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The Kansas City Chiefs are meeting with inside linebackers. TCU linebacker Paul Dawson wrote in a draft diary on USA Today that he has a visit scheduled with several teams, including the Chiefs.
Dawson is an inside linebacker who NFL Draft Scout has in the second to third round, although Dawson feels he would be a bargain that late. Via his draft diary:
Why should I be the first inside linebacker taken? First of all, no other linebacker had as many stats and numbers as I did this year. I'm just overall the best, most instinctive linebacker in this draft. And I'm not going to stop working. I plan on continuing to work to be the best linebacker I can be. I feel like I have the ability to be an all-pro, Hall of Fame linebacker. You're going to see those same players and opponents that you played against in college. I feel like they didn't stop me then, so they won't be able to stop me in the future.
Rob Rang of CBS Sports was critical of Dawson's Combine performance last month.
Did Paul Dawson forget to eat his Wheaties? The tape says that Dawson is one of this year's best three down linebackers, but he certainly didn't look the part of a top 50 selection on Sunday, clocking in at a startlingly-slow 4.93 seconds in the 40-yard dash after weighing in shorter than expected at 6-foot, 235 pounds.
Dawson talked about his Combine performance in his draft diary. He says he tweaked his hamstring which hurt his performance but plans to do better at his pro day.
The KC Star's Terez Paylor has done his homework on inside linebackers and had this to say:
I’ll also say this; if the #Chiefs do their background on Paul Dawson and feel comfortable, there’s NOTHING wrong w/taking him in 2nd.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) February 22, 2015
The Chiefs had a lot of problems at inside linebacker last season. Derrick Johnson is on the wrong side of 30 and coming off an Achilles injury so the Chiefs need to be smart about what's coming ahead at that position.