Welcome to another Draft Thursday! This is my first that I actually get to participate and throw my two cents in as well as Merlin and Adam.
These days we are bombarding you with several Kansas City Chiefs mocks from authors passionate about the Draft. Each of us will issue our own today, based on DraftTek’s big board, in order to provide you as much variety and background options and familiarity with different directions the Chiefs could consider.
I get the honor of going first; probably because I’m the most awesome.
So who does General Manager Crocker pick at #21 overall? Well, I gave you a hint last night.
Check out my Chiefs mock, after the jump. Please exercise caution. This could change your life.
Round 1, Pick 21 (21) Gabe Carimi 6’7” 314 lbs. Offensive Tackle Wisconsin
Gabe Carimi comes from a place where the chairs are made of splintered wood and every omelet has a few nails in it. Gabe Carimi doesn’t tolerate your crap. Gabe Carimi wields the Sword of Isildur, and is our only hope for vanquishing Middle Earth.
Gabe Carimi hails from the most NFL-ready run game in college football. Wisconsin was a delight to watch if you love getting the tough yards, and no doubt that was because few defensive ends stand a chance against Gabe. He played in a division where he faced tons of future first round picks this year (Heyward, Liuget…) and handed their ass to all of them. He even lined up against J.J. Watt in practice. Embrace Gabe Carimi.
Round 2, Pick 23 (55) Akeem Ayers 6’3” 254 lbs. Outside Linebacker UCLA
Now this is more like it.
Akeem Ayers has been confused for a first round prospect for far too long. He lacks the speed, the power, and consistency to really grab your eye when you watch the tape. Instead, he exhibits traits that suggest he’s more of a second rounder: he’s slower but savvy, he’s inconsistent but he’s versatile, he may not slam into the QB very often but he can cover well. Ayers is a second rounder. And his abilities play very well to that Vrabel role on the strong side.
Round 3, Pick 22 (86) Sione Fua 6’2” 308 lbs. Nose Tackle Stanford
I think we get lost in a ton of the conversation over future nose tackles in the 2011 NFL Draft over Phil Taylor (likely in the 1st) or Jerrell Powe (likely in the 2nd or 3rd). There are other options in this actual draft, ones that may not fit the 330-pound bodytype, but nonetheless fit Romeo Crennel’s defense.
Enter: Sione Fua. A burly nose tackle prospect who may not be as terrifically large, but he is unquestionably strong as a bull. He also comes from Stanford, as high quality a character program as you find, which is, of course, important to GM Scott Pioli. Fua is no doubt a 3-down nose tackle, with great athleticism to go with his ability to stand as a block of granite at the nose.
Round 4, Pick 21 (118) Tim Barnes 6’4” 310 lbs. Center Missouri
“What the hell, Crock? Are we not going to help out Matt Cassel at all, here? Is this going to be yet another season of Dwayne Bowe and a bunch of scrubs? WHY A CENTER!?!”
Hey now, don’t be a dummy. The Chiefs have a terrific run game and with Carimi manning the right tackle and Barnes stepping in at center, they’ll have a strong offensive line. They already have a Pro Bowler in Dwayne Bowe. What the Chiefs need is a one-dimensional vertical threat, which you can find in the midrounds, and slot receiver, which you can find basically anywhere. What the Chiefs need even more than that is a smart center who can hold his own against gigantic nose tackles, and block out in space. Barnes is your man.
Round 5, Pick 4 (135) Dwayne Harris 5’10” 203 lbs. Wide Receiver East Carolina
“Thank goodness you finally took a wide receiver, Crock. I was beginning to think you were grotesquely unqualified to have a regular opinion on this website. The Chiefs absolutely cannot survive a brutal 2011 schedule with only Dwayne Bowe receiving. I was beginning to think that you should be ashamed of yourself for such a lackluster effort at a position we need the most talent in. I desperately hope you reevaluate what it means to be a Chiefs fan. But this is a decent enough pick that I’ll let it slide.”
Er… thanks.
Round 5, Pick 9 (140) Greg Salas 6’1`” 210 lbs. Wide Receiver Hawaii
I know we’re all supposed to be original and come up with our own ideas, but I too am on the Greg Salas Bandwagon.
Kid is a born slot receiver.
Round 6, Pick 34 (199) Chris Conte 6’2” 197 lbs. Free Safety California
The Chiefs are in desperate need for depth at safety more than any other position on defense. Afte Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis, they have Jon McGraw, who’s serviceable, and Donald Washington, who’s not. Conte is a range-y free safety that plays smarter than most of his peers, much like Lewis.
Round 7, Pick 20 (223) Kendrick Burney 5’9” 186 lbs. Cornerback North Carolina
I cannot believe that DraftTek has Burney listed as a 7th round prospect. Burney is a poor man’s Brandon Flowers… but not that poor. He lacks in size and speed but he is aggressive as hell and plays with that chip on his shoulder that a coach like Herm Edwards would absolutely love. (To say nothing of Todd Haley!)