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 Rumor Mill: 04/23

- The Cardinals have confirmed that they have denied several offers for Anquan Boldin. Among those involved are the Eagles and the Redskins. The Eagles have way more firepower, as they are looking to trade away Lito Shepard, which would fill a huge hole for the Cards. However, Arizona is claiming that there is nothing that would make them trade Boldin Away.

- The Saints have been looking to move up in the draft for awhile now. They appear to be targeting LSU DT Glenn Dorsey, which would mean that they need to strike a deal with the Rams, because the Falcons will select Dorsey at 3. Don't look for this deal to happen, and look for New Orleans to stay put at 10.

- The Final terms of the Jared Allen trade is in. It took a first and two thirds. The Chiefs knew what they were doing apparently. They now have six picks in the top 100, and this could be the draft that makes or breaks the Herm Edwards era at Arrowhead.

- It wouldn't be a rumor mill without a Jeremy Shockey update. Apparently, there are certainly people who believe that Shockey will be a Saint by the end of the Draft. I still don't think that it makes any sense, but if it happens, Jerry Reese better get at least a high 3rd round pick for him. If not, I'm lighting things on fire.

If you had a mock draft...

Throw it out.

According to Adam Shefter of NFL.com, the Vikings and Chiefs have agreed to a trade that will send Pro Bowl DE Jared Allen to the Vikings.

More to come

[Update: Waiting for the details of the trade but I assume this totally changes the draft. Assuming the Chiefs got at least the Vikings first round pick (17th overall.) Now instead of reaching for an offensive lineman at 5 the Chiefs can use the 17th pick to draft a O-Lineman at a more appropriate slot (if they so choose.) The Chiefs need a complete end to replace Allen as Hali is a one trick pass-rushing pony. So with the 5th overall selection in the NFL draft I believe the Chiefs will select Chris Long if he is available.]

[Update Two: Man the more I think about it the scarier that Vikings defense looks. I chronicled the negative aspects of Allens career already and I'd still prefer to trade up to secure Derrick Harvey if I were the Vikings. But man oh man that defense looks scary on paper.]

[Update Three:

The Vikings, according to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, surrendered their first-round pick in the 2008 draft and both third-round selections for Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen.

The Chiefs will now add the No. 17, No. 73, and No. 82 overall selections to the No. 5, No. 35, and No. 66 picks, giving them six selections among the first 100 picks.]