Chiefs GM Scott Pioli Explains Why Dontari Poe Fits In KC's Defense

Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli spoke to reporters after making the first round of the 2012 NFL draft on Thursday night and he talked about the newest Chief, Memphis DT Dontari Poe. Pioli, like Romeo Crennel earlier in the night, noted that Poe had a number of roles in his time at Memphis. He also talked about the mentality that's needed for a player to effectively two-gap at nose tackle.

"He's played every position along the line," Pioli said. "It's unbelievable what he's had to play. He has the build and mentality to two-gap. One of the things we've learned over time for defensive linemen to two gap is that it takes a certain type of mentality. Not only to be a two gap defensive lineman, but to be a two gap nose.

"He has played some two gap, not a whole lot of it, but he has the body type, the mental...one of the things we spent a lot of time with this player on is his mental and emotional endurance because that position takes a lot of mental and emotional endurance. He also has the right body type for it in terms of not just his overall weight but his girth. When you get to see him in person, you'l see he has the type of lower body, and upper body, we're looking for in that position."

It's hard for us, the average fan, to recognize the physical tools needed to be a two-gap nose tackle. We thought some players fit that mold (lookin' at you, Aubrayo Franklin) but the Chiefs obviously disagreed. 6'4" and 346 pounds must've been the body type they were looking for. The 4.9 40-yard dash probably doesn't hurt, either.