The Long, Slow, Arduous Bataan Death March To Drafting OL On May 8th
 

I keep looking at the talent right now, have been for about three months.

And I honestly think the talent is at its best at OL towards the end of the 1st round.

Andy Reid needs to replace Albert, and there's no guarantee he has faith in Fisher. And Asamoah has almost certainly left, so we'll be in the hunt for a guard as well.

This is a team looking to get away from Pioli's smaller, nimble OL, and towards Reid's larger, more powerful OL.

Maybe we bring back Schwartz at guard. Maybe not.

God. This franchise has conditioned me to prepare for the worst.

***UPDATE***

OL the Chiefs could potentially, inevitably draft at 23, depending on where things are in 5 months:

OT Greg Robinson, Auburn
OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan
OT Cameron Erving, Florida State
OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee
OT/G La'el Collins, LSU [not coming out this year]
OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame
OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OG David Yankey, Stanford
OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA

I will run mini-scouting reports on these guys over the next five months in this sad, miserable thread, plus any guys who also drift onto the radar.

If there are any others you'd add, feel free to.

The Chiefs are looking at replacing a DE, G, and OT.

Given Reids history, I'm fully prepared for the Chiefs to yet again select a 1st round lineman. That's too many line positions for Reid not to follow in the footsteps of his past.

The icing on the cake would be if some WR or TE dropped in our laps and we still picked a lineman. It's the Chiefs way.

We all know what is coming. They are going to be drafting too late to get the QB they coveted, but the guard was the safe pick.

Since I am resigned to the fact they won't be picking a QB, I would love to see them pick up some safety help. Maybe Dorsey could get some advice from Herm?

Unfortunately, the draft was moved to May this year.

Tack on another month to that, fellas.

You are probably correct since we are letting Jackson, Asamoah and Albert go.

But I'd like to see us get a OG in the 3rd. Fisher and Stephenson are good at OT for another year imo.

Use the 1st on BPA at either wr, te or de.

Pickup Byrd in FA and the team is better off

I think they should pick a QB. I've heard that there are six first round talents at the position.

That way, we don't have to extend Smith, could drop Daniel and get the talent we need at the position to take us deep into the playoffs.

With Bortles declaring, that might just drop Derek Carr into our laps at the 24 spot.

Then we could possibly look at A.J. McCarron with our third rounder.

That way, we could have our first round QB (FINALLY) and have two solid young QB's in Bray and McCarron duke it out behind Carr.

It's a win/win.

I'm thinking we could start Kush and move Hudson back to guard. Schwartz could play tackle in a pinch. Kush was fantastic in that Chargers game. He's come a long way. He just mauled people and was nasty. I loved it. I'm thinking we don't go o-line in the first. Unless someone Dorsey really likes is there. Stephenson and Fisher are good enough for our offense and they will both only get better.

Really, that's what you took away from the season and that game yesterday? Draft a qb who may or may not work out and let a guy who just put up 44 walk? Totally brilliant, good luck with that. Now on to the rational thinking.

This team is set a qb and whatever you may think, its obvious that Andy wants Alex.

This team is close right now but could use a few pieces: FS, DE, WR and TE. We will be letting quite a few FA's go so will have the money to get a couple of the above and the draft will fill out the rest.

And the DC needs to learn about a little thing called a blitz.

Lol. You done been trolled. Saccopoo just went full reerun to prove how stupid it was for someone to cry about a qb right now.

How many ties do you guys have to be told Dorsey will draft BPA regardless of position.

Holly mother of god. Now that sac is dead and someone posting in his place can I have his rep n post count

I'll say this: I see McCarron as more than a game-manager. But I liked Geno Smith, so wtf do I know, right?

I liked Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez.

I am basically Rex Ryan.

No worries, most Chiefs fans were desperate and for good reason. The QB situation worked out for the best.

After that egg he laid against Oklahoma, I could see him being available in the 5th.

I liked Smith, Sanchez and Clausen. I'm not talking about QBs ever again.

OL the Chiefs could potentially, inevitably draft at 23, depending on where things are in 5 months:

OT Greg Robinson, Auburn
OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan
OT Cameron Erving, Florida State
OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee
OT/G La'el Collins, LSU
OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame
OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor
OT David Yankey, Stanford
OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M
OG Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA

I will run mini-scouting reports on these guys over the next five months in this sad, miserable thread, plus any guys who also drift onto the radar.

