"Very quietly, the Kansas City Chiefs have done a lot of work on receivers, and I hear they love Michael Floyd. I don't see Floyd getting beyond the 11th or 12th spot in this draft."

2 of the 3 first round picks for Pioli as the GM for the Chiefs have been total shockers (Tyson Jackson and Jon Baldwin). Is Michael Floyd the next? Does Dwayne Bowe really have something to worry about?

11. Kansas City Chiefs - Alabama S, Mark Barron

Thoughts?

Mock Draft with Barron:

Round 1: S, Mark Barron
Round 2: DT, Alameda Ta’amu
Round 3: CB, Jayron Hosley

11. Kansas City: The Chiefs under Romeo Crennel are quietly building an excellent defense. Focus on linebacker: It’s a very good group that features Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on the outside, and Derrick Johnson inside. You add Luke Kuechly to the mix, and you may well have the best 3-4 linebacking unit in the NFL. I’m tired of hearing about Kuechly’s average athleticism. I watched game after game after game and he played fast with urgent reaction speed. He played with his eyes better than any linebacker I can remember evaluating. His so-called inability to play physically? Watch the NFL as extensively as I do, and you’ll know that very few linebackers take on blocks. That’s a time-worn cliché that really has little practical application.

My Take: School has taken over my life, so I've been absent most of the offseason. That being said, I have done my research on a few guys, and I've finally set my heart on Kuechly. KC needs. Guard, but I think that can be had in RD2. Kuechly is a much needed piece for a Defense that will face 3 pass heavy teams, twice a year. Adding one more speed playmaker would go a long way to getting the defense from top 15 to top 5.

59. Aubrayo Franklin, NT, San Francisco 49ers
"He’s one of those prototypical nose tackles that teams search for but never seem to find. If he hits the open market then he’s a guy who really should get a big deal as possibly the best zero technique in the league at the moment. Yeah I said it. Not just a guy who eats up blocks, Franklin showed a real ability to make plays on the ball carrier with 42 tackles.
Best Performance: Week 2 versus New Orleans (+5.4)
Key Stat: Had the fourth highest amount of tackles of all nose tackles / defensive tackles. The three above him played over three hundred more snaps to do so."

This is why Chiefs fans want this guy in red and gold for the next 4-5 years.

via Twitter: @gregcosell

"Baldwin my #3 WR. Most effective in run based offense that'll see 8 in box/single high S in normal down + distance. Similar to V. Jackson."

"Don't know anything re: Baldwin's character. Not with him every day. Film shows deceptively fast vertical WR w/ wide catching radius."

per Twitter: @jonbaldwin82 I'm number 88 by the way every1

Tony Gonzalez's number

"Kansas City nabbed Georgia DE Justin Houston only three picks later. Houston possesses a great first step, can threaten the corner, but is limited when asked to drop his pad level. He's more of a one-trick pony and needs to develop a counter if he hopes to mature into an upper echelon pass rusher in the NFL. Solid 3rd round value."

It isn't just that I'm lower on Baldwin that most. I certainly acknowledge his unique combination of size, speed, leaping ability and body control. He proved to be a big play threat while with the Panthers and is entering an ideal situation with the Chiefs due to the fact that they already have a legitimate No. 1 target in Dwayne Bowe to take the pressure off of the rookie.

However, despite the fact that the 6-4 (3/8), 228 pound Baldwin has the size to intimidate, he isn't a particularly physical receiver. In fact, when defenders pressed him at the line of scrimmage, he struggled.

Given the rarity that Scott Pioli invested a first round pick in a wide receiver previously and these questions about Baldwin's physicality and maturity, I was stunned by the selection -- especially considering the number of highly touted offensive and defensive linemen still available. These positions, of course, were thought to be Kansas City's focus heading up to the draft.

When asked if he'd be returning or going pro, Baldwin responded with "...Heck yeah, I'm leaving. It can only get worse. They had me running a lot of deep routes (this year) and yards were hard to come by. I barely ran intermediate routes; it felt like they were purposely trying to disrupt my draft stock."

Excellent video on Titus Young, his back ground, and his character.

Some harsh grading in this piece. Guess who got the highest grade though?

I've seen a couple people predict KC to take this guy, but check out the position Mayock mentions he'll play. Also, there are some off the hook picks in there. Mayock has balls!

Like in his rankings, Gosselin has made some "strange" picks.

Note: Mock Draft on page two.

"There's a team in the draft that has a deal on the table -- I'm guessing New England (surprise!) -- with a team trying to come back into the first round. The deal will net the team dealing the first-rounder the following: a second-round pick in 2011 and a first-round pick in 2012. The deal, I hear, is contingent on the player the trade-up team wants still being there. Could it be Tennessee trading into the bottom of the first round, at 28, to get Jake Locker or Andy Dalton? Stay tuned."

This better be the CHIEFS! Take this deal if it's presented to you! Getting a 2012 first would start the wheeling and dealing that we all desire as Chiefs fans.

This is the rankings that everyone anticipates. There are some interesting selections that may shock some.

"He probably does have some feet issues," Clinkscales said during the Jets' draft press conference today. "I get if you're talking about a guy that was once 380 pounds, 335 pound pounds now. He's a good player, strong, physical. He's been at Baylor a couple of years, after Penn State.

"He's a good football player. I don't think in the long term, if you're looking throughout a contract, the feet would be a big issue. But again, you're looking for a guy that can help you now. He and many others have a chance to do that."

Hmmm...another smoke screen perhaps?. Maybe the Jets are trying to get someone to bite on big Phil Taylor so another player drops to them. The Chiefs and Jets are in the market for the same positions -- OT, OLB, NT.

NFLMocks.com recently interviewed Ole Miss Defensive Tackle Jerrell Powe. During the interview he had this to say about his pre-draft visitations:

"Yeah I had a lot of visits with some teams. Kansas City, Miami, and I’ve definitely been talking on the phone with a lot of teams too. The Broncos have contacted me."

I'm not sure if this was public knowledge or not, but I thought I'd pass it along since I know many Chiefs fans have an interest in him.

National Football Post:

"Reed is regarded as a hot player in NFL scouting circles and has worked out for several position coaches and team executives, including the Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins. He had other undisclosed private workouts as well. "An AFC West scout said he significantly upgraded his grade on Reed after watching him play against Iowa in person."

Could the Chiefs be one of those "undisclosed" teams who had a private visit with Reed? Was the AFC Scout who watched Reed verse Iowa a member of the Chiefs?

Todd McShay released his Mock Draft 6.0 today, and guess who he mocked to the Chiefs...

-Arizona DE Brooks Reed - This might seem a bit high for Reed, but he makes sense as a pass-rusher to complement Tamba Hali, and with his motor, character and experience on both edges, Reed fits what GM Scott Pioli is looking for.