SB Nation - Colin Brown

Panic Level: Position-by-Position

Bill C. — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:00:31 -0000

For some losses, like last week's Nebraska loss, I don't really feel like talking or thinking about it too much. For others, like this one, I can't really shut up. So to put my verbosity to good use, we're going to walk through each unit for Missouri, and I'm going to give you two ratings: 1) my short-term panic level (on a 1-to-10 scale), and 2) my long-term panic level (same scale).

Quarterback

Short-term panic level: 5 | Long-term panic level: 0

People are questioning the use of Blaine Gabbert in this game, both whether he should have played at all and, more realistically, whether he should have been playing at the end. I say of course he should have been playing--an ankle sprain is not an injury with long-term danger, and even though he was spraying every pass a bit high, let's face it: we don't really have another good quarterback. Maybe Jimmy Costello is better than I'm giving him credit for, but he's probably not better than a one-legged Gabbert, and we knew from the beginning of this season that we were going to live and die with Gabbert this season. Right now, we're not necessarily dying by any means, but we're not living well because he's not living well.

Of course, the only problem with keeping him in the game, especially late, was that his instincts are very clear when behind center. He ran a couple of times on the last series of the game, even though that was the worst possible thing he could do. When he has the ball in his hands, he's not thinking "I should be careful." He's trying to move the ball, even when that might do him further damage.

Anyway, short-term, quarterbacking is definitely a bit of a concern. A sprained ankle needs rest and treatment to heal, and Missouri doesn't have a week off for quite a while. This is going to limit him for the foreseeable future, but he's still going to make some throws that nobody else in the conference can make, and after next week against Texas, he should be able to make quite a few plays even if not 100% healthy.

And long-term, duh. No worries here whatsoever. Gabbert still needs to develop better presence in the pocket--when to tuck and run, when to leave the pocket and roll left or right, et cetera. But that will come with playing time, plain and simple.

Running Back

Short-term panic level: 4 | Long-term panic level: 1

Derrick Washington and De'Vion Moore both took what was given to them yesterday, and in a few instances even took a little more. I was a bit curious whether Moore was actually any better than Kendial Lawrence and whether he would lose his backup role at some point, but in a handful of carries the last couple of weeks, he has looked damn strong and damn quick. Meanwhile, D-Wash looked like D-Wash, never letting the first guy bring him down, falling forward, stepping through tackles, etc. If this performance is what we see the rest of the year, then things will be just fine. And Washington, Moore, and Lawrence all obviously return in 2010, along with Gilbert Moye an a couple more capable commits in Henry Josey and Greg White. For the foreseeable future, this unit will have both depth and diversity.

Wide Receiver

Short-term panic level: 6 | Long-term panic level: 4

It's almost funny how things have unfolded in the last two months. Back in August, we were worried that a) this unit didn't have a go-to guy, b) this unit didn't have a big play threat, and c) Danario Alexander's hands would prevent him from being the solution for (a) and (b). Instead, Danario is absolutely the go-to guy, and one of the best in the conference. Plus, Danario and (to a slightly lesser degree) Jared Perry and Wes Kemp are capable of both catching the deep ball and (in Perry's and Danario's case) taking short passes a long way. The potential big play is one of Missouri's best weapons. But the hands of everybody not named Danario have been a serious issue. We've already said this about six times, but two drops more or less made the difference in the game last night. If Jerrell Jackson keeps his eye on a slant and doesn't let it bounce right off of his hands, it's a 10-yard gain for Missouri instead of a pick six for Oklahoma State. If Wes Kemp, uhh, closes his hands at the right time on a gorgeous bomb from Blaine Gabbert, Missouri not only uncorks a 60-yard (at least) gain late in the first half, but even if they don't score, they don't give the ball back to OSU in time for the Cowboys to drive down and score with seconds left in the half. Those two drops resulted in at least a 14-point swing for OSU, and that's if Missouri doesn't score after Kemp's drop.

This isn't a new phenomenon, though last night was the first time it truly cost Missouri. When you've got a quarterback like Gabbert, who is capable of firing 100-mph fastballs on just about any route, at the college level you are going to have some drops. Hell, at the pro level you're going to have some drops--not just anybody could catch John Elway's passes, right? But we are halfway through the season, and the guys on the field need to be getting better at catching the fastballs, and they are really not. This is at least a bit of a long-term concern simply because the 2010 Missouri team won't feature either Danario or Perry. Guys like Kemp and Jackson (and T.J. Moe, and Brandon Gerau, and Rolandis Woodland, and L'Damian Washington) are going to have to step up, both as every-down threats and simply guys with reliable hands. All of the guys I listed above are freshmen or sophomores right now, and they will quite possibly grow into the role.

I really do like the long-term potential of Kemp, especially. He's not nearly as fast as Danario, but he's got potential both as a deep-ball threat and an over-the-middle weapon. He's just had a couple of really bad weeks, between almost getting decapitated by Ndamukong Suh last week (I honestly thought his drop last night was due to a case of alligator arms, but the replay showed that he really did just close his hands at the wrong time...which, honestly, is better than if he were starting to get a little scared) and being the perpetrator in one of Missouri's two killer mistakes, but he's a sophomore, and he's already shown ridiculous growth between years one and two. He'll likely be fine, but until he proves that he will be fine, it's hard to make a 100% confident assumption.

Tight End

Short-term panic level: 10 | Long-term panic level: 8

Last night, when Blaine Gabbert had Andrew Jones wide open on the goal line on a fourth-quarter drive (one of the two that stalled on fourth down), he ended up leaving the pocket and throwing the ball away. That was the moment I realized that our tight end problem has gone from "Tight ends are unreliable" to "It doesn't matter what the tight ends are doing anymore because Gabbert doesn't even look to them." Andrew Jones and Michael Egnew were invisible enough over the first month of the season (to the point where Gary Pinkel started Beau Brinkley over both of them at Nevada to send a message) that Gabbert apparently doesn't even trust them enough to see them as an option. Considering where we thought we were before the season--Jones as a reliable 3rd-and-7 threat, Egnew as the guy with red zone potential--this is extremely alarming. Gabbert desperately needs another consistent weapon to complement Danario and Perry, and while we all thought Jones was just the man, it hasn't happened. As fans, we cannot truly determine why, but if Missouri really is going to go 9-3 this year (which is certainly still a possibility), they need Jones and Gabbert to reconnect. Obviously everybody in this unit returns next year--Jones, Egnew, Brinkley, and redshirting freshman Alex Sanders--but they need to buy Gabbert a steak, get on his good side, and get going with the rapport they had in the spring, when Jones and Egnew were Gabbert's top two targets.

Offensive Line

Short-term panic level: 5 | Long-term panic level: 3

It's pretty clear that, as is usually the case, we were underestimating the loss of starters Colin Brown and Ryan Madison from last year's offensive line. That, combined with a tweak in technique that they apparently made this summer, have resulted in some early growing pains with this line. For the most part, I did like what they did last night against a decent OSU front seven, at least in the first half. Once Missouri fell behind and the OSU secondary started playing better, it ended up predictably affecting how OSU's front seven performed as well, and Missouri didn't have as many options available to them down the stretch. That said, though, they absolutely get a passing grade for last night's game.

