There are a lot of mock drafts flying around these days so we here at Arrowhead Addict decided to try to bring you a different and interactive mock draft experience.
We’ve teamed up with FanSided’s draft Site NFL Mocks to bring you the first ever Kansas City Chiefs Ultimate Mock Draft!
How it works:
Three staff members from Arrowhead Addict, along with a representative from NFL Mocks are each going to provide a full, seven round mock draft for the Chiefs.
The first twist is that each participant will pick in a rotating order throughout the mock. Once a player is off the board in a given round, the next mocker cannot choose that player for his mock draft. The end result will be four complete, seven round mock drafts with no repeat selections. The mockers will use the Big Board over at Draft Tek.
How does this all add up to an “Ultimate Chiefs Mock Draft?”
I’m glad you asked.
As the picks roll in, we will post all four selections from each round in a poll on Arrowhead Addict. The readers will chose which mockers pick they like the best in each round. The winner of each poll will have their pick entered as the official selection of Chiefs Nation in the Ultimate Chiefs Mock Draft.
Why are we doing this?
We are doing this for a couple of reasons. For starters, we wanted to approach the mock draft from a new and interesting perspective. Instead of bombarding you with four mock drafts that are all similar, you will get four totally unique mocks. The process is designed to educate Chiefs Nation about the various options available to the Chiefs in each round while also making the reader apart of the process by having them choose the best pick in each round.
We hope you enjoy this exercise and without further ado, the AA and NFL Mocks Crew are on the clock for the first round of the Chiefs Ultimate Mock Draft…
After the jump.
Adam (1A)
Pick: Gabe Carimi, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin
Explanation: While offensive tackle is not a huge need for the Kansas City Chiefs, it is where value is found at pick 21 in the first round. The 2010 Outland Trophy winner has tons of tape having played 49 career starts for the Badgers at left tackle. A multiple season Academic All-Big Ten player, Carimi is hard worker with the attitude that coaches look for in offensive linemen. He could start immediately at right tackle for the Chiefs and perhaps even challenge current left tackle Branden Albert. While not a glamorous pick, Carimi is a quality player that will help the Chiefs immediately from Day 1. As you think about this pick, keep in mind that the Chiefs will face the brutal defensive lines of the NFC North next year. The Chiefs will need to improve their O-line if they expect to be contenders next year.
Jesse (1B)
Pick: Aldon Smith, Outside Linebacker, Missouri
Explanation: Smith just squeaks into the possibility of being picked because he is 17th on draftteks’ big board. Smith is a player with great versatility that could do well for a 4-3 or 3-4 team. Aldon Smith is reminiscent of last year’s Jason Pierre Paul except that he’s been much more productive in college and much more polished, though he’s not the insane physical athlete that JPP is. Smith has tremendous use of his hands to shed blocks and would be a nice complement to Hali on the Chiefs defense because he is not a one trick pony and will help out the Chiefs run game. He is a bit raw in terms of dropping into coverage, but his instincts, work ethic, and pure talent should allow him to overcome that with coaching.
Andrew: (1C)
Pick: NT Phil Taylor, Baylor
Explanation: Phil Taylor (the trailor from Baylor!) can be found much further down on DraftTek’s excellent big board, but we’re allowed to “reach” downward if we so choose. I happen to agree that Phil Taylor would be a reach at #21 overall, but I only believe that it would be a slight reach, not the gargantuan reach that others on AA believe it to be. (Besides, I believe that the rarity of quality nose tackles demands that you must reach for them.) But I also happen to believe that Phil Taylor bears a strong resemblence to last year’s NT sleeper Torell Troup, a blue collar worker from a lesser football program with a backstory that suggested the man exists only to play nose tackle (I remain convinced the Chiefs truly wanted him due to his work with DC Romeo Crennel). Phil Taylor is that man, a guy who turned his young life around by shutting out the noise that led him to his expulsion from Joe Paterno’s doghouse and by just committing his life to football. Team captain or not, that’s a Pioli guy.
In addition to his intriguing biography, I should also mention this: Phil Taylor is good at football. He showcases an effort that is uncommon with all the down-and-dirty jobs of a zero-technique. He possesses a deft passrush that many noses simply don’t have or care to develop. And, of course, most importantly, he anchors well in the run game. The negative is that he is a project that will take a couple years to develop–a project Pioli may avoid, after striking out with all the projects from 2009. But he’s strong as a bull, which such quickness that double teams will be necessary for every offensive line we face. His frame can easily hold 350 pounds, but he has worked his tail off to get south of 330, which will earn him favor with coach Todd Haley. Make it happen, Scott!
Merlin: (1D)
Pick: Derek Sherrod Offensive Tackle Mississippi State
Explanation: What does Scott Pioli look for in a football player? He looks for someone with a long track record of success at a high level of competition. Leadership qualities are also highly valued. Sherrod has that in abundence. He is a long armed, agile, athletic tackle. His technique can use some refinement, but the Chiefs have the staff in place to help him. Sherrod could start at right tackle as a rookie. However, the long term plan would be for him to move to left tackle, probably moving Brandon Albert to left guard. That would make for a dominant left side of the line.