AFC West Draft Grades - Kansas City Chiefs

1	5(5)	Glenn Dorsey	DT	LSU
	I don't love Dorsey as much as other experts do. It's hard to argue against trends and lately we have seen a ton of high profile Defensive Tackles that are busts in the NFL (Johnathan Sullivan, Dewayne Robertson, Ryan Sims, Travis Johnson, Marcus Tubbs, Jimmy Kennedy, William Joseph, Wendell Bryant and to a lesser extent Allan Branch.) Now of course players have developed to become All-Pro's but the injury potential of guys with this type of body are worrisome, especially considering Dorsey has already had some injuries. With that all said, Dorsey is a complete player and a very good one at that. You can argue he was the best player in the draft and to get him at five could be considered a steal. I'm going to give this pick a high grade because it deserves it, however if Dorsey flames out remember you heard it here first. A
1	15(15)	Branden Albert	OG	VIRGINIA
	Taking a page from the Bill Parcells play book the Chiefs are rebuilding in the trenches. I like Albert more than Anthony does. Albert was one of the real late risers in this draft. It seemed that all of a sudden everyone realized "hey he could play Left Tackle!" and while in my opinion the jury is still out at worst Albert should be a very good interior lineman. The Chiefs have a ton of holes on the offensive line and to get someone of Alberts versatility is a coup. Now remember they acquired this pick by trading Jared Allen, without that trade they may have been stuck reaching for Albert, or another O-Lineman at 5. That trade allowed them to take Dorsey or whoever was the best available player at 5 and get the best Offensive lineman later. I liked the trade at the time for K.C. and I think it looks even better in hindsight. A-
2	4(35)	Brandon Flowers	CB	VIRGINIA TECH
	Flowers is an interesting prospect. He has some character issues stemming from a picture posted of cash and what appears to be weed on his Facebook. He also doesn't have ideal height/bulk but he plays bigger than he is. He's better in zone than man to man and has good ball skills. Despite his small stature he plays the run very well and is physical. The only question I have is his fit in the Cover 2 because of his size. I think someone like Patrick Lee (drafted 25 spots later) might have been a better fit. B
3	10(73)	Jamaal Charles	RB	TEXAS
	Running back clearly wasn't a need for K.C. but it seems like they are preparing for life after L.J which might come sooner than people realize. Charles was my favorite of the second tier RB's and if he went higher I wouldn't have batted an eyelash. Charles has starting potential. The only knock on this pick here is it didn't adess a need. No one is going to be able to run behind such a porous O-Line. This pick is one that will probably look better in a year or two than it does now. B
3	13(76)	Brad Cottam	TE	TENNESSEE
	Cottam was one of my favorite players in this years Draft. His rise was meteoric as he went from 6/7th round developmental type to a 3rd rounder. His blocking ability is well documented but it's his intriguing mix of size and speed that lead him to being drafted so highly. He has the size to potential be used as a tackle but he also has great speed (4.63) for a tight end (let alone of his size.) Cottam is another pick that will probably look better in a year or so than it does now. For now Cottams immediate role will be as a blocking tight end and that should immediately pay dividends. In the future If Cottam can put together all his skills this pick could end up looking like a steal.
	B
3	19(82)	DaJuan Morgan	S	NORTH CAROLINA ST
	Another great pick but once again the for a saftey is questionable. Morgan has great physical tools but is raw and only started one year in college. He's a guy who is a coaches dream, the type that would run through a wall if you asked him to. He's a developmental type who will start out as a special teams guru. Again this pick could look alot better in 2-3 years than it does now. B+
4	6(105)	William Franklin	WR	MISSOURI
	Another intriguing player. Franklin (much like Cottam and Morgan) has never played up to his ability. He has intriguing physical tools but hasn't put it together yet. In the 4th round it's acceptable to roll the dice on this time of player but Frankin is no sure thing and with the Chiefs depth chart so think it would have made more sense to address this position earlier. B-
5	5(140)	Brandon Carr	CB	GRAND VALLEY ST
	Classic Cover 2 type corner. Should provide needed depth. B-
6	4(170)	Barry Richardson	OT	CLEMSON
	It shouldn't have taken this long for the Chiefs to address O-Line again in this draft. Richardson has a ton of talent and tools but as was the theme of a lot of picks in this draft he's an underachiver who's a boom or bust player. However, in the 6th round what else can you ask for. B+
6	16(182)	Kevin Robinson	WR	UTAH STATE
	Possession receiver who should carve out a role on special teams.
7	3(210)	Brian Johnston	DE	GARDNER WEBB
	A guy Scott Wright was obsessed about. Ironically he compares him to Jared Allen. Once again in the 7th round you can't ask for much more. B+
7	32(239)	Mike Merritt	TE	CENTRAL FLORIDA
	Another blocking tight end. Don't know how he makes the team considering they drafted Cottam F
	A great draft. Of course when you have so many draft picks it's easy to have a great draft. For a team that typically drafts poorly this draft was a welcome surprise. If you want to knock this draft you can argue that they took a lot of boom or bust types (Cottam, Morgan, Franklin, Richardson) however with so many picks it's alright to roll the dice a few times. Also they didn't reach for any of these players. You can also knock the draft for not addressing needs (O-Line and WR) with more urgency. Albert is a great start but he alone can't turn around the O-Line. Franklin has potential but he's starting across from DeWayne Bowe right now? With all that being said you can't argue that a team that needed a strong haul in a rebuilding year got just that. A-

