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I didn't know whether I wanted to do a write up on the Chiefs draft or not because reading people's draft grades can be a heartwrenchingly boring exercise. Especially when you consider how little we know about all of the newest Chiefs. It makes more sense to do assign grades 2-3 years down the road then the day after the NFL Draft (quick, which team received the most praise immediately following the 2011 Draft?).
However, I went back and read my grades from the Chiefs 2011 draft class, and found my initial opinions on the picks rather intriguing (not to mention my use of pictures!). So I'm running it back, more so for my future enjoyment then your present entertainment. And if that bothers you, take it up with Bad Ass Billy Gunn. Suck it, readers.
1st Round: Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
I was the only person at my draft dorks party who immediately applauded this pick (sure, they've all come around now...). Even though Poe contradicts nearly every chapter of my NFL Draft philosophy manifesto, I feel like the Chiefs were in great shape to take their chance. The fact that it comes at their biggest position of need is just boom sauce. This dude is a bonafide freak of nature though. He doesn't look a pound over 300, either in a suit or in pads, but tips the scale at 346 pounds. It's unclear to me whether he projects as a straight nose tackle, who's main objective is to eat up blocks, or as more of a versatile presence along the line, ala Haloti Ngata. However, it should be noted that Romeo Crennel specifically told Poe in his draft day phone call that he would be a three down player in KC. The knock on Poe is his lack of production in college, which I optimistically/cleverly/self-deceivingly keep telling myself is because he played against mostly spread offenses while at Memphis. If you're still not convinced then ponder this - Romeo Crennel developed Vince Wilfork. He wanted Dontari Poe. Are you smarter than Romeo Crennel?
Tidbit: To give you an idea of what type of athlete we are looking at, Poe won high school state titles in the shot put as a junior and senior, and another in the discus as a senior.
Grade: B
2nd Round: Jeff Allen, G, Illinois
Meet Ryan Lilja's future replacement. Under Scott Pioli, the Chiefs have drafted Jon Asamoah (early in the 3rd), Rodney Hudson (in the 2nd), and now Jeff Allen. Asamoah sat as a rookie, then took over Brian Waters' vacated starting spot. Hudson sat as a rookie, and is poised to take over for Casey Wiegmann at center in 2012. Allen, who played tackle at Illinois but projects as an NFL guard, will fulfill backup duties in 2012, and then take over for Lilja, who's contract expires after this season, in 2013. I'm not going to pretend to know much about Allen's on-the-field abilities. Seems solid though.
Tidbit: Allen started 47 consecutive games at Illinois, so if nothing else he is durable.
Grade: A-
3rd Round: Donald Stephenson, T, Oklahoma
Now here's a pick that I don't understand. The Chiefs have their two tackles of the future in Branden Albert and Eric Winston. With the loss of Barry Richardson, the tackle position was in need of some depth. But Stephenson is considered a "developmental player" which is a fancy word for what I like to call "future bust." If the pick was made to shore up depth, then why not take a player who is ready to play now, but has a lower upside? This pick has many people pondering the future of Branden Albert with the Chiefs, who's contract is up following this season. I don't think Albert is going anywhere. Might be nothing more than an expensive insurance pick. I predict he never sees significant playing time with the Chiefs.
Tidbit: He attended Blue Springs High School.
Grade: F
4th Round: Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno St.
I loved what I saw from this dude in his post-pick highlights on ESPN (even though his punt return TD against Nebraska was featured). He seems like the prototypical slot WR who can find holes in the zone and immediately turn up field to gain easy yards. Or maybe Chiefs fans are just a bit too obsessed with finding their own Wes Welker. Wylie could also help in the return game, perhaps with Javier Arenas taking on a more vital role in the secondary this season. It ain't all milk and cookies with Wylie though, who couldn't stay healthy throughout college, missing roughly half of his games due to injury.
Tidbit: A quote: "There was just the general sense that Wylie did well at the combine." Said by, none other than, Devon Wylie.
