Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 5/12

Clark Hunt: "My Mother Is The #1 Chiefs Fan" from The Mothership

Hunt also acknowledged all mothers on their special day, including Dee Ford's mother, who Hunt met on Friday, during the Chiefs rookie's introductory press conference.

"Anybody who is a mother has one of the toughest jobs on the face of the earth," Hunt said. "I just had a chance to meet Dee Ford's mother and she obviously did a tremendous job of raising this fine young man. He's so intelligent, so well-spoken and we're just thrilled to have him and his entire family a part of the Kansas City Chiefs."

Kiper Gives Chiefs A 'B-Minus' For Draft from ESPN

For those with ESPN Insider access, draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has handed out his annual post-draft grades to the 32 teams. The Chiefs received a "B-minus," which I'm thinking is a fair grade this soon after the draft.

If the first-round selection, outside linebacker Dee Ford, doesn't develop into a productive pass-rusher, he won't be a good pick for the Chiefs. But I like the Chiefs' thinking here and Kiper agrees.

Top 5 Takeaways From The Chiefs' Draft from Chiefs Spin

While it's common to see immediate grades based on what a team accomplished through the draft, the true value of an entire draft class won't be known until 2-3 years at a minimum. It's best to allow the process to happen, and then grade.

As an example, look no further than the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

Remember the 2010 draft virtually everybody hated, including some of the same national media members now singing the praises of that class? Sounds like that draft worked out just fine for Seattle.

In the meantime, here are five takeaways from the Chiefs' 2014 draft:

Editorial: New Chief Had Heart from The Savannah Morning News

It's tough to reliably predict which college players will make it in the pros and which ones will wash out.

But in the Bulldog Nation, there are plenty of fans pulling for the newest member of the Chiefs to blossom. That's because he's a class act, a team player and never quits.

McGill's Dunerney-Tardif Will Learn A Lot From Chiefs from The Montreal Gazette

The McGill offensive tackle was selected in the sixth round (200th overall) of the National Football League draft by the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. But the 23-year-old Duvernay-Tardif is also a medical student and spent the last two weeks fulfilling his obligations at the Royal Victoria Hospital's neo-natal intensive-care unit.

He put in more 60 hours alone the last week, also working the previous weekend.

"I've been running on adrenaline. The last two weeks, I've been really busy," Duvernay-Tardif told The Gazette by telephone Saturday night.

NFL Drat 2014 Grades: Final Reviews From All 32 Teams from NJ.com

Yawns...

...The Review: The Chiefs were looking down the road with the selection of Ford, which does not seem like the wisest way to utilize your only pick in the first two rounds. With Dexter McCluster off to Tennessee, K.C. needed help at running back and got an unpolished home-run threat in Thomas. Maybe Murray becomes a solid backup at some point.

New Crop Of Utes Headed To NFL from Block U

Vyncent Jones: Jones agent announced that he would be attending mini-camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. After playing guard for his first three years at Utah, Jones switched to center before his senior season and started in all 12 games during the 2013 season.

For NFL Long Shots, Draft Day Is An Unpredictable Emotional Roller Coaster from The Deseret News

"It's pretty stressful just waiting around," said Jones, who graduated from Jordan High. "I didn't quite get what I wanted, which was a free-agent contract. But I got more than some people, so I'll take it."

The reality is that in the NFL almost nothing is actually a sure thing. Even those who get drafted can be cut.

While that can be a terrifying reality, it's also a fact that gives guys like Jones hope.

"Signing a free-agent deal, you're still not guaranteed anything," he said. "Somebody like me could come in and beat out one of those guys. ... So if I can't steal a deal with the Steelers, then it's off to the Chiefs. ... It's all down to fate. I'm prepared for anything, so let the chips fall where they may now."

Bethlehem Catholic Grad Brandon Accepts NFL Free-Agent Offer From Kansas City from The Morning Call

The Monmouth University senior cornerback reached an agreement on Saturday night with the Chiefs after not being selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. That was only after the Denver Broncos had first made an offer, then reneged, according to a text message.

Three Tulsa Players Joining NFL Rosters from FOX 23 News

University of Tulsa football seniors Stetson Burnett, Shawn Jackson and Trey Watts, all three earning first-team all-conference honors in 2013, will try to make NFL rosters this summer as each will be joining teams as undrafted free agents.

Burnett, who played both guard and tackle for the Golden Hurricane, has joined the Kansas City Chiefs.

First Impressions Of 2014 NFL Draft: Ranking Team Classes 1-32 from USA Today via The Staunton News Leader

First impression: Maybe the second impression will be better...

...29. Kansas City Chiefs: First-round edge rusher Dee Ford is a nice player but could have a limited role because he's unlikely to take many snaps from Pro Bowl OLBs Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. Scatback De'Anthony Thomas should step right into departed Dexter McCluster's job. QB Aaron Murray looks like a bargain in Round 5 and potential insurance if QB Alex Smith walks after the season. But hard to figure why this team didn't address obvious issues at wide receiver and offensive line.

2014 NFL Draft: Grading Each Team Within Its Division from CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs: Given the success of the Chiefs' defense - in large part due to pass rushers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali - the addition of Dee Ford in the first round was surprising. Adding impact edge rushers is never a bad idea, though, especially in a division featuring relatively immobile pocket passers like Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers...

...Some will blast the Chiefs for not adding receivers but Andy Reid's offense is said to be especially difficult so expecting any rookie to make an immediate impact would have been a stretch. Still, I would have liked to see more playmakers added to help Smith. Phillip Gaines and Zach Fulton could carve out niches as a rookie and I love the upside of Laurent Duvarney-Tardif. A solid class but not one that I believe will keep the Chiefs from taking a step back in the AFC West next season. Grade: B-

Bill Polian, ESPN's Michael Sam Coverage Stand Out At The NFL Draft from Sports Illustrated

The Johnny Football Award: Gruden hyped Manziel so often that I started to wonder if he was getting a cut of his contract. He told viewers he would buy tickets if Houston drafted Manziel first overall and later in the first round said he would reapply for Bucs tickets if "we" grabbed "Johnny Football." Before Tennessee's pick at No. 11, Gruden said he was tired of saying Manziel's name, which was both funny and insane given how often he spoke it during the Cowboys and Chiefs' picks.