Draft Grades - AFC West - Denver Broncos

1. (12)Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State - Clady is an athletic lineman who fits perfectly in Denvers zone blocking scheme. Clady, in my opinion, was the best left tackle prospect in this draft. And while he is raw and played against a sup-par level of competition at Boise State he has found a home in a perfect scheme and should be a cornerstone for Denver.

Pick Grade - A

2.(42) Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech - I don't love this pick. I understand the Broncos need to add depth to their WR corp. Brandon Marshall, while dominant, has a decorated off field history and as this off season showed us you never know what the hell will happen. Stokley, much like Wes Welker, is a guy who you will use exclusively out of the slot.

Royal is an undersized WR who wasn't productive in college. He also has had trouble staying healthy. Where he excels is after the catch with his breakaway speed and on special teams with his great potential as a return man.

With players like De Sean Jackson, Limas Sweed and Malcom Kelly on the board I question the value you get by selecting Royal here.

Pick Grade - C-

4.(108) - Kory Lichtensteiger, C, Bowling Green - Another reason I like the Zone Blocking Scheme, guys like Kory Lichtensteiger. Productive in college but undervalued because of his size, which isn't ideal in a standard blocking system. Since the Zone Blocking Scheme emphasizes quickness and mobility Kory is a great fit. He might never be a star but he profiles as a starter. He'll be a valuable backup at Guard and Center at worst.

Pick Grade - B+

4. (119) Jack Williams, CB, Kent State - Outstanding Athlete and an underrated prospect. However his size will limit his upside as a pro. He's a prototypical dime/nickel back. While his value is questionable (due to his long-term limitations) this draft was incredibly thin in the secondary and besides taking someone like Jack Ike from Wisconsin this was the best they could do.

Pick Grade - C+

5a. (139) Ryan Torain, RB, Arizona St - Who am I to question a RB that Denver drafts. He was very productive in 2006 but got hurt in 07 and only played in 6 games. I don't love Torain but with Denver's success in finding backs who fit the scheme it's hard not to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Pick Grade - B

5b, (148) Carlton Powell, DT, Virginia Tech - Started at a big college program. Doesn't have a lot of upside but plays the run and pass well and profiles as a solid backup. This late in the draft it's hard to criticize picks but I would have preferred to roll the dice with someone like Frank Okam instead. Also they have yet to address their needs at DE/LB and Johnathan Goff would have been a nice fit.

Pick Grade: C-

6.(183) - Spencer Larsen, LB, Arizona - Another Eh pick. He has good size and toughness but he's 25 and therefore his upside is insanely limited.

Pick Grade: C+

7a. (220) Josh Barrett, S, Arizona St - A pick I like a lot. Barett has all the physical tools and athleticism. Had a terrible senior year and was benched. However Scouts Inc. believes he could have been a 3rd rounder if he had come out last year and was one of the top safety prospects coming into this year. Had a sick combine and in the 7th round grabbing a guy with his tools is a steal.

Pick Grade: A

7b.(227) Peyton Hillis, FB, Arkansas - I love this pick also. He's a tough player with great versatility. Again, in the 7th round getting someone so productive and versatile is a steal.

Pick Grade: A

I find myself torn giving the Broncos an overall grade. I loved the Clady, Lichtensteiger, Barrett and Hillis picks, the rest of the draft I was lukewarm on.

Besides offensive line they didn’t address, mainly DE and LB and I’m not very high on Eddie Royal at WR.

What you can’t complain about is, for a change, the Broncos taking some blue collar guys (Hillis, Larsen, Powell). They have drafted so many troublesome guys with character issues (Marcus Thomas, Mo Clarett and so on.) that totally flopped; it’s a nice change of pace.

Overall Grade: B