Long-term, things are still pretty rosy. Four of Missouri's current five starters--Elvis Fisher, Austin Wuebbels, Tim Barnes, and Dan Hoch--will return in 2010, and only Kurtis Gregory does not. He is a strong lineman, and he will be missed, but Missouri will be in much better shape to replace him, as both Jayson Palmgren and J.T. Beasley will be juniors and are getting plenty of reps this year. That, combined with freshman Jack Meiners getting some playing time, mean that O-line depth should be a strength in 2010. I still like the potential of the line this year, and I think that with hindsight the early struggles should have been a bit predictable.

Defensive End

Short-term panic level: 6 | Long-term panic level: 2

From a run-support standpoint, there is absolutely nothing to complain about with this line. Aldon Smith, Jacquies Smith, and Briant Coulter all stand up to blocks well and are excellent at pursuit. Good mixture of speed and size. But they HAVE to start rushing the passer better. Aldon Smith is pretty reliably going to make a couple of plays a game--last night it was a couple of timely blocked passes. But Jacquies really hasn't been very disruptive at all, and even though Missouri got in Robinson's face a few times last night, the pocket never completely closed in on him, and he was always able to escape and make a throw, even if he was just throwing the ball away.

Now...Aldon Smith is a redshirt freshman and Jacquies a true sophomore. It's easy to forget that sometimes, but while their potential is clear, consistency comes with playing time, and clearly neither has had enough yet. We've got a potential all-conference performer in Agent Aldon and a potentially solid three-year starter in Agent Jacquies, but they're just not ready to make every-down contributions yet. If there's a concern here, it's depth. Brad Madison has been on the field this season, but you couldn't tell it from the stats. Marcus Malbrough looked decent in junk-time against Furman, but that's it. Hopefully one of the redshirting freshmen--either Michael Sam or Brayden Burnett--can be counted on to make a contribution next season; otherwise we'll be leaning on Smith and Smith even more next year with Coulter's departure.

Defensive Tackle

Short-term panic level: 2 | Long-term panic level: 4

LOVE what this unit did last night. Jaron Baston was great, and I noticed Dominique Hamilton quite a bit. While Missouri's run defense hasn't been as good this year as last, I thought it was an encouraging sign that, against an OSU team with a rock-solid offensive line and a very good between-the-tackles runner in Keith Toston, Missouri held OSU's running backs to just 87 yards on 27 carries (3.2 per carry). It was their best performance of the year, and if Missouri can count on that for the rest of the year, this defense will continue to look damn good.

For 2010 and beyond, there is a concern here simply because Baston is a senior. Hamilton and Terrell Resonno are the current projected 2010 starters, and while both have looked decent at times, they've clearly been the #2 and #3 DTs (in some order) behind Baston. They will need to continue to develop for Missouri not to drop off here. Of course, two young guys could make this unit a severe strength in the future: Marvin Foster and Sheldon Richardson. Foster was quickly working his way into the DT rotation in August before injuring his knee and redshirting. Assuming he's at full strength in 2010 (and with this staff, a knee injury is child's play), he could be an immediate contributor. Meanwhile, Richardson is an obvious X-factor starting in 2011, assuming he still attends Missouri (and with the comments from his JUCO coach a couple of months ago, that seems like a comfortable assumption for now).

With Resonno, Hamilton, Foster, and maybe Jimmy Burge or George White, this unit could still be strong in 2010, especially if Resonno or Hamilton make a Baston-esque leap between their sophomore and junior seasons. And in 2011, with all of those players back with Richardson added to the mix, they could be excellent. The only reason I put the long-term panic level at a 4 is that it's still an assumption that Resonno or Hamilton will make that leap, and as I said with Wes Kemp above, until it happens, it's at least a little bit of a concern.

Linebacker

Short-term panic level: 1 | Long-term panic level: 2

Even without Will Ebner, I had no complaints with this unit last night. Sean Weatherspoon was outstanding, and Luke Lambert played well, even forcing a late fumble that, uhh, was bafflingly called a non-fumble by the replay official (seriously, get the replay official a bigger monitor please). Andrew Gachkar was around the ball quite a bit, even if he didn't make a ton of plays, and Zaviar Gooden made an outstanding play on an option run. With the strong run defense Missouri showed, clearly the linebackers had a role in that.

Missouri obviously loses 'Spoon after this season, but the long-term prospects are still bright. Ebner, Gachkar and Lambert return in 2010, and with Gooden, Donovan Bonner and hopefully Joshua Tatum assuming backup roles...yeah, let's just say that at least two, and potentially three of Missouri's backups would have been starting LBs for Mizzou anytime between 2000 and 2005. I'm really excited about this unit, even without SPOOOON.

Defensive Back

Short-term panic level: 3 | Long-term panic level: 2

Don't know what to think about this unit. Hubert Anyiam had a career day last night, but as the offense was falling apart in the second half last night, the secondary continuously made plays and prevented OSU from running away with the game. Seriously, with the field position advantage OSU had last night, they very well could have ended up winning something like 45-17 or something, but they didn't. The Carl Gettis Treatment looked good, Jasper Simmons looked good, and after getting burned once on a double move (and bailed out by Simmons), Robert Steeples got a ton of playing time and did not allow Anyiam to do much of anything on a series of Q4 third-down passes. I'm not sure why Steeples was in there that much--was Kevin Rutland being punished for allowing the slant-route TD on the last play of the first half?--but he acquitted himself well. I still wish we were seeing more out of our boy Kenji Jackson, but this unit has still looked good for most of 2009...

...and all of the major contributors return for 2010. Only Del Howard and Hardy Ricks depart after this year, and no offense to them, but I'm not going to lose a lot of sleep over that. Gettis, Rutland, Steeples, Kip Edwards and Munir Prince all return at CB, and Simmons, Jackson, and Jarrell Harrison all look like keepers at safety. And if a redshirting freshman like Matt White forces his way into the rotation in 2010, all the better.

In all, the hopes for this defense in 2010 and beyond are quite high. By the end of this season, Aldon Smith, Will Ebner, Andrew Gachkar, Carl Gettis, Jasper Simmons and others will have all proven themselves at a pretty high level, and with guys like Dominique Hamilton, Terrell Resonno, Jacquies Smith, Zaviar Gooden, Kevin Rutland, Kenji Jackson, Robert Steeples and Jarrell Harrison all having shown flashes of really nice play, the 2010 defense will be as deep a play-making defense as Missouri will have had under Gary Pinkel, even with the loss of Jaron Baston and Sean Weatherspoon.

Special Teams

Short-term panic level: 3 | Long-term panic level: 1

An absolutely dreadful special teams effort last night, but it's hard to panic over that considering how good special teams have been for Missouri. Grant Ressel made his only FG, but karma bit Jake Harry IV in the ass, as he didn't get a single good bounce on any of his kicks. We have gotten very used to getting great rolls on his rugby kicks, and it just didn't happen last night. That, and OSU made a nice strategic play of having what seemed like two return men--one deep and one at mid-range to catch some of the punts and make sure the rolls didn't happen. Between Missouri's second-half three-and-outs and struggles in the punt game, they got drilled in the field position battle, especially in the second half.