If there are any others you'd add, feel free to.

I'll give you a scouting report...

Gabe Jackson. Destroyer of Worlds. Three time SEC lineman of the week in 2013. He was ****ing dudes up all season long. The guy is as nasty and powerful as you'll see in an offensive guard.

I watched Yankey several times and he's nowhere close to Jackson. I don't think Baylor's Richardson is either.

Travis Swanson, C, Arkansas would be worth adding. He's a mauler at 6'5" and 315 lbs. He is Andy Reid's kind of center and if Dorsey stays true to BPA he could be the guy.

Say it with me...GABE JACKSON!

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos...s-Gabe-Jackson

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OT Greg Robinson, Auburn

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I really don't want the Chiefs to draft OL in the first round, but I sure do love Greg Robinson.

Greg Robinson, on paper, is a Brandon Albert clone. He's 6'4", 320 lbs. Strong as a goddamn bull. Physically perfect for Reid's preference of bigger, more powerful OL.

He's said to be incredibly athletic, but I watch him on tape and I see "great athleticism" for a RT, maybe. Don't get me wrong, he can get downfield and move if he has to, but he's not the perfectly fluid athlete that Eric Fisher is. He's about on par with Donald Stephenson there.

What sets him apart, and will probably attract the attention of Dorsey, is his fantastic run blocking. He is a pure road grader, and looks like an All Pro RT in the above game against Missouri (Auburn rushed for ~450 yards on Mizzou). He has an unreal first punch that knocks defenders off their feet, and he can get push against defensive tackles like they're nothing. Due to this fact alone, he has better versatility to play guard than either Fisher and Stephenson.

What's really going to determine if he slides down towards the bottom of the 1st or if he goes in the Top 10 is going to be his passblocking. To me, he looks like he'll become above average at passblocking in the NFL. The skillset is there: he can mirror decently, drive a passrusher way outside of the QB, but he does look like that will be a work in progress in order to get him there, much like Albert.

Projection for Robinson: I think Robinson will go Top 15. Teams in the Top 10 need QBs more than they need LTs, but by the time the teams in 11-20 roll around, the need for LTs skyrockets. You're basically drafting Brandon Albert.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Through the roof. This is the physical beast that Andy Reid wants to beat up DLs with. He'd be a high trade-up suspect in my eyes for the Chiefs, if it weren't for the Chiefs simply not having much ammunition to do so, and drafting a tackle last year #1 overall. But if he fell to 23, he's a Chief. No doubt in my mind. And while that would depress the hell out of me, it'd be intriguing to see how Robinson fares against Stephenson and Fisher to compete for a starting spot in 2014.

OT Taylor Lewan, Michigan

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Taylor Lewan has a ton of potential. To drop in the Draft, that is.

I just never got the hype with this guy. This is somebody everybody had flagged a potential Top 10 guy, but all I see is a dirty, unathletic, and sure-to-be physically overmatched tackle in the NFL. He isn't even a technician. What do people see in the guy?

Well, he's 6'8", but he lumbers like a brontosaurus. He's not going to be the guy you send to the next level to take out Vontaze Burfict or Derrick Johnson. He's just the guy you can sort of trust at right tackle with minimal double team help.

He's also a three-year starter at LT in the Big 10, and that is legitimately saying something. I'd probably take him in the 2nd round if I was hurting for tackle help, maybe. He did turn in nice performances against the Irish and Gamecocks, this year, going up against some of the most lethal passrushers college football has to offer. But the Irish royally kicked his ass last year, and Lewan didn't seem to have a prayer when Clowney kicked it into gear for the passrush.

He's just one of those guys with good size, but unless he's just super athletic in shorts at the Combine, he's going to drop as more athletic guys attract more attention. He's also a bit dirty, which I don't mind too much in my OL; I like a nasty attitude. But with all these knocks on him, he's still going to require work on his technique, even after three years at LT.

Projection for Lewan: I go against the popular opinion here, because I just can't get excited about Lewan. I think he's put up really good "sacks allowed" stats because he's gone up largely against soft competition. I think he's a prime candidate to fall to the 2nd round.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Pretty close to zero, even if they do likely disagree with me and think of Lewan as prime NFL talent. Dorsey's lone draft in KC has shown an affinity primarily for pure athletic ability that can be coached up, and Lewan hasn't shown, to me, a ton of either. And I think the Chiefs are preferring bigger OL, but even at 6'8", Lewan just doesn't look the part to me.

