Ol' number five. There's many reasons to not like this pick and it seems that two drafts in a row, the Chiefs are stuck in a position on draft day that is less than ideal given the talent available and the position they are forced to be within. At least in my view, the Chiefs are in a poor position in regards to the first round of this year's draft.
The reason: all of the guys worth picking at the top will be long gone. In particular, I'm speaking about Tennessee safety Eric Berry and disruptive defensive tackles like Gerald McCoy from Oklahoma and Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska. All three should be gone (hopefully not) by the time the Chiefs pick. Each is an absolute game-changing force on the defensive side, which is EXACTLY what's needed in Kansas City. After that, you're left with talent better served a bit later in the draft (even just a few spots) that the Chiefs will have to "reach" for in case they are stuck here.
There's no "absolutely have to have this offensive tackle" in this year's draft - someone like a Joe Thomas. Every pass rusher seems to have some question mark on or off the field. The top cornerback, Joe Haden, would be a nice choice, but it's not the greatest position of need for the Chiefs. USC safety Taylor Mays isn't grading nearly as high to warrant a pick here. And the offensive skill position players just don't merit a choice here either - even if players like C.J. Spiller or Dez Bryant are impressive to watch.
More after the jump:
Many are also talking up Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain, and with good reason. The man is a player/coach who plays intelligent football for all 60 minutes and is an absolute force to deal with in the middle. Yet last year's draft showed us just how available linebackers are in the later rounds with several rookie linebackers having success, including James Laurinaitis, Rey Maualuga, DeAndre Levy, etc.Of course, all of this could change if a trade comes calling. Quarterback needy teams like Seattle, San Francisco, Cleveland and Buffalo could all make our day and allow us to move down a few spots in case any of these teams are in love with a guy like Casey Claussen, Sam Bradford, et al. And in that case, it would be a Mark Sanchez-like move from last year's draft where the Chiefs pick up better positioning and another pick (or two) to make it work. Here's hoping Scott Pioli creates a moving video complete with Daughtry music and memories of "picking a rookie at #5 takes you to the conference championship" sort of montage.
Of course, any choice here will help the Chiefs. But that's the case with anyone picking this high. It's frustrating to not be able to guarantee an absolute force on defense, so hopefully the Chiefs can trade down a few spots and still find an addition like LB Rolando McClain. In this process, the Chiefs not only get a great young player, but also maximize the value of the #5 pick in the draft.