Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 4/27

Interesting Facts Regarding Draft History of the Chiefs from The Mothership

Since 1967, the No. 28 pick has been used 49 times and a defensive back has been selected on 11 of those occasions, which is the most for any position.

Heading into his fourth draft as general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs, John Dorsey is coming off a 2015 season in which his rookie class from last year accumulated more snaps played than any other team in the AFC. The NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year, cornerback Marcus Peters, highlighted the class.

Peters led the NFL with 26 passes defensed, which was also a franchise record. His 8 interceptions tied him for the league lead as well.

Here's a look at each of Dorsey's drafts in Kansas City:

2016 NFL Draft Positional Preview Roundup from The Mothership

The 2016 NFL Draft begins this Thursday night from Chicago at 7 p.m. CT on the NFL Network.

Over the past few weeks, we've posted positional previews in order for fans to begin to familiarize themselves with some of the names that will be called over the weekend, potentially by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here's a look back at each of those previews, including the names of some players fans should know as Thursday night approaches.

Full for a full description of the positional group, click the link.

Five Things to Know About New Chiefs WR Mike Williams from The Mothership

2. He proved to be a playmaker early in his career

Williams made 48 starts in his first three NFL seasons for the Buccaneers, catching 193 passes for 2,731 yards with 23 touchdowns. In 2010, he led all rookies with 65 receptions for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns. He holds the Buccaneers franchise record for touchdowns in a season (11).

The Children's Place Will Remain Beneficiary of Chiefs Charity Game for 2016 from The Mothership

The first preseason game for the Kansas City Chiefs each year serves as the "Charity Game," and for the second year in a row, the Children's Place in Kansas City will be the game's beneficiary.

"Being the beneficiary really is a game-changer for us," Ann Thomas, the president and CEO of the Children's Place, said. "We went into this with the hopes that it would allow us to raise some additional dollars to expand and change our facility in some way, and that's just not something that was in our budget prior to that event, so it really is the opportunity that over these next couple of years, we will raise some money that will help us make this place look different for the children."

The mission of the Children's Place is to nurture and promote the healthy development of young children who have survived abuse, neglect and trauma by providing specialized services and family support, within a safe and caring environment.

Chiefs.com Photo Gallery: Quotes from Draft Night

What may await Chiefs at selection No. 28 in the NFL Draft? from The Kansas City Star

If the Chiefs hold onto their first-round NFL Draft selection, that player could be expected to play in 12 games and start nine this fall.

He'll have about a 40 percent chance of making the Pro Bowl at some point in his career.

That's the 10-year average of No. 28 overall draft selections — the Chiefs' spot — in the previous 10 years.

Every player selected at No. 28 since 2006 started at least once. Half of them started at least 10 games as a rookie.

Listen to our pre-draft Chiefs podcast with Mel Kiper, Jon Gruden and more from The Kansas City Star

Louis Riddick, Mel Kiper and Jon Gruden of ESPN all join me to discuss what the Chiefs need and what positions they could address with the No. 28 overall pick in the draft, while Matt Miller of Bleacher Report also joins the show for an extended interview that includes evaluations of multiple players and potential scenarios that could play out for the Chiefs.

Draft primer: Chiefs prepared to move on without third-round pick from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs' draft board should be set by now, leaving last-minute strategy meetings before the 2016 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night.

While the Chiefs have seven total picks this year, one course of action sure to draw discussion between general manager John Dorsey and his staff during the draft surrounds working around not having a third-round selection.

This is what needs to change about Chiefs' draft from ESPN

Only hard-core Kansas City Chiefs fans might be able to answer this, but what do Michael Allan, Mike Merritt and Javarris Williams have in common? They're all late-round Chiefs draft picks from the past 10 years who didn't become productive players.

Those guys shouldn't feel bad because they have plenty of company. The Chiefs are next to last in the league at finding productive players in the later rounds over the past 10 years.

It's time for them to turn that around.

Chiefs looking for competitive depth at tackle from The Kansas City Star

...while the Chiefs have until May 2 to exercise an expensive fifth-year option on Fisher which should approach $12 million for 2017. The option is guaranteed for injury, which means he'd get it automatically if he were to be seriously hurt in 2016.

If they exercise the option, and Fisher doesn't get hurt this season but fails to live up to the team's expectations this fall, the Chiefs could cut him at any time before the first day of the new league year in March 2017 and eliminate his cap charge completely.

But Dorsey said the Chiefs have not made a decision on that yet, though other teams around the league have already exercised the options on their 2013 first rounders.

Rating the top tackles in the 2016 NFL Draft from The Kansas City Star

1. LAREMY TUNSIL, Mississippi

Measurables: 6-5, 310, 21, DNR*

Bio: Three-year starter who played in 29 career games. Fractured his fibula in the 2014 Peach Bowl. Was suspended for seven games in 2015 for receiving impermissible benefits. Declared after his true junior season.