I was impressed with Lewan against Ohio State. He really seems to have a knack for getting out in front of the running back on running plays. He reminded me of when Albert played guard at Virginia. He definitely gets way down field and bulldozes people but I really haven't seen a lot of him. I like the nasty attitude for sure.

Robinson looks like a monster on the field.

I turned off the LSU vid halfway through.




That's fantasy. No way Gabe Jackson, the year after 2 guards were selected in the top 10 falls to KC.

I really like Gabe Jackson but most have him projected as a 2-3 rounder right now. The Senior Bowl will be very telling for him.

OT Cameron Erving, Florida State

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I think Cameron Erving has all the potential in the world, and if you've got absolute faith in your coaching staff, you take a shot on this guy.

He's just a really special awesome athlete for a guy his size (6'6", 310). He doesn't quite have Eric Fisher's fluid movement but I'd put him on par with Brandon Albert. It really wouldn't surprise me if Erving blew up into a Top 10 pick after the Combine. He looks like a perfect zone-blocking tackle.

That's his greatest strength and perhaps his greatest weakness? I don't know, he doesn't seem to explode in the blocking game like some of the other dudes do on this list. He blocks effectively against inferior competition, but it'll be interesting to see how he handles the bigger, stronger DL in the NFL, primarily when he's playing 3-4 defenses.

He's fast enough to handle the edge, but he'll give it up from time to time for a pretty simple reason: his kickslide. I think Erving has a pathetic kickslide, but I can't imagine that could be that hard to coach up, is it? His kickslide looks like he has two thick rubber bands holding his feet together, and it's a really odd contrast to compare that to how well he moves all over the field.

It's reported that Erving has great strength, but I don't see it anything above average there. He can hang with smaller defenders, and block them effectively, but he doesn't get a lot of push in the run game like you'd expect from somebody with his skillset...

My primary fear would be that Erving is a finesse player, and not a grind-it-out player. Which is great in some schemes that require more athleticism than Reid's, but as I've said (and will say) ad nauseum, Reid's scheme prefers bigger and badder. But then again, he's got all the tools. The question is: how much do you trust your coaches. My guess is somebody in the Top 20 picks will trust them enough.

Projection for Erving: As for all of these players, it's too early to project much seeing how the draft is almost half a year away, but whatever. Erving has Top 10 potential if he tests well, and 1st round potential even if he doesn't. He's just too good of an athlete, and too many teams prefer great athletes who need work on technique over technicians who aren't great athletes.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Decently high. Dorsey has shown an affinity for drafting great athletic projects and trusts the Chiefs' coaches, as most teams do. He drafted Fisher, Kelce, Davis, and Commings in the earlier rounds, all players who need significant work from coaches. The problem, however, is that the Chiefs just drafted a super athletic finesse tackle in Fisher, and it's doubtful they want to go that exact route again -- no doubt they'd love a tougher, more powerful guy. But it's possible that with good coaching, Erving could be that guy.

OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee

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Antonio Richardson is nicknamed "tiny" sarcastically for his mammoth size (6'6", 330 lbs), though I'd compare his game to a slightly more refined version of the even-larger tackle Phil Loadholt.

I'd say his game is comparable, his technique is superior, and his athleticism is about the same. Richardson is a massive load with a surprisingly good kick step and when he locks on, your player is usually out on his passrush. Try bullrushing this dude -- ****ing try it.

Not to argue that Richardson is nimble in any way, however. Noooo, no no no. Not at all. Matter of fact, he makes Taylor Lewan look like Usain Bolt. I have no idea what Richardson's 40 time will be but if it's under 5.5, I will be dead shocked. Richardson lumbers around and is mostly unreliable for any screens or blocking downfield, which the Chiefs obviously run.

Loadholt was, coming out of OU, a superior run blocker than Richardson is right now. Richardson can negate his guy, but he doesn't blow him off the blocks like you'd expect a guy his size to. Considering the only offense that Richardson could really fit into is a bruising, downhill rushing offense, that is something he is going to have to work on.

His technique in pass protection is pretty good. He's faced a very, very tough slate of passrushers and handled all of them very well. I think, in the right offense, with the right coaching, he's a potential 10-year guy at RT.

