move around in the pocket and improvise when needed. He’s not going to build a running game around the quarterback, but he wouldn’t mind the option. Mostly he’s looking for a guy who isn’t going to be a statue and can be creative when needed. Think Colin Kaepernick speed and more Andrew Luck in terms of athleticism and speed.

Who are some of the quarterback who could fit the bill for the Chiefs? Let’s find out.