Meanwhile, OSU broke off a couple of nice kickoff returns, which isn't entirely surprising--Perrish Cox is one of the best return men in the game--and thanks to horrific officiating (sorry, I can't let it go just yet), Missouri's own kickoff returns were major liabilities. Jasper Simmons' first great kick return was called back to a phantom hold (but hey, how much damage could a 70-yard net penalty do, really? Not much, right? Yeah...), and he lost a fumble in which his knee appeared to be down (SERIOUSLY...get the freaking replay official a bigger monitor...), but in the box score it says that kick returns were a liability.

Long-term, things look good here. Harry has been a great asset, and he is a senior, but honestly, Missouri's punting scheme is good, and whoever wins next year's punting battle (Matt Grabner? Trey Barrow? Grant Ressel?), I think this will still be a relative strength. Plus, Carl Gettis looking better and better on punt returns, and Simmons has shown at least strong straight-line speed and the capability of breaking a long return.

And we've got Ressel at place-kicker for another two years, so there's that.

Coaching

Short-term panic level: 3 | Long-term panic level: 0

I'm sorry, but I just cannot get myself that worked up about the coaching staff. I know we always look for somebody to blame when things go poorly, and I disagreed as much as anybody with David Yost's decision to call empty-backfield sets late in the game, but you know what? When you are calling 60-80 plays per game, you are going to make mistakes. Dave Christensen obviously made plenty of mistakes, and he was apparently good enough at his job to score a Mountain West head coaching position. Meanwhile, one of the best coordinators in the country--OU's Kevin Wilson--is getting destroyed by the OU fanbase for sucking...and he's one of the best coordinators in the game. Missouri fans are spoiled by previous successes, but in his first year on the job, Yost is already a decent coordinator, and when Missouri gains in experience, he will probably start looking like a really good one. People calling for his head or already falling back on the dumb old "Gary Pinkel's too stubborn!!!!1!!!" line are...well, they're being ridiculous. Get over yourselves--this is a good offensive staff, and it will only get better. Blaine Gabbert was two drops away from having 360 first-half passing yards last night. It takes good play-calling for that to happen.

Meanwhile, I don't think any of us can have much complaint with the job Dave Steckel and the defensive staff are doing, right? Or are we still managing to be pissed at them too? You tell me.

---

I know I'm either a) preaching to the choir or b) yelling at people who have their minds made up here (and are more than willing to yell back), but man oh man...BIG PICTURE HERE, PEOPLE. Most of us did not expect to be better than 4-2 right now, and now that it's happened, we're flying off the handle. But anyway. Time to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Wrapping Up the Chiefs Rookie Mini-Camp

Chris Thorman — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:04:05 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

7 months ago: Kansas City Chiefs defensive linemen Alex Magee (71) and Tyson Jackson (94) talk between plays during rookie camp at the team's football practice facility in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

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Yesterday morning, the Kansas City Chiefs completed their 2009 rookie mini-camp. Here's a summary of what happened. Click the picture above to browse more photos from camp.

Attendees

33 (Haley actually mentions 34 at one point) players participated in the mini-camp practices over the weekend, with two practices happening on Friday and Saturday and one on Sunday in addition to work on Thursday night. 12 of those players were undrafted free agents the Chiefs signed on Thursday. 8 more of those were the Chiefs' draft picks. 6 more were first year players who were allowed to take part in the practices, along with LS Tanner Purdum and LS Thomas Gafford. Purdum was a grad assistant last year at Baker so he qualifies as a first-year player and I'm not sure why Gafford got to participate. I saw him in a mini-camp picture.

That leaves 6 players that were there without a contract on a try-out basis.

We know two of those try-outs were quarterbacks - Drew Tate and Chase Patton. Yale LB Bobby Abare was also a participant. Bob Gretz also reports on an unknown safety, unknown center and an unknown running back.

That strong safety is likely Duke's Glenn Wiliams, whose agency said he was in KC for a try out on their Twitter page. In fact, I'm sure it's him after reading his Twitter page - "Missing my graduation this weekend make a dream come true w/ the KC chiefs!!"

That unknown center may be University of Nevada's Dominic Green. I haven't found an official confirmation but I think it's pretty good. The source is from another Twitter feed.

It's possible the remaining try-out players came from our rumored UDFA list.

The Chiefs currently have 86 players on the roster and the limit is 80 players under contract. None of the Chiefs' draft picks have signed yet but they're on the roster and allowed to participate in mini-camps. That means the Chiefs have room to sign only a couple try-out players if they so chose to. Of course, once the team's draft picks start signing, there will be some roster adjustments.

Todd Haley said that the Chiefs will be making a decision today on which try-out players to keep.

The (nearly) complete list of rookie mini-camp attendees is after the jump.

Friday, May 8th - Day One Notes

Q&A with Todd Haley

Friday update from Bob Gretz

Important notes:

The players went through a mini-combine, which included height, weight, measurements, bench press, vertical jump, raw jump, and 40-yard dash
Haley repeatedly mentioned that the players' heads "were spinning"
Haley: "“First and foremost, we are trying to orientate them to what we are doing, what to expect to give them (which is) a briefing to what is in store and what is ahead of them, the conditioning, the strength portion, to give them a little taste of the system."

Saturday, May 9th - Day Two Notes

AM practice update from Bob Gretz

Q&As with Tyson Jackson, Alex Magee, Colin Brown and Ryan Succop

Q&A with Todd Haley

Important notes:

16 players were on offense and 17 were on defense
Defense came out in a 3-4 formation
Defensive line up - Tyson Jackson (LDE), Derek Lokey (NT), Alex Magee (RDE); Darrell Robertson and Pierre Walters (OLB); Jovan Belcher and Corey Smith (ILB); Donald Washington and Londen Fryan (CB); Ricky Price and an uknown player (S)
Conditioning is an issue for many of the players
The Chiefs believe 3rd round draft choice Alex Magee can play both defensive tackle and defensive end
Don't know if they have a kick returner yet

Sunday, May 10th - Day Three Notes

Practice update from Bob Gretz

Q&A with CB Donald Washington

Q&A with Todd Haley

Important notes:

The team is hoping Brodie Croyle is healthy by the start of training camp (late July)
CB Donald Washington and UDFA LB Corey Smith are both technically still in school until June so they will not be able to participate in off season training until that time
Haley is frustrated - “Like I said, it’s frustrating for me personally because you have a vision for how you want to practice and the pace at which you practice. We’re going to be a fast-paced group that gets out there and practices hard and fast and efficiently. Again, we only had 34 guys and we only had three receivers in this camp, so if we were in any multiple receiver groups those guys were going every route and they weren’t in the condition that they had to be to be able to function."
Very vocal practice from the Chiefs' coaches
Bob Gretz - "When the Chiefs went to a nickel defense, Lokey came out and was replaced by a cornerback. That had Jackson and Magee with their hands on the ground and Robertson and Walters standing up as ends."
Our main man Pierre Walters had a solid pass rush against 5th round pick OT Colin Brown
The defensive line up was the same as on Saturday

And that's a wrap on the Kansas City Chiefs off season training until May 18th, when everyone will get together for the first time. That is, everyone that wants to be at camp. The only mandatory mini-camp is June 5-7, so it's possible we may see a disgruntled veteran not show up.

For the most part, you can't look too deeply into some of these off season drills, especially with the rookies. You can't take 33 guys who have never played together, put them on the field and expect everything to run smoothly. It just isn't going to happen.

The Chiefs are working on becoming a team now and that intensity will increase when the entire team starts practicing together. Overall, you have to say that a mini-camp with no injuries or other flare ups is a success.