Grade: C+
5th Round: De'Quan Menzie, S, Alabama
You hear De'Quan Menzie and you immediately think that this guy's got it all. An apostrophe, the first name prefix, a Q, and a Z! Menzie was a damn fine football player at 'Bama, but was kind of a man without a position heading into the NFL. He played CB in college, but ran his 40 time in the 4.7's. That might work out perfectly for the Chiefs, who actually have a position for this man without a position. Yes, the coveted Jon McGraw spot (which he was able to man with his 6.2 speed), a sort of LB/CB/S hybrid who is asked to help in the running game and cover opposing Tight Ends and slot WR's. De'Quan might earn himself some playing time as a rookie.
Tidbit: Menzie ranked 80th on Mike Mayock's Top 100 list of 2012 Draft prospects. The Chiefs snagged him with the 146th pick.
Grade: A-
6th Round: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
I thought the Chiefs might pick up a RB with such uncertainty at the position. Charles coming off his injury. Peyton Hillis only signed for one year. Dexter McCluster doing Dexter McCluster things. Gray was solid for all four years of his career at A&M. Can catch the rock. Always good to ingest fresh legs into your backfield.
Tidbit: Gray rushed for 1,975 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior at Desoto High School in Texas. As a quarterback. Surprised he didn't go Top 10 alongside Tannehill.
Grade: A
7th Round: Jerome Long, DE, San Diego St.
Jerome Long....Jerome Long....nope, doesn't ring a bell. My sources tell me he's a mix between Jerome Bettis and Howie Long. I suspect he's the next Gabe Miller. Who? Exactly.
Tidbit: He wrestled in high school...as the character Golddust.
Grade: C-
7th Round: Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan
I knew who this guy was which was neat. He probably didn't get much of a chance because Michigan didn't run anything resembling an actual offense last season. He was a big play guy for them, averaging 20.6 yards per catch. I could see this guy catching on.
Tidbit: Fuck Michigan.
Grade: B+
Overall GPA: 2.66 (C+)
Showing posts with label dontari poe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dontari poe. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Chiefs Can't Go Wrong Tonight
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Attttttttt lastttttttttt....
Draft Day, bitches. And to think I considered myself a big Draft dork up until the days of Twitter. Now I see what REAL Draft dorks look like. So I'll have to settle on being a Selection Sunday dork (my living room is STILL scattered with brackets). And 90's wrestling dork (the character of Mankind has aged gracefully).
The 2012 NFL Draft has been strange for me. I've heard upwards of 10 names thrown the Chiefs way in mock drafts, but don't have a strong opinion toward any of them really. With no interest in being held personally accountable, I choose to blame Scott Pioli. Nothing feels like a need for this team. It's a selection of luxury. Do you want to make this group stronger, or do you want more confidence in a specific sub-package? Lets hope the Chiefs scouts are earning their cheddar, because the Chiefs are in position to take whatever player they like the most tonight across a wide spectrum of positions.
Lets take a look at who the Chiefs are most likely to target with the 11th pick in tonight's Draft:
~David DeCastro, OG, Stanford - Alright, I'm digging the double capitals in the last name. DeCastro would make the offensive line an immediate strength for this team. All five starters would be young (27, 22, 22, 23, and 28 to be exact), and the chance to grow together could make them potentially dominant in the not so distant future. DeCastro is considered the safest choice in this NFL Draft (rumors are he's so good that Andrew Luck might slip to round 3). Why not him? Because you can hide a mediocre offensive guard. Because Ryan Lilja's play should improve with the switch to a zone blocking scheme (what they ran in Indy). Because he might have a little Ryan Sims in him (playing alongside another potential first round pick in OT Jonathan Martin).
