When it was announced the Kansas City Chiefs were moving up to the 10th pick in the draft, one reporter said they were moving up for an inside linebacker. We know now they were moving up for a quarterback but that someone could say inside linebacker and it be believable shows what a need many people thought inside linebacker was.
Fast forward the rest of the draft and the Chiefs walk away with one inside linebacker - Ukeme Eligwe in the fifth round.
So, what gives, why not an inside linebacker earlier to prepare for life after Derrick Johnson?
“What I’ve been told is Derrick Johnson is ahead of track and that’s always a positive,” Chiefs GM John Dorsey told the media on Monday. “We have some young guys who have gotten some experience last year when they had to fill in and play and then you factor into the mix the fifth round draft pick who has those athletic traits we look for.”
I warned about this before the draft, that the Chiefs could count on DJ to return to form from his injury and not draft a linebacker high. I don’t think anyone is expecting 28-year old Derrick Johnson to show up here but he can still be a good player if he recovers well enough. Apparently, the Chiefs believe that.