In addition to clicking the picture above to browse our gallery of mini-camp photos, head to the Kansas City Star and NFL.com for more.

Draft Picks	1st Year Players	UDFAs	Try-outs
DE Tyson Jackson	WR Rodney Wright	DT Dion Gales	QB Drew Tate
DT Alex Magee	G Edwin Harrison	DE Bobby Greenwood	QB Chase Patton
CB Donald Washington	LB Darrell Robertson	DB/WR Londen Fryar	LB Bobby Abare
OT Colin Brown	TE Jed Collins	LB Pierre Walters	SS Glenn Williams
RB Javarris Williams	DT Derek Lokey	WR Taurus Johnson	C Dominic Green (?)
TE Jake O'Connell	G Tavares Washington	LB Jovan Belcher	Unknown RB
K Ryan Succup	LS Tanner Purdum	OT Cameron Goldberg
WR/KR Quinten Lawrence	*LS Thomas Gafford	S Ricky Price
		LB Corey Smith
		CB Jackie Bates
		TE Tom Crabtree
		G Darryl Harris

*Not sure why Thomas Gafford was at the rookie mini-camp. He's been on practice squads since 2006 so it probably has something to do with the technical designation of being a first-year player.

Chiefs Assign Numbers to Rookie Draft Class

Joel Thorman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:39:00 -0000

via cdn0.sbnation.com

The Kansas City Chiefs have assigned numbers to the eight new players they acquired over the weekend in the 2009 draft class. The players were assigned numbers quickly, if we use Matt Cassel's near month long wait to be assigned an official number*.

If you all remember, some folks were questioning why Cassel, signed February 28th, hadn't been assigned a number. He eventually did (on April 1st) - in fact, it came the day after we learned his number would be #7. An AP scoop? Sure!

The following players switched from their college numbers because it was already taken by a current member of the squad or for other reasons:

Tyson Jackson (#94 - Tank Tyler owns #93)
Quinten Lawrence (#14 - Ryan Succop owns #6)
Javarris Williams (#40 - Not sure of the reason for the switch from #28 college number)
Jake O'Connell (#45 - Mark Bradley owns #83)
Ryan Succop (#6 - Quinten Lawrence owns #14)

After the jump are the numbers for each of the Chiefs eight draft picks.

*I say they're waiting to be assigned numbers, but in reality the Chiefs let the players pick their own numbers assuming they are available.

1ST ROUND PICK - DE TYSON JACKSON, LSU - #94

3RD ROUND PICK - DT ALEX MAGEE, PURDUE - #71

4TH ROUND PICK - DB DONALD WASHINGTON, OHIO STATE- #20

5TH ROUND PICK - RT COLIN BROWN, MISSOURI - #61

6TH ROUND PICK - WR QUINTEN LAWRENCE, MCNEESE STATE - #14

7TH ROUND PICK - RB JAVARRIS WILLIAMS, TENNESSEE STATE - #40

7TH ROUND PICK - TE JAKE O'CONNELL, MIAMI (OH) - #45

7TH ROUND PICK - K RYAN SUCCOP, SOUTH CAROLINA - #6

[Edit] Here is the system the NFL uses to assign jersey numbers:

Numbers 1 to 19 are worn by quarterbacks, kickers, and punters (Note: Wide receivers can also wear #10-19)
Numbers 20 to 49 are worn by running backs, tight ends (who may wear a number between 40-49 when 80-89 are unavailable), cornerbacks and safeties.
Numbers 50 to 59 are worn by linebackers and offensive linemen.
Numbers 60 to 79 are worn by members of both the offensive line (the tackles, guards and centers) and defensive line (the defensive ends, defensive tackles or nose guard).
Numbers 80 to 89 are worn by wide receivers and tight ends.
Numbers 90 to 99 are worn by linebackers and defensive linemen.

VIDEO: New Kansas City Chief Colin Brown

Joel Thorman — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:41:27 -0000

"I grew up a life-long Chiefs fan." - Colin Brown, via FOX4kc.com

Post-Draft, What is the Chiefs Biggest Need?

Chris Thorman — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:10:45 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

7 months ago: Michael Crabtree, the San Francisco 49ers' NFL football first-round draft pick, plays around as he tries on his new helmet while touring the team's headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, April 26, 2009. Crabtree was a wide receiver at Texas Tech. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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Courtesy of our good friend Direckshun at Chiefs Planet, here is a projected depth chart for the Kansas City Chiefs.

*2009 Draft picks in bold

Offense

QB: Cassel, Thigpen, Croyle, Martin
RB: Johnson, Charles, Williams, Smith
FB: Cox

WR: Bowe, Bradley, Engram, Lawrence, Webb
TE: Cottam, O'Connell

LT: Albert, Taylor
LG: Waters, Smith
C: Niswanger, Smith
RG: Goff, Richardson
RT: McIntosh, Brown

Defense

DE: Jackson, McBride
NT: Tyler, Edwards
Undertackle/DE: Dorsey
DE: Magee, Boone

OLB: Hali, Williams
ILB: Thomas, Beisel
ILB: Johnson, Mays
OLB: Vrabel, Robertson

CB: Flowers, Carr, Washington, Daniels, Leggett
S: Page, Pollard, Morgan, McGraw

Special Teams

K: Barth, Succop
P: Colquitt
LS: Purdum
KR/PR: Lawrence, Charles

Now I'm in a bit of a time crunch as I make my wake to the mechanic and then back to Austin, TX, so use this as an open thread to discuss this issue.

Primetime will be around later and I should be back tonight.

So, to get it going, what is the Kansas City Chiefs' biggest area of need following this draft?

My vote goes to wide receiver. We still don't have a reliable #2 behind Bowe, who himself is just barely a #1 WR IMO.

Sorry for the rush. Be back soon.

Poll

What is the Chiefs biggest area of need after this draft?

Wide Receiver

503 votes

Defensive end

42 votes

Running back

21 votes

Offensive tackle

304 votes

Guard

81 votes

Center

68 votes

Tight end

63 votes

Outside linebacker

185 votes

Inside linebacker

58 votes

Other/In the comments

24 votes

1349 votes | Poll has closed

Surfin' SBN: Draft Edition

RPT — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:00:14 -0000

More photos » by Michael Norris - AP

Missouri defensive tackle Evander Hood reacts as he talks on a cellphone with the Pittsburgh Steelers after they selected him 32nd overall in the first round of the NFL Draft. (AP Photo/The Amarillo Globe News, Michael Norris)

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There's not much need to tell you that it was a banner weekend for Missouri football, as six Tigers found themselves en route to new homes after officially entering the record books as picks in the 2009 NFL Draft. However, just in case you weren't paying attention, it was a banner day for SB Nation's NFL blogs, as well. Each blog had a ridiculous amount of team-specific information, and hopefully you've managed to find your way to the SBN site of your favorite franchise.

With the craziness of the weekend now wrapped up, let's take a look at what our SBN brethren are saying about the former Tigers.

Jeremy Maclin: Philadelphia Eagles (Bleeding Green Nation)

BGN: A Look at Jeremy Maclin, Fox29 Feature

BGN: With two guy blazing fast playmakers in Jeremy Maclin & Desean Jackson the Eagles WR corps looks to be set for the next few years. Maclin and Jackson could combine to make the Eagles offense into one of the most dangerous vertical threats in the NFL.