~Mark Barron, S, Alabama - This dude's all the rage right now. In fact, Kansas City's pick might center around Barron, who is skyrocketing up boards as we speak. Completely off the radar a week ago, Barron is now being projected as the Chiefs pick from multiple people (Todd McShay). This is eerily similar to what happened in 2009 with Tyson Jackson and the Chiefs. However, it is just as likely that this is a front put out by KC, who most people speculate are looking to trade down. How would Barron fit? He'd basically play Jon McGraw's spot in the nickel package that warms Romeo's heart so. It is a sub-package, but the Chiefs are in nickel on roughly 50% of defensive snaps. Why not him? Because there doesn't seem to be much upside in the future. While providing depth and insurance for Eric Berry, he would have to steal a job from Kendrick Lewis to play full time. While he might be great in the short term, I question the long term solution of selecting Barron.
~Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College / Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama - Potential replacements for the overachieving Jovan Belcher, who I like. Kuechly is more of the All-American who will try hard and do it all (a rich man's Jovan Belcher). Hightower is the hard ass that'll rough you up, boy (he also gives my buddy Ryan boners at night). Belcher's ceiling is low due to his physical limitations, so this would be an upgrade with either player. Playing alongside DJ (who excels in space), this spot needs to be stout against the run. However, playing alongside Tamba and Houston (who provide nothing in coverage), this spot needs to excel in coverage as well. There's no question the defense needs to improves it's pass coverage over the middle, repeatedly getting burned by Tight Ends the last few seasons. Why not them? I like the idea of keeping an underdog on defense like Belcher. Gives the team heart. Kuechly might be gone by pick #11 and Hightower just might slide into Round 2 (if Ryan was a good boy this year).
~Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M - Alright, now we're talking! Look, I think Tannehill will be just as bad as everybody else, but I can't deny that I would be awfully excited if the Chiefs show any signs of moving on from Matt Cassel. I really don't think this is a possibility, but it would be ballsy. And entertaining. Those aren't exactly the priorities of Pioli's Chiefs though. Why not him? Have you seen him play? Texas A&M went 6-6 with loads of talent around him. He played bad against every good defense he faced. Why are we even talking about this guy? What has he done to earn first round status? To be fair, he reminds me of Jay Cutler, who I was confident would bust in your face, and I guess he's awight.
~Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis - The biggest need for this team is the Nose Tackle position. Poe measures up to what you would want at NT, but I don't know of a single person who isn't terrified to draft this dude, who produced next to nothing at a small school. Why not him? On the NCAA Football 2012 game, Poe was rated a 67. NEXT!
~Throng of D-Linemen, DE, Trench So Hard University - Let me break down the idea of selecting a defensive end, followed by a thought or two on each of the potential players. Neither Glenn Dorsey or Tyson Jackson will return to the Chiefs in 2013 under their current contract. Dorsey is set to be a free agent and his return is questionable because he seems to fit a 4-3 defense better than a 3-4. Jackson is set to make 14.7 million in 2013 (which can be seen here, a beautiful site for any Chiefs fan, bookmark this shit), a number the Chiefs won't carry (either restructured or released). Couple that with the loss of my boy, Wallace Gilberry, this offseason (if a 4-3 team used him right, he could put up double digit sacks, I promise you) and the Chiefs are damn near anorexic along the defensive front. Not to mention the fact the Chiefs pass rush fell on hard times once again last season (30th in the NFL in sacks). That number isn't Hali and Houston's fault, who combined for 17.5, and should be a force to be reckoned beginning immediately. But the interior pass rush is non-existent. While Jackson and Dorsey are stout against the run, they bring nothing to the table as far as pass rush. Hopefully, Allen Bailey is able to develop, but providing more help along the line might be the team's top priority this weekend. Why not DL? No chance he'll start in 2012, barring injury. The talent pool is relatively deep (expect a DL in round 2 if not round 1). Here's a look at some potential first round DL...
~Fletcher Cox, DE, Mississippi State - The highest rated player probably won't last until #11. If he does, I expect him to be the pick.
~Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina - Nick Wright brought him into the picture on yesterday's show. I hear he doesn't fit our scheme, but as soon as the words "5-tech" enter the conversation, I become as disinterested as Lamar Odom.