The hole in Richardson's game is his less-than-awesome athleticism. Watching him run is almost painful, compared to somebody as effortless in his motions as Eric Fisher, who, admittedly, is about as athletic a tackle as you're going to see in the NFL. As a result, that means Richardson's recovery speed is butt-****ing terrible. If he doesn't get out of his stance fast enough, you can say goodbye to protecting the edge on that snap. I only saw one passrusher go really low on Richardson, like Dwight Freeney, and he blew right by him. Richardson will struggle against athletic 3-4 OLBs, but most tackles his size do.

However, there is no disputing a successful track record of mostly perfect pocket protection for a whole season against a slate of SEC passrushers. For that, he definitely deserves a look as soon as the 2nd round from some offense that fits his style. Since he is not a very versatile guy, and he's probably only a RT at the next level, he may fall a round or two farther.

Projection for Richardson: I'd grade his talent out at about a 2nd rounder, but his lack of versatility means you can probably get him in the 3rd. Apparently he's projected in some scouting circles as going in the 1st, but I have no idea how a GM could justify drafting somebody with the minimal athleticism of an Ent that soon in the draft.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Zip. I wouldn't think the Chiefs have any interest in this guy, period, especially in the 1st. Again, Dorsey really likes athletes. And while Richardson is a lot of things, he's nobody's idea of an athlete. Although, I suppose some Draft season slimming-down could change people's minds. The Chiefs very well may want a battle-tested tackle like Richardson as a swing tackle if they think they can get his run game on track, but it absolutely will not be in the 1st.

OT/G La'el Collins, LSU

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Now we've got a player, folks. When Collins is on, he is an outstanding lineman in size, athleticism, toughness, technique, and versatility. When he's off, which does happen, he can lapse and give up some plays. With solid coaching, however, you can probably eliminate his negative tendencies and end up with a Pro Bowl caliber talent a few years down the road at either guard or right tackle. Right now, teams are potentially scouting him for left tackle, considering that was his position at LSU, and I have a really hard time believing he wouldn't be really good there, either.

His athleticism doesn't jump out at you, but he can get where he needs to get, and does plenty fine at the second level. He's somebody you can send out on screens without having much issue at all. Moreover, if Collins performs well at the Combine, these fears will be allayed almost entirely.

What really jumps out at you is Collins' runblocking. He's an extremely powerful runblocker who gets low and bulldozes through lineman of all shapes and sizes. Collins has the potential to play guard for 10 years at a very high level given his size (6'5", 321), his quickness off the ball, his technique in getting leverage, and his seemingly impressive strength.

But he's quick enough to handle the edge, as well. His kickslide is pretty decent, and he's very much one of those guys that finishes you when he gets his hands on you. He's just so strong, and does a great job of keeping his butt low to retain position.

If I was desperately hurting for a guard or a right tackle at #23, and had future aspirations to improve my LT position, Collins would be an outstanding candidate to move there. Strong, heady, pretty athletic, and just a great combination of technique in the passing game and brute strength in the run game.

From his time on LSU, you can pretty much plug him in right away and play. Collins has a really high floor -- but he's already pretty much where his ceiling is going to be. He's never going to become much better than he is now, and teams love upside prospects in the 1st round.

Projection for Collins: I'm higher on Collins than most, and I'd say he's definitely first round talent. He's everything NFL teams love in first-round tackles: he's really good in pass defense, has good technique, terrific push in the run game, can play multiple positions. The thing he's lacking is upside. There's some technique you could do with Collins, but the guy you get on Day One is the guy you got.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Moderate. I honestly think Dorsey would bring in another OL in the first round if the player warranted it, but I think he wants a guy with way more upside than Collins. Collins, again, is a really good player and will be one of the best OL in his draft class, but he's probably not going to give you that game-changing All Pro talent that you're probably hoping for when you draft an OL like this in the 1st.

This^

Would like to see your links to Jackson being a projected that far down.

Pretty impressive what he does to the defensive lines of both Alabama and LSU, isn't it?

He was my fav this year, so I made it a point to watch him a lot and I can't remember a recent college lineman that was so dominating in terms of his power and ability to just stonewall dudes.

Reid loves him some power guys and the Chiefs have struggled in terms of Red Zone run blocking (though Schwartz helped when he was inserted into the lineup).

There isn't a better lineman in the draft that's better for a power scheme than Gabe Jackson. His main criticism by the draftniks is that he hasn't shown the high level athleticism, but if you watch him, he gets to the second level just fine. It's really that he's just so ****ing huge and strong and can simply destroy one or more guys right at the point of attack that he doesn't need to get out and pull/stunt all the time. He's not fat at all, and has a huge, huge base.