Consensus: Natural left tackle with plus feet and athleticism, which shows in pass protection and in the running game. Has a smooth, quick kick slide and covers lots of ground in pass protection. Patient blocker who can handle pass rushers one on one — did a nice job against Texas A&M star Myles Garrett during Oct. 24 showdown. Knee bender who is tough to turn the corner on because of his size and athleticism. Good technician who shows some potential as a run blocker; can jar defenders back and has some pop in his hands. Has more than enough athleticism to work to the second level as a run defender. Shows some nastiness. Has the tools to be a very good NFL left tackle.

Jon Gruden: Teams that want a QB (like Chiefs?) should draft one in 2016 from ESPN

"I have five quarterbacks in this draft going in the top 35 picks,'' Gruden said. "I think the strength of this draft is at the quarterback position. I just don't see a lot of dropback quarterbacks at the college level on the horizon, and there are so many teams that need them desperately.''

This is of interest to the Kansas City Chiefs because their starting quarterback, Alex Smith, will turn 32 next month. The end doesn't appear close for Smith, but the Chiefs may at least want to think about what they might do for an eventual replacement.

Chiefs release veteran guard Paul Fanaika, free up about $1 million in cap space from The Kansas City Star

The move leaves the Chiefs with at least five men who can play the position, including three who started at least one game at guard: Duvernay-Tardif (13 games), Fulton (four) and Jah Reid (one).

The Chiefs also have a pair of developmental players in the mix in Jarrod Pughsley, 25, and Michael Liedtke, 24.

Chiefs release G Paul Fanaika after asking him to take pay cut from Chiefs Digest

Kansas City approached Fanaika to take a pay cut, which he refused, according to the source. Both parties attempted to work out a solution before Tuesday's release.

That the Chiefs attempted to rework the contract doesn't surprise when considering the team had $782,806 in available cap space before Fanaika's release.

Kansas City Star Video: Chiefs players participate in Braden's Hope calendar

Chiefs release Paul Fanaika from ProFootballTalk

In last Friday morning's one-liners, we had a note about Utah defensive end/linebacker Jason Fanaika talking about how cool it would be if he was drafted by the Chiefs so he could play on the same team as his cousin Paul Fanaika.

Special calendar provides another year of hope in fight against childhood cancers from FOX4KC

The way that money is raised is through a special calendar, created by some of Kansas City's greatest heroes, and we're not just talking about the athletes.

The icebreakers are short for Braden Hofen and Mitch Morse. The two already know they're a fan of the other; Mitch is a Chiefs' Center, and Braden has tackled neuroblastoma and leukemia.

Ex-49ers coach reveals ridiculous logic for Smith over Rodgers pick from CBS Sports

Way back in 2005, the San Francisco 49ers had the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. At the time, rumor had it that they were deciding between two quarterbacks: Utah's Alex Smith and Cal's Aaron Rodgers. The 49ers ultimately went with Smith, while Rodgers fell 23 spots to the Green Bay Packers. The rest is history.

Smith has gone on to become basically the definiton of a league-average quarterback, one who lost his job with San Fran to Colin Kaepernick and has essentially stayed the same player since moving to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rodgers, meanwhile, has become one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, a Super Bowl-winning multiple-time MVP.

What was the reasoning behind the 49ers opting for Smith over Rodgers?

One Browns player on list of top 50 in NFL who sold the most gear from FOX8

44. Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Draft analysts intrigued with Butler, Dixon in first 2 rounds from The Monroe News Star

Matt Miller, the lead NFL Draft writer for Bleacher Report, and Mike Detillier, a local draft analyst out of New Orleans, both peg Butler and Dixon as having the potential to go in the first two rounds.

"I could see (Butler) in that late first to mid second range," Miller told The News-Star on Monday. "Green Bay is a natural fit. Could see him in Kansas City, too.

From FCS to NFL draft: Everybody has a story from The Richmond Times-Dispatch

William and Mary

In all the NFL drafts, there was probably somebody selected who was shorter than 5-foot-5, but not many. Michael Clemons, a 5-5, 166-pound running back from W&M, was picked in the eighth round of the 1987 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent a season with the Chiefs and then shifted to the CFL. After his productive playing career in Canada, Clemons was coach of the Toronto Argonauts. He currently is a high-ranking member of the team's front office.

Arizona football: 2016 NFL Draft profile - S Will Parks from Arizona Desert Swarm

What's great about Will Parks is that he's taking visits to teams who have a system in place and know exactly how to manage a defense. And that's where Parks will operate at his best. He's had visits with the Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks,Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers -- all have patience as far as developing guys in their system and a plan in place for their players.

2016 NFL Draft Preview - Kansas State Edition: Cody Whitehair from Bring On The Cats

We've already given you one above, but lets look at where the consensus seems to be heading. Early on, the draft projections had Whitehair late in the first round, to teams like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Denver Broncos. But updated projections seem to be landing Cody consistently at No. 26 to the Seattle Seahawks.

Wherever he ends up, it seems like Cody is headed for a great career, and has many feeling like he could be an All-Pro immediately and in the future.