MVN - Most Valuable Network

A 7-Round Mock Draft For the Kansas City Chiefs

Recently, a co-writer for the Bengals site for MVN, Chris Maier, conducted a 7-round mock draft for every NFL team - here are his picks, and some analysis on each.  These picks were made on April 11th, so they were made with the Chiefs’ current needs and available picks in mind.  This could obviously change if/when Carl Peterson attempts franchise suicide by trading Jared Allen.

1. OT Ryan Clady, Boise State - The Chiefs are probably the team most likely to trade down among the top 10.  As tempting as Matt Ryan is, if they pass on a franchise tackle he will be doomed for failure (especially behind the Chiefs current line).  Clady is the pick here due to his athleticism but Branden Albert wouldn’t be a surprise either. 

2. CB Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech - Flowers slow 40 time is the Chiefs gain.  His press coverage skills are a great fit for the Chiefs style of defense and he should be ready to play right away.

3. G/C Mike Pollack, Arizona State - The Chiefs find the #1 center in the draft waiting for them atop round 3.  With Clady and Pollack the Chiefs should feel a lot better about their offensive line.  Just look at the difference an O-line made in Cleveland last year.

4. WR Lavelle Hawkins, Cal - Hawkins is not flashy nor is he a deep threat but he is a possession receiver who is willing to do the dirty work over the middle.  Could be a nice fit opposite Dwayne Bowe.

5a. QB Paul Smith, Tulsa - He’s not Matt Ryan but Smith is the sleeper QB of this draft (along with Kevin O’Connell).  A tad undersized but has good fundamentals and a good not great arm.

5b. G Donald Thomas, Connecticut - Notice a trend.  The Chiefs needs quantity and quality and may Thomas would be a nice diamond in the rough.  A strong run blocker with the ability to pull.

6a. LB Jordan Dizon, Colorado - It was surprising to find Dizon still on the board in round 6 and the Chiefs take him as a best available player pick.  Good intangibles and can play inside or out. Undersized.

6b. CB Dwight Lowery, San Jose State - Lowery is a nice sleeper pick who displayed a knack for finding the ball in college with 13 interceptions the past 2 seasons. Could provide depth for a depleted secondary.

7a. DE Brian Johnston, Gardner Webb - One of the draft’s many small school prospects, Johnston is a raw talent who has excellent size for a DE and plays with power at the point of attack.

7b. RB Rafael Little, Kentucky - A third down back type with kick return ability.
 
All in all a solid draft but reaching for a tackle at #5 doesn’t taste esp. good but they will be glad they did.  Don’t expect one of the top tackles to be on the board when they pick in round 2.  Overall, the offensive line needs a major overhaul and this draft accomplishes that goal.  Getting an OT and CB in the first 2 rounds fills their needs but does it provide the best value.  Sometimes you have to go with the best player available at a position of need.

 Leave your thoughts, Chiefs fans.  I’ll be back this weekend to analyze the picks myself.  If you want to view the entire draft, go to this link.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 12:17 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.