The Odds On Ten Positions The Chiefs Could Take In The First Round
By Laddie Morse
Dec 5, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Louisville Cardinals safety Calvin Pryor (25) against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor are the torchbearers for good Free Safety prospects in the 2014 draft. If either one is available you can expect the Chiefs to think long and hard about turning the card in with their name on it.
The Chiefs have a clear need at Free Safety, but as John Dorsey has stated the Chiefs will take the best player so I’m attempting to not make this post about taking a player of need at all. Never the less, the Chiefs go into this draft know full well what they need and the excellent Free Safeties in this draft run two deep and that’s it. The rest have bigger questions. The two have questions of their own but both appear capable of stepping up and into the starting line-up on day one. So, if one of these gentlemen are still there for the picking, the Chiefs are highly likely to be writing down one of their names.
I would rank the likelihood of the Chiefs choosing a Free Safety as a tie with Tight Ends. There just aren’t many of them. The top two in each case are excellent but may not be there when the Chiefs need them to be. However, you could probably count on one or the other to be there: either a Tight End or a Free Safety.
Odds the Chiefs will select an FS in the first round: 15%
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I think Darqueze Dennard, Justin Gilbert, Jason Verrett, and Kyle Fuller are all first round talents. Fuller I would give a late first early second round grade to so I wouldn’t really count him in the hunt for the Chiefs first pick.
That leaves three top CB talents and one may very well be there for the Chiefs when it’s their turn to turn a card in. I like both Dennard and Gilbert a lot. Both would bring immediate help for the Chiefs secondary. Both are big hitters and Gilbert would be a valuable kick returner and that ability may be what turns John Dorsey and Andy Reid’s heads.
Jason Verrett is an excellent technician and every time he steps on the field he’s giving a clinic. However, he’s a bit smaller than the other two and the Chiefs may be limited in the kinds of things they can do with him.
With three top corners to choose from, the Chiefs would be in great shape if any of these prospects are there at #23.
Odds the Chiefs will select an CB in the first round: 20%
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