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Chiefs Fans Beware: No. 1 NFL Draft Picks Can Go Horribly Wrong from KC Star
Shortly after 7 Thursday night, Andy Reid will make a public proclamation about the player the Chiefs drafted with the No. 1 overall pick. His words will no doubt be similar to the ones spoken by Cleveland Browns president Carmen Policy in 2000, immediately after his team made defensive lineman Courtney Brown the NFL Draft's top choice.
"You find someone better,'' Policy said, his words now infamous, "and that man is Superman.''
Every top overall pick is Superman on the night he is drafted, and usually for at least a short time afterward. Then things can go sour, as they quickly did for the Browns and Brown, the Raiders and quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007 and the Texans and quarterback David Carr in 2002, among other busts.
The Draft Picks Of John Dorsey And Andy Reid from The Mothership
We're just two days away from the 2013 NFL Draft, as the Kansas City Chiefs continue preparing to take the best players available during each of the seven rounds. Every one of the team's draft choices will be spearheaded by Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid, which got me thinking about the draft histories of both leaders.
While with the Green Bay Packers, John Dorsey worked as a college scout before later serving as the team's director of college scouting and eventually, director of football operations (2012). Here's a look at some of Dorsey's memorable draft classes.
Even By Playing It Safe, There Are No Sure Things In The NFL Draft from KC Star
As fun as it is to make grand declarations about the draft - and you've been hearing them for months - it's worth remembering that the people making those grand declarations are just guessing. That's all.
Consider that of the eight left tackles taken with top five picks in the last decade, only three have made Pro Bowls. So you might find an anchor like Jake Long (first overall in 2008 and a Pro Bowler his first four seasons), but you also might waste time and money on a bust like Jason Smith (second overall in 2009 and now a backup with his third team).
There are no sure things, in other words, no matter how hard we pretend otherwise.
Hit Or Miss? How No. 1 Overall NFL Draft Picks Have Fared Since 2000 from KC Star
2005: QB Alex Smith, Utah
- Drafted by:San Francisco
- How he performed:It took a while for Smith to fulfill his potential, but after three head coaches and a string of offensive coordinators, Smith led the 49ers to within an overtime loss of the Super Bowl in 2011, when he led the 49ers to a 13-3 regular-season record. Smith staged a remarkable 36-32 victory over New Orleans in the playoffs, highlighted by his 28-yard touchdown run followed by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with 9 seconds to play. Smith led the 49ers to a 6-2 start in 2012 before suffering a concussion, and he never regained his starting spot from Colin Kaepernick.
- Where last seen:The Chiefs traded a second-round pick in this year's draft and a conditional pick in 2014 for Smith, and new coach Andy Reid will build his offense around Smith.
- Hit or miss:Hit
Former Chiefs kicker Jan Stenerud will be recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday in Bozeman, Mont., as part of Allstate Insurance's "Hometown Hall of Famers," a national program honoring the roots of the sport's greatest coaches, players, and contributors.Stenerud, a native of Norway, chose his alma mater, Montana State University, as the recipient of his hometown plaque that will be placed at the stadium where his football career began while he was also on scholarship as a member of the school's ski team.
Transferring from the University of Miami, Brown redshirted his first season at KSU, before starting all 13 games as a team captain in 2011. Named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and first-team all-conference pick that same season, he totaled 101 tackles, 9.5 for loss for the season.
Against Baylor, Brown intercepted Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, leading to the Wildcats game-winning FG -- it was the only second-half INT thrown by RG3 all season.
Brown's success continued in 2012, starting every game at either inside or outside linebacker, recording 100 tackles, seven for loss, including one sack. He added four pass breakups and two INTs, one of which came against West Virginia's Geno Smith, the Mountaineer's first of the season.
Rare Air Of Suspense Surrounds Top Pick from ESPN
There actually may be some type of podium suspense with the No. 1 pick at the 2013 NFL draft.
How refreshing.
ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that the Kansas City Chiefs likely won't make an announcement on who they will take with the No. 1 pick until the time of the draft.
List Of Top Undrafted Players In NFL from The Winona Daily News
Kansas City Chiefs: DB Emmitt Thomas, Bishop College, 1966. Played 13 seasons in NFL, was an All-Pro and 5-time Pro Bowl selection who picked off 58 passes in his career. Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2008.
The Jets Will Draft Somebody Decent... Right? from The Wall Street Journal
But high draft picks guarantee nothing. The 2008 Kansas City Chiefs, 1992 Indianapolis Colts and 1991 Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots all failed to find even one impact player.
Schneider: Fisher Potential No. 1 Status Makes This As Big A Week As Any In CMU's Athletics History from The Morning Sun
I recently blogged about 16 different mock drafts from prominent so-called experts and where they see Fisher landing in Thursday night's first round of the NFL Draft. Five of the 16 mock drafts that I linked to have the 6-foot-8 and 305-pound Central Michigan product going No. 1 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now the question arises as to whether that would be the biggest story in Central Michigan University athletics history if Fisher is the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. I think the answer to that is yes.
2013 NFL Draft Preview: Quarterbacks from Philly.com
Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith is nothing more than a stopgap for the Chiefs, and Andy Reid loves his project quarterbacks.
CMU Fans Invited To NFL Draft Viewing Party On Thursday from The Morning Sun
Central Michigan Athletics invites Chippewa fans to come out to O'Kelly's Sports Bar & Grille on Thursday for an NFL Draft viewing party on what is expected be a memorable evening, as offensive lineman Eric Fisher bids to become the highest NFL draft pick in CMU and Mid-American Conference history.
TMQ Returns To Mock The Mock Drafts from ESPN
1. Kansas City. Carl Brewer, mayor, Wichita, Kan. Wichita State made the men's Final Four while the mega-hyped University of Kansas team watched at home. Maybe what the woeful Kansas City Chiefs need is a little Wichita spirit.
Pro Football: Sometimes It's Better To Go Undrafted In The NFL from The Associated Press via The San Angelo Standard Times
The Colts have had at least one undrafted free agent make their Week 1 roster in each of the last 14 years. Kansas City has a 10-year streak and Denver's is nine.
"As far as making your team, maybe it's not (better to be drafted)," new Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged. "If you look at the stats, there are a whole lot of undrafted free agents playing in the NFL right now, and that's just by sheer number of players that there are. You have a bigger pool. But you can also choose where you go, where you have a chance to make the team."