What’s a better way to celebrate our rich Presidential history, and democracy in general, than by abusing my platform at Arrowhead Addict and dictating to the rest of you who the Chiefs are going to pick?
I’ve been all over the map with these mocks — I’ve taken everybody with the first pick from safe selections like Eric Berry to borderline assinine selections that I nonetheless champion like Taylor Mays and Jimmy Clausen. But I’ve nonetheless followed a distinct pattern through these mocks when you get past the first pick — passrushers early and often, grab a good NT early or several late, avoid WRs and guards like the plague, pick up a safety early, and find a way to upgrade C and RT. To me, that’s the formula this team should follow.
But realizing that Scott Pioli is not going to march to my drum, I am simply going to go with value players that I think will land at every single pick, regardless of position. (Except for the first pick, which I’m not crazy about but I figure it has to be addressed at one point or another.) This necessarily means certain positions that the Chiefs could (nose tackle, backup QB) are not going to be favored because these positions always come off the board before they should.
Every selection will be paired with one of our Presidents. You know, to commemorate things.
1. ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama
Converse to the rest of my value-first mock today, I’m not terrifically excited about taking a non-passrushing linebacker at this point in the Draft. I don’t think the position deserves a top ten pick, especially in a 3-4 defense. A 4-3 linebacker takes on more responsibilities, and has to cover more ground. I can’t generalize 3-4 linebackers too much, because they’re all used so differently, but McClain’s job would essentially be clean-up along the defensive line and occasional coverage of tight ends. I don’t think his coverage is going to be that outstanding, and one of his listed weaknesses is being able to shed blocks effectively, something he didn’t have to do that often behind Terrance Cody. So he’s not even the slam dunk that a Top 10 ILB should be.
So why not bang the anti-McClain drum, like I’ve been doing against any offensive tackles? Two reasons.
1. I pick my battles. I think offensive tackle is so much of an uninteresting selection that doesn’t help this team in a significant enough way (upgrading a non-LT position is all it will do) that it inspires enough malice in me to preemptively attack the idea. And there’s enough of a chance that the fanbase will rally behind it — which I’ve been happy to say many have, regardless of what my campaigning. Too many fans want inside linebacker right now (irrationally, I’d say — remember the Aaron Curry kerfuffle last year? blah!) and McClain is too popular of a commodity with them. I’ll save my breath for worthier matters.
2. I love McClain. He’s a Haley hard-hat guy. He is a fiery presense in the middle of the field, and he is a damn good leader. He has a phenomenal size/speed combo that you simply don’t see in too many inside linebackers, and paired with a good-to-great NT, he is downright fierce at the line of scrimmage. Unlike the OTs in this Draft, he’s instantly likable.
Presidential likeness: Teddy Roosevelt. He can’t wait to hop on his horse, ride to the front of the battle, and dig a canal through your country whether you like it or not.
2. CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
I am absolutely coming to love Kyle Wilson more and more. Cornerback is a position that requires sheer athleticism, and Wilson is so dynamic and explosive he also doubles as a brilliant kick returner. I look at Wilson as first-round material, and I think the Combine will solidify that. Of course, corner is not a huge need for teams at the bottom of the first, so it’s very likely he finds his way to this selection.
He didn’t end up on my radar until the Senior Bowl, and since then I’ve seen some more Boise State tape and it’s really exciting to see a player actually play faster than he times. At this point, he could easily mark slot receivers, or even give the Chiefs a great three-corner combo with Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr.
Presidential likeness: Chester Arthur. An unheralded but effective President who wasn’t a member of the Beltway insiders, Arthur earned the adoration of a country that was wary of him.
2. C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
This is the hype I’m buying into, Chiefs fans. Pouncey could very easily find his way to our “2b” selection. I have no idea why, however, but every Draft board puts him there. I watch Pouncey and I think about a guy whose presence in the middle could even allow Tim Tebow to be an effective runner between the tackles, and I think this could be a really special player. This happens to be an area of extreme need for the Chiefs, too.
