2013 NFL Draft: Chiefs trade rumors, No. 1 pick candidates and 5 other questions

1. What are the Chiefs top needs?

1. Offensive tackle: Given the Albert situation, this is the top need.

2. Safety: Someone opposite Eric Berry. Kendrick Lewis is there now and has an injury history.

3. Inside linebacker: There are candidates, like Akeem Jordan and Zac Files, but no sure things.

4. Defensive end: Tyson Jackson is on a one-year deal and Mike DeVito is new. Need some depth there.

5. Wide receiver: The Chiefs have Dwayne Bowe there. Dexter McCluster will see some time. Jon Baldwin is a former first round pick. It's hard for me to think the Chiefs will draft a receiver high, replacing Baldwin. I think he gets a year under Reid to show what he has.

6. Running back: Someone to match with Jamaal Charles. This player could already be on the roster, someone like Cyrus Gray.

How did the Chiefs do addressing their needs in free agency?

"I think we secured some players with the existing team that in order to move ahead you have to go and do those types of movements," Chiefs GM John Dorsey said last week. "I'm very happy with the free agents that we signed."

Previously:

Pre-free agency needs

Post-free agency needs

Chiefs needs, April 1

2. Who are the candidates for the No. 1 overall pick?

The last we heard the Chiefs were down to four players, but let's start from the beginning. KC Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey went on a scouting trip to check out candidates for the No.1 pick. Among those players were:

OT Luke Joeckel: The Chiefs worked him out in College Station, Texas.

OT Eric Fisher: KC worked him out at Central Michigan.

DE/LB Dion Jordan: Reid, Dorsey and the Chiefs entire defensive staff met with him at Oregon.

DE/LB Ziggy Ansah: KC traveled to Utah to work him out at BYU.

OT Lane Johnson: The Chiefs traveled to Norman, Oklahoma to work him out.

DE/LB Jarvis Jones: Likely not a candidate for the No. 1 pick, but the Chiefs worked him out in Georgia.

DT Sharrif Floyd: The Chiefs traveled to Gainesville to work him out at Florida.

Other schools the Chiefs visited were Alabama and LSU.

GM John Dorsey said last week that the Chiefs are down to four possibilities for the No. 1 pick. Do the Chiefs know right now who they would pick?

"Not right yet," the Chiefs GM said last week at his pre-draft press conference. "I've said all along it's an ongoing process ... From a clarity standpoint, when that curtain is raised on Thursday night, we'll be ready. But right now it's still ongoing."

I would guess Joeckel and Fisher are the top two followed by Dion Jordan. I'm not quite sure who would be next on the list. Sharrif Floyd, maybe?

I said on Around the League: #Chiefs GM John Dorsey called Florida DT Sharrif Floyd yesterday to check on him. Hmmm. At 1 or for trade back?

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2013

3. Does anyone want to trade up to the No. 1 pick?

Doesn't look like it. The Chiefs have made it clear they will listen to anyone who calls about trading for the No. 1 pick.

"What I have to do is what's best for the Chiefs organization," John Dorsey said last week. "I'll explore every option available then you'll begin to weigh those decisions then at the appropriate time ... you have all the way up to that last minute."

At this point there are no solid rumors saying the Chiefs will trade the pick. It looks like they will make it.

That said...

2. Jaguars: They're probably going to stay put, possibly taking whichever offensive tackle the Chiefs don't take.

3. Raiders: No sense for them to trade up. They need more picks. Trading down is more likely for them.

4. Eagles: The mystery. I don't really know which way they will go. Offensive tackle or Dion Jordan seems possible. But they want to move back, not up.

5. Lions: If the Lions want an offensive tackle, they may need to trade up with Joeckel, Fisher and Lane Johnson possibly going in the top four.

6. Browns: Don't see them moving up. They'll get a quality player at No. 6 and they don't need an offensive tackle.

7. Cardinals: Could they move up for a quarterback? Or a tackle? They reportedly discussed Branden Albert.

8. Bills: They need a quarterback but seem more likely to take one at No. 8 or in the second round.

9. Jets: Trade up for Dee Milliner, maybe? But even then they wouldn't need to move all the way up to No. 1.

10. Titans: No buzz around them moving up.

Everyone wants to move back, not up. I don't see it happening. The Chiefs are keeping this pick.

Who are these other teams trading up for?

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

4. Is Branden Albert screwing this all up?

Kinda, but not really. The Chiefs have essentially made the decision to move on from Albert. Despite what they say, their actions are clear. They did not reach a long-term agreement with him and now they sit with the No. 1 pick where the best pick is likely going to be one that replaces Albert's left tackle spot. Those actions will be loud and clear: Albert is on his way out. We can all see it coming.

And so then, if Albert is on his way out, the Chiefs can't make draft decisions, especially ones involving the No. 1 pick, based on a guy who likely won't be here at this point next year. So in that sense Albert isn't screwing it all up. But the Chiefs wouldn't be in this position if they thought they could bring Albert back on a long-term deal.

Add in the fact that the Chiefs want to recoup their second round pick sent to San Francisco for Smith. Trading Albert would allow them to do that.

All of our Branden Albert coverage can be found here.

5. Who will the Chiefs pick No. 1?

Probably Luke Joeckel. Or Eric Fisher. Those two are easily the top two favorites at the moment. With the Branden Albert situation up in the air, the Chiefs may feel they need to secure themselves of one of the top offensive tackle prospects.

Joeckel seems to be the safer pick, playing against high-level competition in the SEC. Fisher is the darkhorse, someone who has been rising but played in the MAC at Central Michigan. Fisher is said to be more athletic.

Besides the offensive tackles, the next best option is trading down, but that seems unlikely.

Defensively, Dion Jordan is an option as is Sharrif Floyd and even perhaps Star Lotulelei. None of those picks seem as likely as an offensive tackle though.

Still, it comes down to the offensive tackles. Joeckel or Fisher -- take your pick.

Previously:

Analysis: What Joeckel can do for you

Poll: Chiefs fans split on Joeckel vs. Fisher

The odds on who the top picks will be

Reports: It's Joeckel. Or Jordan. Or Fisher

Thomas Campbell USA TODAY Sports

6. Then what will the offensive line look like next year?

Let's assume two things: 1.) that Joeckel will be the pick and 2.) that Albert will be traded.

This is how the Chiefs lined up without the No. 1 pick and without Albert at minicamp:

LT Donald Stephenson, LG Jeff Allen, C Rodney Hudson, RG Jon Asamoah, RT Geoff Schwartz

LT Donald Stephenson, LG Geoff Schwartz, C Rodney Hudson, RG Jon Asamoah, RT Jeff Allen

The new offensive line would probably look like:

LT Luke Joeckel / Eric Fisher, LG Jeff Allen, C Rodney Hudson, RG Jon Asamoah, RT Donald Stephenson

There's plenty that can change along the way. The Chiefs haven't even had a practice in full pads yet.

7. How many picks do the Chiefs have?

They have eight total picks. They're missing a second round pick after trading it to the San Francisco 49ers for Alex Smith. They gained a third and sixth round pick via compensatory picks. Those compensatory picks can not be traded.

Here are all the Chiefs draft picks (round, pick in round, overall):

1 1 (1)
3 1 (63)
3 34 (96)
4 2 (99)
5 1 (134)
6 2 (170)
6 36 (204)
7 1 (207)