~Michael Brockers, DE, LSU - Heard almost nothing about him, because I think people are that afraid of selecting yet another LSU D-lineman. Can't blame them. He's huge though, but doesn't seem to generate a pass rush.
~Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama - Presumably too small to play in the 3-4, but he compares favorably to Gilberry. He would provide pass rush help, racking up 9.5 sacks last season. More of a trade down in the first round kinda guy.
~Jerel Worthy, DE, Michigan St - Prototypical size for a 3-4 DE. 3.5 sacks last season. More of a second round possibility.
~Devon Still, DE, Penn St - This is a dude I like a lot. He terrorized Nebraska last season, blowing up play after play in the backfield. Totaled 4.5 sacks last season, as well as an outstanding 17 tackles for loss. Got a feeling about him. This is officially my boy.
Final prediction: I'll say the Chiefs look as hard as they can to trade back, but ultimately don't find any partners. They want to address defensive line the most, but without proper value at the #11 spot, they end up selecting Stanford G David DeCastro. Expect defensive line in the second round.
His Draftness
Attttttttt lastttttttttt....
Draft Day, bitches. And to think I considered myself a big Draft dork up until the days of Twitter. Now I see what REAL Draft dorks look like. So I'll have to settle on being a Selection Sunday dork (my living room is STILL scattered with brackets). And 90's wrestling dork (the character of Mankind has aged gracefully).
The 2012 NFL Draft has been strange for me. I've heard upwards of 10 names thrown the Chiefs way in mock drafts, but don't have a strong opinion toward any of them really. With no interest in being held personally accountable, I choose to blame Scott Pioli. Nothing feels like a need for this team. It's a selection of luxury. Do you want to make this group stronger, or do you want more confidence in a specific sub-package? Lets hope the Chiefs scouts are earning their cheddar, because the Chiefs are in position to take whatever player they like the most tonight across a wide spectrum of positions.
Lets take a look at who the Chiefs are most likely to target with the 11th pick in tonight's Draft:
~David DeCastro, OG, Stanford - Alright, I'm digging the double capitals in the last name. DeCastro would make the offensive line an immediate strength for this team. All five starters would be young (27, 22, 22, 23, and 28 to be exact), and the chance to grow together could make them potentially dominant in the not so distant future. DeCastro is considered the safest choice in this NFL Draft (rumors are he's so good that Andrew Luck might slip to round 3). Why not him? Because you can hide a mediocre offensive guard. Because Ryan Lilja's play should improve with the switch to a zone blocking scheme (what they ran in Indy). Because he might have a little Ryan Sims in him (playing alongside another potential first round pick in OT Jonathan Martin).
~Mark Barron, S, Alabama - This dude's all the rage right now. In fact, Kansas City's pick might center around Barron, who is skyrocketing up boards as we speak. Completely off the radar a week ago, Barron is now being projected as the Chiefs pick from multiple people (Todd McShay). This is eerily similar to what happened in 2009 with Tyson Jackson and the Chiefs. However, it is just as likely that this is a front put out by KC, who most people speculate are looking to trade down. How would Barron fit? He'd basically play Jon McGraw's spot in the nickel package that warms Romeo's heart so. It is a sub-package, but the Chiefs are in nickel on roughly 50% of defensive snaps. Why not him? Because there doesn't seem to be much upside in the future. While providing depth and insurance for Eric Berry, he would have to steal a job from Kendrick Lewis to play full time. While he might be great in the short term, I question the long term solution of selecting Barron.
~Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College / Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama - Potential replacements for the overachieving Jovan Belcher, who I like. Kuechly is more of the All-American who will try hard and do it all (a rich man's Jovan Belcher). Hightower is the hard ass that'll rough you up, boy (he also gives my buddy Ryan boners at night). Belcher's ceiling is low due to his physical limitations, so this would be an upgrade with either player. Playing alongside DJ (who excels in space), this spot needs to be stout against the run. However, playing alongside Tamba and Houston (who provide nothing in coverage), this spot needs to excel in coverage as well. There's no question the defense needs to improves it's pass coverage over the middle, repeatedly getting burned by Tight Ends the last few seasons. Why not them? I like the idea of keeping an underdog on defense like Belcher. Gives the team heart. Kuechly might be gone by pick #11 and Hightower just might slide into Round 2 (if Ryan was a good boy this year).
~Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M - Alright, now we're talking! Look, I think Tannehill will be just as bad as everybody else, but I can't deny that I would be awfully excited if the Chiefs show any signs of moving on from Matt Cassel. I really don't think this is a possibility, but it would be ballsy. And entertaining. Those aren't exactly the priorities of Pioli's Chiefs though. Why not him? Have you seen him play? Texas A&M went 6-6 with loads of talent around him. He played bad against every good defense he faced. Why are we even talking about this guy? What has he done to earn first round status? To be fair, he reminds me of Jay Cutler, who I was confident would bust in your face, and I guess he's awight.
~Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis - The biggest need for this team is the Nose Tackle position. Poe measures up to what you would want at NT, but I don't know of a single person who isn't terrified to draft this dude, who produced next to nothing at a small school. Why not him? On the NCAA Football 2012 game, Poe was rated a 67. NEXT!
~Throng of D-Linemen, DE, Trench So Hard University - Let me break down the idea of selecting a defensive end, followed by a thought or two on each of the potential players. Neither Glenn Dorsey or Tyson Jackson will return to the Chiefs in 2013 under their current contract. Dorsey is set to be a free agent and his return is questionable because he seems to fit a 4-3 defense better than a 3-4. Jackson is set to make 14.7 million in 2013 (which can be seen here, a beautiful site for any Chiefs fan, bookmark this shit), a number the Chiefs won't carry (either restructured or released). Couple that with the loss of my boy, Wallace Gilberry, this offseason (if a 4-3 team used him right, he could put up double digit sacks, I promise you) and the Chiefs are damn near anorexic along the defensive front. Not to mention the fact the Chiefs pass rush fell on hard times once again last season (30th in the NFL in sacks). That number isn't Hali and Houston's fault, who combined for 17.5, and should be a force to be reckoned beginning immediately. But the interior pass rush is non-existent. While Jackson and Dorsey are stout against the run, they bring nothing to the table as far as pass rush. Hopefully, Allen Bailey is able to develop, but providing more help along the line might be the team's top priority this weekend. Why not DL? No chance he'll start in 2012, barring injury. The talent pool is relatively deep (expect a DL in round 2 if not round 1). Here's a look at some potential first round DL...
~Fletcher Cox, DE, Mississippi State - The highest rated player probably won't last until #11. If he does, I expect him to be the pick.
~Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina - Nick Wright brought him into the picture on yesterday's show. I hear he doesn't fit our scheme, but as soon as the words "5-tech" enter the conversation, I become as disinterested as Lamar Odom.
~Michael Brockers, DE, LSU - Heard almost nothing about him, because I think people are that afraid of selecting yet another LSU D-lineman. Can't blame them. He's huge though, but doesn't seem to generate a pass rush.
~Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama - Presumably too small to play in the 3-4, but he compares favorably to Gilberry. He would provide pass rush help, racking up 9.5 sacks last season. More of a trade down in the first round kinda guy.
~Jerel Worthy, DE, Michigan St - Prototypical size for a 3-4 DE. 3.5 sacks last season. More of a second round possibility.
~Devon Still, DE, Penn St - This is a dude I like a lot. He terrorized Nebraska last season, blowing up play after play in the backfield. Totaled 4.5 sacks last season, as well as an outstanding 17 tackles for loss. Got a feeling about him. This is officially my boy.
Final prediction: I'll say the Chiefs look as hard as they can to trade back, but ultimately don't find any partners. They want to address defensive line the most, but without proper value at the #11 spot, they end up selecting Stanford G David DeCastro. Expect defensive line in the second round.
His Draftness
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