FanPost

Chiefs Depth Chart

What are we looking to do on Thursday? Friday? It would appear that Branden Albert might be replaced in the coming week and his replacement will be taken as the 1st Kansas City Chiefs selection of the 2013 draft. Maybe not the overall #1 pick but the 1st Chiefs pick.

Chiefs Base Defense:

4jobxkn_medium

via i.imgur.com

Does it have to be a wash on the Swap? What does the Chiefs brass really feel about Donald Stephenson.

From Sidelinescouting

Donald Stephenson OT Oklahoma

Positives -- Has prototypical height and arm length for a tackle; thick build, but could still add some weight... Long arms that help in pass protection keeping defenders away from his body... Has an elite first step and quick feet; does a good job changing direction, resetting his footwork and redirecting the
defender.... Passing sets are both quick and balanced, does a tremendous job mirroring pass rushers with above average lateral movement... Does a decent job getting movement at the point of attack... Gets to the second level quickly, covers up defenders in the run game; also shows the speed to pull and get around the corner... Positional blocker; uses angles to create space... Has improved and developed since earning the left tackle starting job in 2010... Ran a 4.94-40 at the combine, fastest of all offensive linemen; has some upside due to his ability as a pass protector.
Negatives -- A little undersized for a left tackle in the NFL... Pass sets can be inconsistent; sometimes gives up too much ground before even making contact with the defender, gets pushed back into the pocket... Will lunge and lose his balance when trying to get movement... Doesn't have the leg power to drive defenders back in the run game... Not a mauler; fights, but isn't physical enough... Lacks good awareness, doesn't keep head on a swivel, gets caught looking for someone to block both in pass protection and run blocking... Was suspended for the 2009 season due to academic ineligibility... Only has two years of starting experience and still needs a lot development.

Read more at Sideline Scouting: http://www.sidelinescouting.com/rankings/2012/ot/donald-stephenson/#ixzz2R3fAL1Sv

vs

Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma

Pros:

Johnson possesses ideal athleticism to play left tackle in the NFL. He drops comfortably into his stance and bends his knees well to avoid waste bending and lunging at his opponents. Johnson has textbook footwork, mirrors defenders well and has the strength to anchor at the line of scrimmage in pass protection. He slides his feet well and rarely lets a defender beat him to the edge clean.

With prototypical size for a tackle prospect, Johnson has the arm length to keep defenders out of his body with a strong initial punch. His athleticism comes into play when Johnson is run blocking. He always finds a way to get to the second level of the defense in a hurry and engage in a block quickly. This speaks to his body control and short area quickness.

Cons:

Run blocking is not Johnson's strength. He tends to lunge at his opponents on occasion because he doesn't get a great initial punch off the snap of the ball. Would love to see him develop a bit more of a mean streak out there. He's not as nasty as some of the best NFL linemen tend to be, but he finishes his blocks well.

Johnson is admittedly a bit raw in his technique, but the quick development he has shown has to be encouraging for NFL teams. He still has plenty of room to grow and get stronger, which will do a lot for his game. One of the few flaws Johnson has in pass protection is that he will occasionally allow defenders to cross his face.

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-draft/2013/1/24/3906004/lane-johnson-2013-nfl-draft-scouting-report

Why is one a 3rd round Tackle and the other is a top-10 offensive Tackle in the 2013 draft?

If Branden Albert is traded I don't see Lane Johnson as the Left Tackle answer. If Lane is not the answer and Donald is not the answer we are locked into a top 5 selection in the upcoming draft. If we keep Branden Albert then the puzzle is do we need a Left Tackle in 2013 or a Right Tackle? There are a vast number of Right Tackles spread from the 1st to the 7th round in 2013. As I look at the base defense I see a hole. Inside Linebacker is not usually an upper half of the 1st round selection. Neither is Safety :) But as I look at the Nickel, a 3 down ILB that can cover the TE allows so much flexibility for our Defense. We can retain our best Run Defense on all three downs and keep the opposition from substituting and forcing us to substitute players.

Chiefs Nickel Defense:

M4b1d3b_medium

via i.imgur.com

The Inside Linebacker simply continues to cover the Tight-end. As we are configured now, Mike DeVito would leave the field, Robinson would replace him, and the Corners would appear to swap roles.

Chiefs Dime Defense:

Ro0os3r_medium

via i.imgur.com

The Chiefs defense again has to restructure for the Dime look, the preferred scheme of the NFL it seems. Out goes the Strongside ILB and in comes a 4th CB or 3rd Safety. What would happen if we simply Moved Berry to cover the 4th WR and left the ILB in to cover the Tight-end? Maybe Berry is not the best choice, maybe Eric Berry should be the Center fielder for the Chiefs Defense.

Maybe, a 3 down Inside Linebacker, a Strong Safety, and a depth guy to keep our Defensive Ends fresh is the best remedy for the Chiefs Defense. Keeping Branden Albert and Drafting a later round Tackle to groom for the future. Selecting the Best Player Available is not hard if John Dorsey can position the pick to get the best player in our Position of Need.

Geaux Chiefs

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.