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The Kansas City Chiefs used their second round pick on someone Clark Hunt "perhaps the greatest offensive lineman" in Florida State history. Rodney Hudson comes to KC after a decorated career in the ACC and figures to be a Chief for a long time.
Hudson's future is really pretty simple, if you ask me.
If C Casey Wiegmann returns, I don't think he'll be the opening day starter. Former Chief Tim Grunhard expanded on the idea of playing behind a veteran as a rookie last week on 810 WHB. He says it was very helpful for him to come in and have someone to learn from. At the same time, he also says it's important that you're thrown into the fire. So if Wiegmann is back, I wonder if the Chiefs would consider using Hudson at guard a little bit.
If Wiegmann doesn't return, then I see Hudson getting thrown into the fire. He's not a huge player but the Chiefs aren't looking for huge offensive linemen. If the lockout ends in a reasonable timetable, Hudson can become acclimated to the Chiefs offense and move into his role quickly.
Another question is how G/C Rudy Niswanger fits into all of this. His future may depend on the labor deal but, if he's brought back, I would venture to guess that Hudson sits ahead of him on the depth chart, whether Wiegmann returns or not.
Hudson is the draft pick I'm the least worried about. He has several years of tape so, on the field, the Chiefs must be comfortable with what he can do.