One More Week: Random Draft Thoughts

This weekend, share some random thoughts you’re having about the Draft.

Here are some of mine.  They don’t deserve their own post, so here we go.

• Paddy’s work at Radio City Music Hall was phenomenal last year. I can’t wait for the sequel.
• It is incredibly likely that the Chiefs will be unable to address at least one of their MAJOR needs in the 2011 draft (my guess is center will still be a need afterwards).
• I have a first round grade on four QBs: Newton and Gabbert in the top ten, and Ponder and Locker towards the bottom.  I have Mallett down as a third rounder (that Panthers story was disasterous). 
• Speaking of third rounder QBs, Peter King has the Dolphins taking Andy Dalton at #15 overall.  That… I did not see coming.
• “Projects” will drop like rocks in this draft. NFL-ready players will rise.
• Weakest two positions in this draft: tight end and strong safety.
• Strongest position?  Corner.  By a mile.
• Player with the most meteoric rise this draft season? Eastern Washington RB Taiwan Jones.
• Most horrific tumble? USC C Kristofer O’Dowd.
• My three favorite small schoolers (not necessarily the best): Slippery Rock C Brandon Fusco, New Mexico State CB Davon House, and Mount Union OT David Mims.
• I think Merlin put a stake in the heart of anybody hoping that Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli would take NT Phil Taylor in the first round… or even the second.
• Love the debate we’ve had over Taylor this year, the trailor from Baylor.  Reminds me of the debate we had over Jimmy Clausen last year. 
• Second straight year that my local Missouri State University has a serious Draft prospect.  This year it’s OG David Arkin.
• MVP Draft website this year?  Wes Bunting’s National Football Post.  Bar none the best Draft website.  We don’t always disagree, but he is a phenomenal writer.
• Walter Football has drastically regressed this season.  The discussion board is still decent quality, though. 
• Peter King’s mock draft and Rick Gosselin’s first mock draft both have Missouri OLB Aldon Smith going right before us at #20.  As I’ve written, it would only take the Chiefs a 4th rounder to hop the Bucs and take him at #19…
• Even more than physically gifted players, I love smart players.  Some personally smart players: Clemson’s DE DaQuan Bowers, Notre Dame NT Ian Williams, UT-Chattanooga CB Buster Skrine, South Florida DE/DT Terell McCain, Florida State QB Christian Ponder, Miami CB Brandon Harris, Georgia LB Akeem Dent, Penn State C Stefen Wisniewski.  (I’d say many of these players are Pioli sleepers.)
• I’m going to keep beating the drum for Maryland TE Will Yeatman.  Huge blocking TE, terrific athlete, could develop into a tackle.
• I don’t even have Ohio State WR Dane Sanzenbacher on my big board (oversight on my part, I have him graded out to be a 5th rounder), but he’s one of the best route-runners in this draft.  Ditto Indiana WR Tandon Doss.
• Pat Kirwan of NFL Radio and NFL.com said he’d say it’s “very likely” Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi ends up a Kansas City Chief, considering he’s a smart game manager from a program Pioli loves.  I think we’d have to reach in the 3rd to get him. 
• Speaking of NFL Radio, I was fortunate enough to hear an interview with Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi, a player that most of AA (including me) predicts will be a Chief at #21.  Well spoken, sounds like a Pioli player.  Joked in the interview that he’d been telling GMs that “you’d be getting a hell of a package deal if you drafted Wisconsin OG/C John Moffitt along with me.”  If Moffitt could last until the 3rd, it’d be an intriguing thought.  But I doubt that he will.
• Boise State WR Titus Young = Desean Jackson. I can’t shake it.
• Has there been any doubt that the AFC West team that apparently loves Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick is the Oakland Raiders? I can’t picture any other team in the division even wanting him.
• North Carolina CB Kendrick Burney is the biggest mystery in the draft.  Very talented, seems to dominate his Senior Bowl opponents.  Reminds me a lot of Brandon Flowers, but his 4.7 speed is devastating at the corner position.
• I’m having a blast participating in the AA Ultimate Mock Draft with Merlin, Adam, and Jesse.  Partly because I’m wiping the floor with them.  But Arrowhead Pride’s annual community mock is also a fun read, and ChiefsPlanet’s community mock continues to be the gold standard for online Chiefs community mocks (full disclosure, I participate in it every year).
• DraftTek was its usual superb resource this year, but the big board wasn’t updated at all in the last month. Perhaps Merlin could shine some light on why.
• There are a few schools I love prospects from even when I know next to nothing about them: LSU, Boston College, Nevada, and this year, North Carolina. 
• Seriously, North Carolina has the best class this year. DE Robert Quinn is Top 10, DT Marvin Austin is rumored to go in the 1st, LBs Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant are Day 2 prospects, WR Greg Little is a quality midrounder, S Duenta Williams is one of the few promising safeties this year, QB TJ Yates is a decent late-rounder, and I’ve already talked about Kendrick Burney.
• Speaking of Yates, he’s my pick to be the Chiefs’ QB selection this year. 6th round. You heard it here first.

More to come in comments as I think of them.  What are some random thoughts you’ve had?