Grading the Chiefs Draft - Every Pick

[jmlamerson]

These are my draft grades, pick by pick. Feel free to add your own.

1(3) Tyson Jackson - DE

Love this pick. We obviously couldn't find a GM dumb enough to trade up to #3, and we needed a big body on our DL. He's a big five-technique DE who can provide the run defense we badly need. He won't be a 10-sack guy, but he'll provide pressure on the QB and stout run defense.

Grade: A

2(2) Matt Cassel (QB) and Mike Vrabel (OLB)

We got our first young QBOTF in decades and a solid veteran OLB to be our field marshal for this pick. Perfect.

Grade: A+

3(3) Alex Magee - DE

Ty Warren to Tyson Jackson's Richard Seymour. Again a nice big 3-4 DE who can bring pressure and stop the run.

Our 3-4 DL should be Jackson/Dorsey/Magee. I think the Turk/Tank/Hali/Boone/Edwards era is pretty well done.

Our run defense can finally stop being ranked in the 30s every year.

Grade: A

4(2) Donald Washington (CB)

I hated this pick when we made it. I thought we should have gone OG or OT with this pick. I get the reasoning though. We're going to face a lot of spead offenses and we need a big fast CB who can guard the big WRs. It gives us the best young CB corps in the league, with Flowers starting and Carr in the slot. Still, we had much bigger needs.

Grade: C

5(3) Colin Brown (OT)

Everyon hates this pick but me. He isn't the fastest guy and he'll need help against speed rushers, but he'll be a mountain in the rush offense. An upgrade over McIntosh and Taylor for certain.

Grade: B-

6(2) Quinten Lawrence (WR)

Our new return man. He has great speed and shouldn't be called on to do a lot except return kicks and punts. He might be a good WR one day, but he lacks a lot in his route running now. We badly needed a KR/PR, and he was the best available.

Grade: B+

7(3) Javarris Williams (RB)

Again, I understand the pick. We'll need a RB with some size, and we can't trust any of our guys to stay healthy. Still, Williams is too slow to be an every down back, and a LB or OL would have made a whole lot more sense.

Grade: C+

7(28) Jake O'Connell (TE)

Another pick I understand without liking. Why trade into the 7th to get this guy? We need a legitimate pass catching TE, sure, but he isn't a blocker and he's too short to be a great red zone threat. I think this and our other TE signings does mean that our current staff has no trust in Cottam.

Grade: C-

7(47) Ryan Succop (K)

I'll wait until camp to see how he does. We could have picked a whole lot worse for Mr. Irrelevant.

Grade: Incomplete

All in all, we did as much in this draft as could be expected with the picks we had. Pioli/Haley dedicated this draft to (1) stopping the run; and (2) filling in some need spots at skill positions. Stopping the run is the big one, and the reason we reached for Jackson and Magee. Until we can stop the run, our team will never win more than 4 games.

I expect Jackson, Magee, Washington, and Brown to be starters for us in 2009. Lawrence will see work at KR/PR and on special teams, O'Connell will be given every opportunity to win the starting TE spot, and Williams will inevitably see some carries.

I wish we had paid more attention to OL and LB, but I understand that there's only so much that one team can do in one draft.

We're trying to rebuild this team into a contender without signig long term free agent contracts that will eat up our cap. We have upgraded this offseason at almost every position (except TE obviously). Things are a lot brighter than the naysayers believe.

Overall Grade: B

[hometeam]

Yes, dorsey wil be DE.

It will look like this -

Jackson - Tyler - Dorsey

I have a feeling will be alot of rotating on the D line as well, with jackson moving inside in 4 lineman situations~


I would still rather have curry and be

magee - tyler - dorsey :(:(:(

[yashi]

Yes, dorsey wil be DE.

It will look like this -

Jackson - Tyler - Dorsey

I have a feeling will be alot of rotating on the D line as well, with jackson moving inside in 4 lineman situations~


I would still rather have curry and be

magee - tyler - dorsey :(:(:(

you and me both buddy... I guess we will live with having extra depth on the d-line.

The way I see it, it'll go something like this..

Most 1st and 2nd downs:
DE - Jackson/Magee
NT - Tyler
DE - Dorsey/Magee

3rd downs (not short yardage):
I wouldn't be surprised to see Jackson, Dorsey, and Magee lining up at different positions to show offenses different looks.

