A Raiders Take on the Kansas City Chiefs’ Draft
By
Ryan Brown | May 1st, 2008
Recently, I
gave my thoughts on the Oakland Raiders’ draft for their site on MVN. You are not going to believe this, but Raider Nation tore me apart for thinking that Darren McFadden was the wrong pick for their franchise. I asked “Thoughts From the Dark Side” writer Patrick Patterson to contribute his thoughts to what the Kansas City good guys did last weekend. Please feel free to comment on his observations.
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I am not a huge draftnik by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the next college football game I watch all the way through will be the first. With that out of the way, there is not a lot for me as a Raider fan to like about the Chief’s draft. The Chiefs bolstered their lines in the first round and went from there. My favorite move was getting Jared Allen out of the AFC West, as I was tired of seeing him harass quarterbacks in Silver and Black uniforms.
1a Glenn Dorsey-
DT LSU- After sending one of the league’s best defensive linemen to Minnesota, the Chiefs needed reinforcements. While Dorsey plays inside making him not a replacement for Allen in the technical sense, he can be a disruptive force in the middle that will raise the play of the remaining ends.
Grabbing Dorsey is a great move for a team that has to face LaDanainian Tomlinson, The Denver Bronco running back factory and Larry–oops… Oh yeah… He became a Chief… He will have to stop his collegiate nemesis Darren McFadden twice a year. (The AFC West is now truly a hellacious running division.) With the Chiefs facing an elite back, a potential elite back, and an elite system, the Dorsey pick was a no brainer.
1b Brandon Albert-
OL Virginia-In one of my previous posts for Ryan, I commented on the Chiefs’ offensive line needs since Will Shields and Willie Roaf retired. Replacing two potential Hall of Fame players is no easy task, and there are no guarantees in the draft, but Albert was a very good pick. He is a big athletic lineman that can play either tackle or guard.
Considering the state of the Chiefs’ line last season, maybe Herm is hoping that he can play both at the same time. (Just kidding, please put the torches and pitchforks away.) In all seriousness, this is an outstanding pick at a position of dire need.
2 Brandon Flowers-
CB Va Tech- Considering that both of the Chiefs’ starting corners last year are soon to be applying for AARP membership, the Chiefs were in need of a DB. Getting one with questionable speed is something that is a foreign concept. He is known for being tough and physical, which should help him handle the bigger possession receivers.
3a Jamaal Charles-
RB Texas-A running back? LJ may be getting to the downside of his career, but he is still a dangerous back. Not to mention, Kolby Smith stepped up his game in LJ’s absence. He has breakaway speed, maybe he is on tap for return duties.
3b Brad Cottam-
TE Tennessee-Grabbing a young tight end with great measurables is a very good move for the future. Cottam will get a chance to learn from an elite tight end in Tony Gonzalez.
3c DeJuan Morgan-
S NCState-This seems like an Al Davis type pick. He has great measurables and is raw, having only been a starter for one year. Maybe Carl Peterson has been learning from your arch-rival.
4 Will Franklin-
WR Missouri-I would have thought that the Chiefs would go for a wide out earlier to try and give Brodie Croyle a downfield threat non named Dewayne Bowe. This guy has some size and speed and could eventually emerge as a threat.
5 Brandon Carr-
CB Grand Valley State- A defensive back with size and speed who NFL.com says looks more like an athlete than a defensive back. It sounds like Peterson has been watching Al Davis’s moves.
6 Kevin Robinson-
WR Utah State- NFL.com says he is one of the top returners. As a Raider fan I am hoping you haven’t found the reincarnation of Tamarick Vannover.
7a Brian Johnson-
DE Gardner-Webb- So the Chiefs brought in the lead singer of Ac/Dc, now there is a unique pick. More confusing is waiting until the seventh round to even take a stab at refilling the position where you lost your absolute best player. Oh well.
7b Mike Merritt-
TE Central Florida- If a late seventh round pick makes the team, its a surprise. Not expecting anything from this guy.
The Chiefs had a very good opening round attacking severe needs in the trenches. Not saying that these moves will have an immediate impact on the team, but they are solid moves for a rebuilding team. Apparently the brain turst has some faith in Brodie Croyle as they didn’t use one of their top picks on a signal caller.
They got him some protection early, but waited until later to give him any kind of targets. It was also odd that there was not a move to replace Jared Allen until the seventh round.
Have fun trying to stop Darren McFadden, and will be by again sometime!
http://mvn.com/nfl-chiefs/2008/05/01...-chiefs-draft/
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