Burning Question Number 3
Who will the Chiefs pick in this year’s NFL Draft?
Now, let me start off by saying I have absolutely have no idea who the Chiefs are going to draft, I know this disappoints some of you that I am unable to predict the future. However, there is good news today, the Chiefs have no idea who they will be selecting with the 5th pick in this year’s NFL Draft or any other round as far as that goes-sort of. They obviously have an idea, but they have no way of knowing for certain who the teams ahead of them will choose. Every year there is at least one team that falls in love with a player and will move up to grab him no matter the cost. Remember when Mike Ditka gave up his entire draft so he could draft Ricky Williams? Therefore, some team(s) might jump ahead of the Chiefs to grab someone they (the Chiefs) had no intention of drafting anyway thus allowing a player they covet to drop into their lap. Am I making any sense here?
This year, I believe the two players to watch out for as far as teams making significant moves to get a hold of are Darren McFadden out of Arkansas, and Vernon Gholston from The Ohio State. McFadden was a home run threat every time he touched the football his last two seasons at Arkansas. After the success of Adrian Peterson last year, teams I believe are salivating at the chance to move up and select old Darren. Vernon has been moving up the draft boards since the combine and after it as well. Gholston improved his numbers at his Pro Day forcing teams that hadn’t paid attention to him before to go back and watch tape of this athletic freak to get some idea if his athletic ability showed up on the football field. Guess what? It did. Teams place a high premium on two things in the NFL draft: ability to score touchdowns and the ability to consistently get to the quarterback. McFadden and Gholston fit the bill.
With these two players out there, and as of the time of this here writing, neither player is one of the top 5 ranked players in this year’s draft. Rankings made by pundits and TV analysts who get paid to formulate a ranking of course, not by NFL executives. Mark my words, some team will make a huge leap to get D-Mac or Gholston and this could greatly benefit the Chiefs.
By all reports the Rams have locked in on Jake Long (our guy according to me) and Glen Dorsey from LSU, taking them out to dinner and getting to know them better getting a feel for who they are and what they can bring to the Rams’ organization. Now let’s say that there is a team willing to make the Rams an offer they can’t refuse that involves them giving up the #2 pick and moving further down in the draft. They, like all teams in the top 10 picks need help at more than one position and the more draft picks, the better off they are going to be. IF, left tackle is the primary focus and they believe that there is not much difference between Jake Long and the next LT in line, then they might be willing to execute such a trade. However, if Jake Long is their man, then come hell or high water, they are picking him, period.
The wining and dining of Long could also just be a smokescreen of sorts, to make the other teams believe they are going after him, try to induce a trade. I’m sure you all know that you cannot believe a word that comes out of any mouth that is collecting a pay check from an NFL team this time of year. Right? They are playing poker with human beings and the stakes are extremely high-extremely.
Now, who will the Chiefs draft, or should I say what will they draft?
I have gone on record and I continue to profess that Jake Long is the perfect fit for the Chiefs. Offensive line is the biggest need on the Chiefs roster and Long is the best offensive lineman in the draft. If he is there at #5 the Chiefs will still wait their 15 minutes (or 10, whatever it is this year) just in case there is an offer out there too good for the Chiefs to pass on, and then the post card will be carried to Roger Goodell and you will hear “With the fifth pick in this years NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select…Jake Long, offensive tackle, Michigan.”
If he is not on the board, then I believe that means St. Louis didn’t get an offer they couldn’t live without and selected Jake at #2. I also think that Darren McFadden will be gone, either the Raiders will have drafted him, or someone moved ahead of the Chiefs and made a deal with the Faiders or the Falcons to get him. The Chiefs can only hope that someone is willing to move up to grab Gholston or even perhaps Matt Ryan, the quarterback from BC. I am one of the people that believe the Chiefs sent everybody but me and you to the Boston College pro day just to throw people off, make them think they are interested in taking him so maybe if Long is gone, someone will jump up to get him from the Chiefs. I could be dead wrong about that, they could actually have genuine interest in Ryan who is an average quarterback at best. I don’t think the Chiefs will waste the time and effort they have already invested on young Mr. Croyle only to start from square one again with a rookie QB. Call me crazy, but Matt Ryan is not the logical choice for the Chiefs.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the Chiefs draft offensive lineman in at least 2 of the first 3 rounds. Jake Long in the 1st and a guard in the second. The Chiefs under Herm Edwards have been consistent in at least one thing when it comes to the draft—they don’t go away from their board. If there is a guard in the second round they believe is worthy of a 2nd round selection then I think they will pull the trigger.
I look for the rest of the draft to focus on cornerbacks, wide receivers and yes, more offensive lineman. The Chiefs need three starters on the offensive line alone going into the draft. It doesn’t make for a very exciting draft when your team drafts offensive linemen in the first couple of rounds, but the games in the NFL are won and lost by the offensive line and defensive line. Generally, whatever team dominates or controls the “trenches” wins the game, Herm knows this, and he knows that is why his Chiefs lost 12 games last year–no one to open holes for the running back(s) and no one to protect the quarterback. The Chiefs have done nothing in free agency to sure up the offensive line, so look for the Chiefs to draft at least 3-4 offensive lineman this year.
It may not be a very exciting draft for Chiefs fans this year, but I for one will be jumping up and down screaming at the top of my lungs if the Chiefs draft Jake Long in the first round this year. I will also be screaming at the top of my lungs this year if they don’t-the words will just be a little different.