(snip)

The Eagles saw the guy they wanted and moved up to ensure they got him. We'll see what happens from here on out this weekend, but Donovan McNabb can rest easy knowing he's got at least one dynamic offensive threat this offseason.

Total Response? Site leaders seem in favor, some of the community seems to question the pick a bit more.

Ziggy Hood: Pittsburgh Steelers (Behind The Steel Curtain)

BTSC: Selection, Draft Grades, Which pick are you most excited about? (See Poll), Colbert and Tomlin on Ziggy, Day 1 Thoughts, Ziggy talks to the Media, Stay tuned for my Q&A with BTSC

BTSC: It really didn't take me long at all to warm up to this pick quite a bit. GRADE: A

BTSC: I've been full of Ziggy-love since I started looking into the DL prospects, and we got him while staying put. There's a lot to like about him: he's got good size for a 3-4 DE (it'd be nice to have another inch or two, but he still has long arms), he was productive in college, he stood out among top competition at the Senior Bowl, he had absolutely fantastic tests at the combine (which tells me he has a ton of upside), he could grow into both a good pass rusher and a good run stuffer, and he should be able to drop into coverage on occasion, too. Nothing has stood out more to me, though, than how coachable and how good of a teammate everyone says he is. I think he's an absolutely perfect fit as a Steeler and as a one gap 5 technique 3-4 zone blitz DE. He was a very solid value at one of our biggest needs.

Coach MIke Tomlin: Ziggy Hood is a Steeler type of player – there are no holes in this guy. We felt good about the information that we acquired on this man after the Combine that he really wasn’t under consideration to come in here for a visit. He is a high character guy; he plays; he has a hot motor. He loves the game of football. He was described by many members of his team who went high today as their guy.

GM Kevin Colbert: It was exciting to see him available when we were picking at (number) 32. He was just somebody that we felt good about from the first time that we scouted him until when we saw him at the Senior Bowl. When we met up with him at the Combine, everything kept adding up that this is a high-quality player and person.

Ziggy on the first thing Tomlin said to him on the phone: "The first thing he said, he wanted an extra long cheese coney from Sonic because that's where I used to work at."

Total Response? Site administration is fully on board with the pick, and outside of a few Maualuga apologists, most of the members seem to like the pick.

William Moore: Atlanta Falcons (The Falcoholic)

TF: 2009 Draft Grades, Second Round Report

TF: S William Moore (A-): The Falcons filled a need and went best player available here, so it's hard to quibble with what they accomplished by picking up Moore. Dimitroff has said he envisions Moore as the kind of safety that blows people up, which means we need a catchy explosives-related nickname for him. The Human Grenade, anyone?

TF: There are many who will say that Moore should have slipped even further, but you won't find me among them. He's an ideal strong safety in many ways, with the ability to the play the run, hit hard and close the distance quickly when covering tight ends and wideouts alike. The team clearly isn't completely sold on Thomas DeCoud at SS (which is a shame), but it should be a pretty fierce competition between the two in training camp.

Total Response? Site administration loves the value of the pick. Questions remain about Moore's coverage ability after his senior season. 87 percent of voters on the site say Moore is either an "instant starter," or "He's okay, I guess."

Chase Coffman: Cincinnati Bengals (Cincy Jungle)

CJ: Draft Pick (see poll), Five Questions

CJ: For a position that turned out several all-stars in the past, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't had a legitimate pass receiving tight end for a long time. This is a good value pick, but we didn't identify tight end so much as a need this year (more along the lines of next season). However, there's only positives that can be drawn from this and the Bengals offense should benefit as a result.

CJ: I thought that the Bengals made their first surprise pick with tight end Chase Coffman with their fourth overall pick (98th). Let me be clear, we're not saying it's a bad pick or that Coffman wouldn't be great benefit. In fact, Coffman could be a tremendous weapon for Carson Palmer. However, with Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht and Matt Sherry, where would Coffman fit in? We don't suspect the team will release Kelly simply because of the respect level players and coaches have for him. Utecht is argued to be one half of the team's 2008 free agency busts (Antwan Odom the other). Matt Sherry was injured early in 2008 and never got a shot to showcase whatever talents he has.

Total Response? They question his ability to block and transition to a pro offense, but they know the receiver they're getting at a fantastic value. The poll is evidence that this community is on board with the Coffman pick.

Colin Brown: Kansas City Chiefs (Arrowhead Pride)

AP: Presenting the class, Draft pick

AP: Missouri OT Colin Brown was probably the Chiefs' biggest reach of the draft. Many draft boards had him as a 7th round, UDFA prospect. Clearly, Pioli and Haley saw something they liked in Brown so they took him in the fifth round.Perhaps Haley is contemplating a some version of the spread offense, which Brown played in at Missouri.

AP: What's interesting is that Brown played exclusively in the Mizzou spread offense. I wonder if that's an indication that Pioli and Haley think they have it figured out when it comes to scouting spread offensive linemen or if the Chiefs will be running something similar.

According to our Draft Interests Page, the Chiefs had no contact with Brown.

Total Response? No one seems sure what to make of the pick. Is Pioli taking this sucker airborne in KC?

Stryker Sulak: Oakland Raiders (Silver and Black Pride)

SaBP: Live Breakdown, Did the Empire "Stryker" Back?

SaBP: Another non-stop motor pick by the Raiders. Sulak played all 3 LB positions and as a pass rushing DE for Iowa’s [sic] defense, racking up 22.5 sacks and 38 TFL in 53 games. Cable said he was going to try him out at LB first, but he may end up being Trevor Scott v. 2.0 for the Raiders, providing a nickel specialist to tandem with the larger base DEs.

SaBP: As I begin to recap this draft I am looking up and the Colts just drafted Zack Follett out of Cal with the 236th pick of the draft.

I am a bit disappointed that he didn't make the cut, but, the more that I learn about Styker Sulan [sic], out of Mizzou, I can cut ties with Zack.

Total Response? They may not know where he's from or how to spell his name, but they seem excited about the value in the pick, outside of some who were pushing for LSU's Ricky Jean-Francois.

Experts Grade the Chiefs in 2009 NFL Draft

Joel Thorman — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:25:05 -0000

Pick	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	College	Approval Rating
Round 1 Pick 3 (3)	Tyson Jackson	DE	6'4"	295	LSU	40%
Round 2 Pick 2 (34)	Traded to NE for Cassel/Vrabel
Round 3 Pick 3 (67)	Alex Magee	T	6'3"	298	Purdue	35%
Round 4 Pick 2 (102)	Donald Washington	CB	6'0"	197	Ohio State	23%
Round 5 Pick 3 (139)	Colin Brown	OL	6'7"	335	Missouri	44%
Round 6 Pick 2 (175)	Quinten Lawrence	WR/KR	6'0"	184	McNeese State	71%
Round 7 Pick 3 (212)	Javarris Williams	RB	5'10"	223	Tennessee State	62%
Round 7 Pick 28 (237)	Jake O'Connell	TE	6'4"	255	Miami (OHIO)	33%
Round 7 Pick 47 (256)	Ryan Succop	K	6'2"	218	South Carolina	50%

I do not like grading draft classes the day after it happens. Heck, I don't even like grading them two years after they're complete. The NFL has far too many players that take multiple years to develop. Looking over history, it's rare for a wide receiver or a defensive tackle to contribute immediately yet we continue to grade these draft classes the day after the trade.