Short Yardage - I think we switch to a 4-3 look
DE - Jackson
DT - Dorsey
DT - Tank
DE - Magee

Now that's a beefy d-line that should stop the run. We might even use it a lot more against heavy running teams. That rotation isn't going to do anything against the pass though.

[SDChief09]

Dont agree on the statement that the new regime has "no trust in cottam"

Daniel Graham, Ben Watson, were both on NE's roster, they like to stack blocking tight ends onto one pass catcher that is still not used as often as in some offenses...

Right now they have Cottam, so if they plan to keep 2 or 3 TE's, why not add another guy in there to compete, hes not there for cottams job, hes there as you mentioned, as a blocker.

[jmlamerson]

Dont agree on the statement that the new regime has "no trust in cottam"

Daniel Graham, Ben Watson, were both on NE's roster, they like to stack blocking tight ends onto one pass catcher that is still not used as often as in some offenses...

Right now they have Cottam, so if they plan to keep 2 or 3 TE's, why not add another guy in there to compete, hes not there for cottams job, hes there as you mentioned, as a blocker.

Well, we signed a TE in FA and traded into the 7th round of the draft for a TE. While that doesn't mean we're going to cut Cottam or anything, I think it does at least mean that he isn't seen as a receiving threat, and that he might not be a long term fixture at the position. Or to put it another way, he probably isn't seen as TG's heir apparent by the current regime.

I mean, would it shock you at all if in 2009 Ryan were our blocking TE and O'Connell our receiving TE, with Cottam as a reserve/special teams player?

[chiefnut]

Pick 1 grade C-
, picked him way to early, adds another good DE for a 3-4 but we still have no NT...the heart of the 3-4 while passing on Raji who is considered the best NT in the draft hands down.

pick 2 C+ Cassel a QB we probably did not need at this pick and an aging LB to add stability and experience to our defense. great pick up if Cassell becomes a franchise QB and Vrabel lasts and contributes this season. terrible pick if Cassel no better than Thigpen who played well enuf last season.

pick 3 B+ i like Magee, he'll make a good DE add depth , but again no NT or OL picked areas of greater need

pick 4 C+ Washington has great speed and athleticism BUT has made as many bonehead plays as great plays again was projected as a later pick. may develop as a great nickel back and special teamer.

pick 5 B+ great pick, a mountain to anchor the right side of the offensive line. will not be bull rushed and should open holes and running lanes. may need help on speed rushers but most are from the left.

pick 6 B needed explosiveness on special teams [returns], and a field stretcher in a 4 WR set.

pick 7 B+ Williams is a good addition to the RB stable...you can never have enuf good backs. L J is a head case but still pro bowl caliber, Charles is exciting but may not hold up thru an entire season then it goes way downhill from there.

pick 8 E-- no VISABLE redeeming qualities to add to this team and could have been signed as a FA and to trade up to get him yet????

pick 9 B+ definately worth a shot at the most accurate kicker in college before his injury. if he returns to form could be the steal of the draft if not, well he is Mr. Irrelevant

[pbatrucker]

Someone is reading different scouting reports than I can find on Brown. The reports I have seen rate him between 20th and 52nd of the OT available. The kindest scouting report said he wasn't a good run blocker, but that could have been because of MU's blocking scheme. I hope you guys are correct, but I can't see him starting at RT.

[chiefnut]

Someone is reading different scouting reports than I can find on Brown. The reports I have seen rate him between 20th and 52nd of the OT available. The kindest scouting report said he wasn't a good run blocker, but that could have been because of MU's blocking scheme. I hope you guys are correct, but I can't see him starting at RT.

i watched some highlight reels on him and he pushed DL's from the 5 into the endzone. he handled bull rushers well and opend holes on inside runners, but didn't get outside well or handle a blitzing LB off the corner.

[NWA Chief]

I think the Jackson pick was a great pick. Ppl will want to see stats out of him but that will not be where he helps us the most. He takes up space for the LB's which improves the Dline greatly with him and Magee. We did not have any lineman that fit in our 3-4 system we are putting in. Yes we missed on a NT but either Raji or Jackson should've been the pick. If Curry would've been picked, he would not be as successful without a NT in front of him. I am not sure what to think of Brown because he was never talked about leading up to the draft. I would love to have seen OLB or T picked up but I think our OL is already better than it was last year. Maybe one of the undrafted OLB's, Hali or Demorrio Williams can man the OLB.

[jason1981]

well i think our team will be more competative and we will be in more games.