Presidential likeness: Zachary Taylor. “Old Rough and Ready” was a military guy for decades before ascending to the Presidency, and wasn’t afraid to do what was tough if he felt it was necessary.
3. WR Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
Chiefs fans are almost genetically predisposed to liking McCluster because he reminds us all too much of Dante Hall on steroids. A smaller, muscular player, he may actually be able to take several handoffs a game from Jamaal Charles, although his preference for space and outside-the-tackles work is an exact replica. Nonetheless, he’s shown that he’s a promising route runner, jukester, and sprinter — making him an intriguing blend of returner, runner, deep threat, slot guy, and trick play engineer…
Presidential likeness: John F. Kennedy. Like McCluster, Kennedy generated a lot of excitement and despite a short Presidency, took little time to get things done.
4. SS Reshad Jones, Georgia
In my extensive analysis of this year’s safety prospects, I questioned if Jones would be the right pick for the Chiefs, because in essence he reminds me a lot of Bernard Pollard. Struggles in coverage against speedy receivers, but is a hungry run defense guy who loves to stuff the box. I nonetheless think the Chiefs could use a guy like this, and can only hope Pollard didn’t mesh here for personality reasons? I honestly have no idea how we failed to utilize the guy. Jones is the pennance in the 4th.
Presidential likeness: Andrew Jackson. About as poor a tactician as you could ask for when it comes to getting results, Jackson often used a sword where a scalpel could have helped.
5. OLB Jermaine Cunningham, Florida
Not every passrusher can be Demarcus Ware and light up defenses for double-digits every season. And you can’t have four guys like that at the OLB position — some guys you just need to do their job and notch their usual handful. That’s Cunningham, who reliably manned his position with the Gators. He is not a world-beater, but his motor is fantastic, and he’s simply one of those guys that every team must have — an overachiever type who can produce in selected situations.
Presidential likeness: Calvin Coolidge. Known as “Silent Cal,” Coolidge was known as a great speaker, but wasn’t a very outspoken guy or a headline-gripper with his rhetoric.
5. TE Anthony McCoy, USC
The midrounds have a handful of tight ends that are great pure receiving guys. The tight ends available at this juncture are also all works-in-progress. McCoy may the best of the group, being able to run deeper routes than most tight ends in the NFL and showing really good speed and measurables. Don’t count this out as a selection, because Pioli loves measurables and guys who would be able to contribute once their edges are better sharpened.
Presidential likeness: Barack Obama. A guy with enough promise to deliver for his country, but at this point remains a work in progress.
5. ILB Darryl Sharpton, Miami
Undersized but having great speed, Sharpton would be a joy to watch for the Chiefs defense — just try beating this guy around the edges! I didn’t plan the Draft out this way, but he would be a perfect ying to McClain’s yang, as a fast coverage guy to compliment McClain’s brute force. Sharpton’s athleticism, combined with a gifted nose for the ball, is one of the reason he racked up tons of tackles for loss at Miami.
Presidential likeness: John Adams, moreso for his great role as a founding father and less so for his lesser take as a one-term President. Adams was a meat-and-potatoes guy who got stuff done as a founding father, even though his efforts were among the least recognized at the time.
QB: Cassel, Croyle, Gutierrez
RB: Charles, Williams, McCluster, Smith
FB: Castille
WR: Bowe, Chambers, McCluster, Wade, Lawrence
TE: McCoy, Pope, Cottam
LT: Albert, Smith
LG: Waters, Smith
C: Pouncey, Niswanger
RG: Brown, Alleman
RT: O’Callaghan, Ndukwe
DE: Dorsey, Magee
NT: Edwards, Lokey
DE: Jackson, Gilberry
OLB: Hali, Cunningham
ILB: McClain, Williams
ILB: Johnson, Sharpton
OLB: Vrabel, Studebaker
CB: Flowers, Wilson, Carr, Leggett, Washington
S: Jones, Morgan, Page, McGraw
K: Succop
P: Colquitt
LS: Gafford
KR: McCluster, Charles
PR: McCluster, Wade