I'm not going to participate in the grading. I've always gone with the rule that you can't judge a class until you're three years out. And I'm going to stick with that.

That said, here are how the experts are grading the Chiefs.

Randy Covitz, Kansas City Star - C+

The new regime is trying to undo all the mistakes the franchise has made in the defensive line during the last seven seasons. Jackson and Magee fit the mold of big, strong New England-type defensive linemen. Don’t forget QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel represent the second-round pick.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports - C

I didn't like the pick of Jackson with the third overall pick. But they did get a quarterback in Matt Cassel with their second-round pick.

Bob LeGere, Daily Herald - B-

Needing all kinds of help for a lousy defense, they reached a bit for DE Tyson Jackson, but he's the best 5 technique available and a perfect fit for their 3-4 scheme. Went back for more DE help at 67 for Alex Magee, who could be a DE-DT "tweener" and seems better-suited to playing a 3 technique in a 4-3. Got good value at 102 with CB Donald Washington.

Jerry Magee, San Diego Tribune - C

On the first round's choice No. 3, Mark Sanchez was still there. Several teams were absolutely frothing at the mouth for Sanchez. By conducting an auction, the Missourians likely would have been enormously enriched. They chose another course, going for DE Tyson Jackson.

Tony Moss, Sports Network - C

Bottom Line: No edge pass rusher, no real replacement for Tony Gonzalez, and no significant additions to a shaky offensive line.

Larry Weisman, USA Today - C

Bypassed sureshot LB Aaron Curry for DE Tyson Jackson. He'll fit well in Chiefs' 3-4 but he's not much of a pass-rusher and the Chiefs lacked painfully in that department last year after trading Jared Allen. Jackson seems sound but not spectacular as the third overall choice. DT Alex Magee could get snaps in sub package, not a true NT or physical presence. CB Donald Washington was almost a washout at Ohio State and a surprise choice this high (fourth round).

C to C+ seems to be the consensus although Prisco ripped the Tyson Jackson pick and gave it a D.

Overall, I would have to say I'm content with the Chiefs draft. I'm not bouncing out of my chair excited but I'm not about to jump off Arrowhead Stadium for fear that the Chiefs won't win again. This seems a lot like the Patriots drafts in that you plug key holes with lesser known prospects.

Let's get used to this type of draft. This is just the way it's going to be. We will stockpile picks and continue to select the Alex Magee's and Donald Washington's of the world.

Show us any more grades you find in the comments and I'll continue to post them after the jump.

MORE GRADES

Jason Cole, Yahoo Sports - A-

New Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli turned his first three picks into key foundation players with the selections of Jackson, Magee and by trading for Cassel at the start of free agency. One thing Pioli learned well from New England’s Belichick is to use your top picks on talented big men like Jackson, who is a carbon copy of Richard Seymour (the No. 6 overall pick in the 2001 draft) and then build around those guys. Add Jackson and Magee to Glenn Dorsey from the 2008 draft and suddenly you have the makings of a monster line. Get a few linebackers to go with it and the Chiefs stand to have a terrific defense by 2010.

Presenting the 2009 Kansas City Chiefs Draft Class

Chris Thorman — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:09:38 -0000


DE Tyson Jackson	DL Alex Magee	CB Donald Washington

OT Colin Brown	WR/KR Quinten Lawrence	RB Javarris Williams


TE Jake O'Connell	K Ryan Succup

I want to preface this post by saying I'm generally pretty optimistic about the NFL draft and the Kansas City Chiefs' selections. I think the NFL draft is at best a crap shoot and to immediately label any player a boom or bust is simply not being patient. Although I may have preferred different players than the Chiefs drafted, I can see why they drafted every single one. This team has a plan and we owe it the coaches, front office and the players themselves to at least let them take the field for a few games before we proclaim them buffoons. You can be skeptical or angry but remember that at the end of the day, we all want these guys to be successful in Kansas City.

Yes, like many, I was surprised when the Chiefs selected Tyson Jackson at #3, among their other picks. But I see where he fits in the team's plans and how his presence will inevitably help one of the worst defenses in franchise history. I'm very open to giving new coaches and execs the benefit of the doubt and I hope you are too.

Why the patience? Because Pioli has shown he's a top notch personnel guy who selects players with a big picture mentality in mind. We won't always understand why this team will do some of the things it will do but Pioli's track record commands respect until he does something to lose it.

***

One late trade and that was it

Before Scott Pioli came to the Kansas City chiefs, he had the distinction of being part of the tradingest draft-day team in the league in the last decade. Between 2000 and 2008, the Patriots made 28 draft-weekend trades. New England traded up 12 times, and they traded down 16 times during that period.

Surprising most of us, the Kansas City Chiefs and Scott Pioli made only one very late draft day trade this year, dealing next year's 7th round pick to the Miami Dolphins to grab TE Jake O'Connell in the 7th round.

Pioli made exactly one trade while Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots traded down multiple times, seemingly controlling their end of the draft at will. Pioli received no serious calls about trading out of the #3 pick and without a second round pick, the Chiefs found themselves out of the trade talk as first round prospects fell into the early second round.

The Picks

Instead of trading out, the Chiefs found themselves reaching for the first player they wanted. Tyson Jackson was a late top ten pick by most accounts but that didn't matter to Scott Pioli and Todd Haley. Pioli feels like Jackson's versatility will allow the Chiefs much more flexibility in the defensive schemes they play. He's definitely a defensive foundation pick if I've ever seen one. A player you put "impact" players around.

Alex Magee actually went right around his projection when the Chiefs took him early in the third round. Same thing with CB Donald Washington, who was projected to go even in the third round and the Chiefs picked him up early in the fourth round.

Missouri OT Colin Brown was probably the Chiefs' biggest reach of the draft. Many draft boards had him as a 7th round, UDFA prospect. Clearly, Pioli and Haley saw something they liked in Brown so they took him in the fifth round.Perhaps Haley is contemplating a some version of the spread offense, which Brown played in at Missouri.

6th round pick WR/KR Quinten Lawrence is much like his 6th round predecessor last year Kevin Robinson. Lawrence looks to be faster than Robinson and like him will have to earn his keep on special teams to earn a roster spot. Just the type of guy you take in the 6th round.

RB Javarris Williams, the Chiefs' first 7th round pick, is a pick where Pioli and Haley saw a guy who was rated higher than where he was so they snagged him. This seems like a value pick to me more than a need. But with Larry Johnson's future in KC up in the air, the selection of Javarris Williams may mean one more running back will be added to the committee.

TE Jake O'Connell is a very curious pick. He was an undrafted free agent on most draft boards and doesn't fill a huge priority - so why use the draft pick on him? We'll have to wait until camp to find out but the Chiefs' brass likely sees him as a project as a receiving tight end. Considering the Chiefs just lost the greatest receiving tight end in the history of the NFL, I will give my approval to this pick.

K Ryan Succup is another interesting pick, especially considering he's now the fourth kicker on the Chiefs roster. Incumbent Connor Barth played well enough last season to be considered the favorite heading into training camp but we can be rest assured that the kickers will be in a full blown competition. Let the best man win.

Did we address our needs?

