Romeo Crennel Talks Dontari Poe

The Kansas City Chiefs made what many are calling the most interesting and risky pick in this year’s NFL draft when they selected NT Dontari Poe out of Memphis.

The move was not especially popular among Chiefs fans, though after hearing the coaches talk about Poe, some fans seem to be warming to the pick. The Chiefs have long been searching for a nose tackle to be the centerpiece of their 3-4 defense and listening to Crennel talk about Poe, it may be that they’ve finally found him.

“He’s been good,” Crennel said in a press conference last week. “He’s learning and he’s trying to do what we’re coaching him to do. That’s the biggest thing, being able to assimilate into our system is going to be critical and it looks like he’s more than willing to try and do it the way we want to do it.”

Recently the Chiefs have been taking their nose tackle out when they go to their sub-package to bring in pass rushers. With Poe, however, Crennel sees a player with the potential to play all three downs.

“I will not say that he has the ability to help us out more with the pass rush or run,” Crennel said. “He has enough ability to help us out with both of them. It just depends on how quickly he picks up our system and how he does on the field.”

For a team that has had poor luck drafting defensive lineman in the past, the Chiefs could really benefit from Poe getting off to a fast start. For a defense that could be among the best in the NFL in 2012, Poe could be just what the doctor ordered.