Like with most team's drafts, the answer is yes and no. I will say that through the combination of free agency and the draft that I believe the Chiefs at least have enough talent and addressed enough glaring needs to make it through this season but they're not set in a lot of positions for years down the road.

One point you can't argue is that the Chiefs' defense was the biggest problem with the team last season. Pioli and Haley attacked that need by going defense with the first three picks. And the first two picks were spent on defensive linemen. A smart but not necessarily sexy move, considering the Chiefs had one of the worst rushing defenses in franchise history last year.

I hear you on wanting a pass rusher. But who? You have to answer me that. Did you really want Brian Orakpo or Aaron Maybin with the #3 pick? Jackson's versatility makes him more valuable than this year's sub-par pass rushers. Taking one of those guys would be like rushing out to get the newest model of a car, even though there isn't anything particularly special about it. You just want the latest model, regardless of improvements.

One interesting thing is that we didn't draft a linebacker. For a team who was supposedly likely to take LB Aaron Curry at #3, Pioli and Haley seem to be content with the mix of veterans and rookies on the roster now.

How are we on the offensive iine now?

With the lone offensive lineman addition Colin Brown, this is how the Chiefs' depth chart currently breaks down on the offensive line (projected starter in bold):

LT Branden Albert, Herb Taylor

LG Brian Waters, Brian De La Puente, Edwin Harrison

C Rudy Niswanger

RG Mike Goff, Wade Smith, Tavares Washington

RT Damion McIntosh, Barry Richardson, Colin Brown

Look at that. If Brown is able to move into the starting right tackle position, that's not a bad offensive line. It won't last us ten years but it's not bad heading into the '09 season.

I think offensive line was less of a need to the Chiefs than we thought it was in our analysis. There is still work to be done but that looks like it will wait until next season.

It's (almost) over

The undrafted free agents will continue to come in and we'll be posting them, probably in FanShots unless there is a whole slew of them. This has sort of a mini-draft feeling for a few hours after the real thing.

What. A. Weekend. I honestly blogged and watched the draft for probably close to 20 hours in just two days.

Here's to understanding wives and girlfriends!

Click over for more info on all of these guys.

Round 1, #3 LSU DE Tyson Jackson

Selection post on AP
Approval rating: 40%
Video highlights
NFL Draft Scout: #1 DE, 7th player overall
Mocking the Draft Scouting Report
Chris' Draft Grade: B+

Comments:

Very disappointing

Last year we were getting great deals on players that fell to us. This just seems like an enormous reach for a non-pass rusher. -ChiefDJ

Lions are to WR as the Chiefs are to DL -Matt_Grbac

Everyone who wanted Curry needs to realize something.

Linebacker in the 3-4 is a very blue collar job. They are super important players but its a position that is popular and accommodates a lot of different people.

Look at the Steelers and how they draft their LBs. Ever heard of James Harrison? Defensive player of the year? Went undrafted and cut from the team twice before the steelers built him up into a great LB.

Curry wasn’t worth it. We are building our defense back up from line back. -Jux

YES!!!

I LOVE Tyson Jackson.

He is fantastically fantastic.

Next Richard Seymour, man. -rockchalk

Check out Tyson Jackson's player page for more info. The five players drafted after Jackson were:

LB Aaron Curry
QB Mark Sanchez
OT Andre Smith
WR Darrius Heyward-Bey
OT Eugene Monroe

Round 3, #67 Purdue DL Alex Magee

Selection post on AP
Approval rating: 35%
Video interview
NFL Draft Scout: 6th rated DT, #77 player overall
Mocking the Draft Scouting Report
Chris' Draft Grade: B-

Comments:

It's starting to look like Dorsey has no spot in the 3-4 -808NaNz808

DAMN.

That kid can play! I graduated from Purdue and I’ve seen him a bunch of times…maybe a reach, but, WOW… -thejesuslizard

I think it says more about depth.

The kid can play both positions in the 3-4 (on D-Line.) I think it says more about Hali than Dorsey that they’ve picked a DE and a DT/DE. -stlfan

To you haters

Pioli knows D lineman, and he had ALL night to think about this. This is HIS pick – they guy that he wanted.

In Pioli I trust. -Keyser Soze

The Chiefs are no where near great. Would I like to have more depth on our DL, of course.

I’d have been fine with this pick if we didn’t reach for Jackson #3 overall. If we’d have gone Curry or OT, and then made this pick, it’d have made a lot of sense. -kcsno56

Alex Magee

Are your kidding me? There were at least 10 different ways we could have gone that would be better than this pick.

This draft is shaping up horribly, most dissapointed I have been in Pioli’s tenure. -dyoung21

Click here for Magee's player page. The five players drafted after Magee were:

DE Jarron Gilbert
OLB Jason Williams
DE Michael Johnson
DE Matt Shaughnessy
DT Terrance Knighton

Round 4, #102 Ohio St. CB Donald Washington

Selection post on AP
Approval rating: 23%
Video interview
NFL Draft Scout: 13th rated CB, #95 player overall
30th ranked CB according to Mocking the Draft
Chris' Draft Grade: A-

Comments:

Good player

Doesnt really fill a need. -tdbowe

I'll say

this has been my favorite pick so far. I like where our defensive secondary is headed -KansasCityShuffle

He will be a great add

Being an Ohio State fan, and watching him over the last few years, I can tell you that this kid is a player! With this addition we can free up flowers to cover the quick slot receivers in a 3 wide receiver set and have two large corners on the outside. I am loving the way the defense is looking already! -vaup2106

Pioli

was obviously disgusted with the defensive talent pool across the board. He’ll probably draft a safety next. -ChiefsDude

Think about this on Washington

Nobody threw at Malcom Jenkins this year so they focused on Washington but he held up well. Also, if he had stayed at OSU he would be the next big CB out of OSU and probably would’ve wound up as a first rounder next year. -WesternChief

Check out Donald Washington's player page. The next five players drafted after Washington were:

DT Dorell Scott
ILB Kaluka Maiava
DE Henry Melton
C Jonathan Luigs
WR Mike Thomas

Round 5, #139 Missouri OT Colin Brown

Selection post on AP
Approval rating: 44%
NFL Draft Scout: 38th ranked OT, #477 overall
MU Bio
Chris' Draft Grade: C

Comments:

M-I-Z-Z-O-U but????

I love Mizzou but this pick makes no sense this guy would have been around later in the draft, why not go after a Duke Robinson here?? -doriang03

He may not have been highly toted because he was in the wrong scheme for his talents. -KCKing

Can anyone tell me why Colin Brown is a better pick than Jamon Meredith? From what I have read Meredith is a smart, versatile OL, who had a 3rd round grade. It seems like we could have waited and picked up Colin Brown later, or as a Undrafted FA -bradelli58

Click here for Brown's player page. The next five players drafted after Brown were:

WR Johnny Knox
WR Kenny McKinley
P Kevin Huber
CB DeAngelo Smith
WR Jarrett Dillard

Round 6, #175 McNeese St. WR Quinten Lawrence

Selection post on AP
Approval rating: 71%
Video highlights
NFL Draft Scout: 33rd rated WR, #250 overall
McNeese St. Bio
Chris' Draft Grade: B+

Comments:

This is the first pick I've liked

And its because its in the 6th round, and a good time to take a shot at someone like this kid.

I’d have rather had Ellerbe or Jennings, the RB, but we need a returner, good time to roll the dice on speed. -kcsno56

I was thinking

Poor man’s Desean Jackson (Phi)

undersized with great speed and ball skills… a threat anytime the ball is in his hands. -Ochophosphate

Holy balls! That kid is FAST! -SupremeChief

The next five players drafted after Lawrence were:

LB Spencer Adkins
CB Don Carey
QB Mike Teel
CB Morgan Trent
TE Zach Miller

Round 7, #212 Tennessee St. RB Javarris Williams

Selection post on AP
Approval rating:
NFL Draft Scout: 14th rated RB, #182 overall
#21 rated RB by Mocking the Draft
Chris' Draft Grade: B

Comments:

Insurance is a hope that you don't have to use it

But you better have it. -Steve_Chiefs

He might fit the Kevin Faulk profile. -WesternChief

Pfft!

All it’s basically saying is Williams is a bruiser RB. He’s small, not very fast, and likes contact. He will be used in short yardage situations if he’s used at all. -SupremeChief

The next five players drafted after Williams were:

OG Paul Fanaika
LB J.D. Folsom
RB Fui Vakapuna
CB Captain Munnerlyn
CB E.J. Biggers

Round 7, #237 Miami (OH) TE Jake O'Connell

Selection post on AP
Approval rating:
NFL Draft Scout: #29th rated fullback, Not rated overall
Chris' Draft Grade: C

Comments:

Why?

Why would we trade up to get a guy that you may convince to walk on as a UFA? I don’t get the logic. -TXChieffan

O'Connell sounds like a guy who could play special teams as well

with his speed, 4.6, could be very useful on special teams, even if he doesn’t contribute on offense. -Ken Harvey

The next five player selected after O'Connell were:

DB Stoney Woodson
OG Ryan Durand
RB LaRod Stephens-Howling
TE David Johnson
FS Nick Schommer

Round 7, # 256 South Caroline K Ryan Succop

Selection Post on AP
Approval Rating: 50%
Mr. Irrelevant selection video
NFL Draft Scout: 7th ranked kicker, #386 overall
Chris' Draft Grade: C

Comments:

66% accuracy? This is a joke. I am okay with the other picks in the draft but this one honestly had me stumped. There is probably zero percent chance this guy is gonna be on our team because we can only keep one kicker. We should have at least found an inside lineman to develop. -Vince D

Succop...

I run the SBN Gamecocks site. Here’s what you need to know about Succop. He had one of the longest legs in the college game last year, but consistency is a bit of an issue for him. He missed a bunch of kicks around the middle of 2008, leading to the questionable accuracy rating. Part of the problem seemed to have been some kind of pulled abdominal muscle, but part of it was also in his head, I think. If he can work out confidence issues, he’s got the skills to be a great NFL kicker. If not, oh well.

And yeah, your wives and girlfriends will want to leave you for him as soon as they see his picture. --Gamecock Man

***

I just want to say again how much fun I had this weekend on this site. It really is the community that is this site's strength and I want to thank you for it.

For the reasons listed before the fold, I'm going to give this draft a B for the Kansas City Chiefs. Make sure you vote in the poll below.

Arrowhead Pride rolls on through out the off season.

Poll

Grade the Chiefs overall draft, including the second round trade for QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel.

A

76 votes

B

348 votes

C

184 votes

D

40 votes

F

15 votes

663 votes | Poll has closed

The 2009 Draft Brings Us Eight New Chiefs

Chris Thorman — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:07:09 -0000

Pick	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt	College	Approval Rating
Round 1 Pick 3 (3)	Tyson Jackson	DE	6'4"	295	LSU	40%
Round 2 Pick 2 (34)	Traded to NE for Cassel/Vrabel
Round 3 Pick 3 (67)	Alex Magee	T	6'3"	298	Purdue	35%
Round 4 Pick 2 (102)	Donald Washington	CB	6'0"	197	Ohio State	23%
Round 5 Pick 3 (139)	Colin Brown	OL	6'7"	335	Missouri	44%
Round 6 Pick 2 (175)	Quinten Lawrence	WR/KR	6'0"	184	McNeese State	71%
Round 7 Pick 3 (212)	Javarris Williams	RB	5'10"	223	Tennessee State	62%
Round 7 Pick 28 (237)	Jake O'Connell	TE	6'4"	255	Miami (OHIO)	33%
Round 7 Pick 47 (256)	Ryan Succop	K	6'2"	218	South Carolina	50%

Well the approval ratings for each pick are still coming in so don't take those numbers too seriously.

We'll be covering the undrafted free agents and that big post-draft, well post, I was talking about earlier is slated to come out tomorrow morning. It will be our main summary of the draft.

Check back later for undrafted free agent signings. Let us know if you approve of how the Kansas City Chiefs draft went down in the poll below. We'll ask you to grade the draft tomorrow.

For now, sit back, relax and enjoy the temporary tranquility. This will be the final open thread of the 2009 NFL draft here at AP. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Poll

Do you approve of the way the Chiefs draft went?

Yes

504 votes

No

474 votes

Not sure yet

449 votes

1427 votes | Poll has closed

Scott Pioli Sums up the Chiefs' Day Two Draft Picks

Joel Thorman — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:26:50 -0000

Here is how the second day has unfolded for the Kansas City Chiefs so far.

Round 3, Pick 3 (67) - DT Alex Magee, Purdue
Round 4, Pick 2 (102) CB Donald Washington, Ohio St.
Round 5, Pick 3 (139) T Colin Brown, Missouri
Round 6, Pick 2 (175) WR Quinten Lawrence, McNeese St.
Round 7, Pick 3 (212) RB Javarris Williams, Tenn. St.
Round 7, Pick 28 (237*) TE Jake O'Connell, Miami (OH)
Round 7, Pick 47, (256) K Ryan Succop, South Carolina

*Trade with Dolphins. Chiefs gave up next year's 7th round pick.

For the entire draft, that's four on offense, three on defense.

Scott Pioli addressed the media and gave us some roles for the guys above. Read the transcript at the mothership.

On the rest of the draft:

We’ve still got the final pick in the draft and there is a chance we may be in this round [again]. We may try to get back in this round even before the compensatory picks.

On what's after the draft:

There are some people out there who are going to be free agents. It gets to about two weeks before the draft and some of the veteran free agents want to stop and settle down and see what teams are going to draft and see where they think their opportunities are the best.

On trade talks:

We talked about a lot of different trades with a lot of different people. We spent a lot of time on the phone. Again, different opportunities, but we didn’t feel good about them. At this point in wanting to trade we felt we would have to give up too much to get to certain spots.

He also gave us some roles for the new players the Chiefs have selected. We learned from Todd Haley earlier in the day that Alex Magee will probably line up as a defensive end in the Chiefs' 3-4 defense (along with Glenn Dorsey).

OT Colin Brown - Projected as a right tackle
WR Quinten Lawrence - Working as a kick returner and competing as a wide receiver
RB Javarris Williams - Likely as a special teamer to start

Pioli said that he had NO conversations with other teams regarding players currently on the Chiefs (knocks down the Dorsey rumors for now). He also referenced rookie free agency several times. That will start immediately following the draft.

Make sure you have the FanShot bookmark installed because that is how we track most of these UDFA signings.

We'll be coming back with Mr. Irrelevant shortly.