He's a big, big man.

OT/G Zack Martin, Notre Dame

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Martin is why you have a draft season in the first place. The Combine, the Senior Bowl, East-West and all that exists for (a.) small school players to get more shoulder-to-shoulder comparisons against bigger school guys, and (b.) the Zack Martins of the world: players with plenty of potential but still face lingering questions about their skillset because of the system they play in.

What you see when you watch Martin play, is a lighter tackle (6'4", 304 lbs) who is a fantastic technician in pass protection and gets really good push in the run game.

His kickslide is fantastic, and he's downright boring to watch in pass protection, as he has his guy pretty much negated 95% of the time, and the remaining 5% of time, he has great recovery time to mitigate whatever pressure he's surrendering. His technique is really, really polished; I've already said that, but it bears repeating. It's almost Joeckel-esque, how polished he is, though he didn't face the slate of passrushers that the SEC tackles have.

His run game is really solid -- he can seal the edge, or plow through a defensive tackle for push. Notre Dame had lots of success running behind him.

Here's why draft season will be very important for him, however. Of the Notre Dame games I watched this year, they don't ask for their linemen to pull or hit the second level very often (almost never, actually), so Martin's athleticism is rarely on display. It seems like Martin is a really good athlete, but it's really hard to say definitively. Also, one of the reasons Martin consistently plowed defensive tackles was because he was almost always double-teaming them with a guard.

You're not going to draft a tackle in the first, or hopefully in the second, unless you fully expect to give them as little help as possible.

So the question then becomes: is it the chicken, or the egg? Does Notre Dame refrain from pulling its tackles because Martin isn't up to it? Or is it a scheme thing? Does Notre Dame demand its tackles double-team with guards when it blocks downhill, or is it a scheme thing?

I'm willing to give Martin the benefit of the doubt right now, because his tape is so outstanding, but the next five months will be a big, big deal for him.

Projection for Martin: My best guess is that Martin is not an exceptional athlete, but is still a very good one for the tackle position. No clue on the run blocking, but he's such a technician that he's got to be fine in that department. Martin does come with some versatility, as he can play guard as well. To me, he looks like an outstanding candidate for a zone-blocking offense. Maybe first round quality, but most likely second round quality. As for power schemes like Reid's that utilize pulls and screens, well... I simply don't know how good of a candidate he'd be for the job.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Marginal at best. Martin has two strikes against him in this regard: he's not quite the body type the Chiefs prefer in their lineman under Reid, and he hasn't really displayed himself as being a second-level blocker due to the team he plays on. As draft season goes on, and Martin proves himself, that could very well change.

Unfortunately, I agree. Due to the rookie cap, teams really do go with BPA now regardless of position (outside of K and P that is).

Ok, where is the "not sure if serious" picture when I need it?


I think he might be trolling me, but not sure.

Same here, I even liked Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen, but what do I know about QBs? I am a Chiefs fan. :D

OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama

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In 2013, the Chiefs spent the first overall pick on an unbelievably athletic left tackle prospect that would need to be groomed for a year or two in order to reach his ridiculous upside. Eric Fisher of Central Michigan was the perfect example of a boom-or-bust prospect at the tackle position, and so far it's been a bust.

This year, the first round of the NFL Draft does feature a tackle who brings with him a similar boom-or-bustability. Alabama LT Cyrus Kouandjio (pronounced "kwan-joe") looks like a more athletic Jared Gaither. He is massive (6'6", 310 lbs) tackle with great athleticism, and very long, powerful arms that are capable of stoning any passrusher he can get his hands on.

The problem, however, is that his play for the Tide has been inconsistent. He struggled mightily in the bowl game against OU, and he dominated like a Top 5 pick against LSU. Perhaps no game better underscores the "sometimes dominant, sometimes dormant" talent of Kouandjio than the above game against Ole Miss. There are plays that make your eyes bug out, and there are plays where he literally just falls over.

Kouandjio has all the tools; Saban's staff isn't exactly known for developing its talent up to its potential. It may just take reliable coaching and technique work for him to retain some consistency. If he does, he's got everything you need to be a Pro Bowl tackle. Like Gaither before him, he's got a clean kickslide, he recovers well, he can protect the edge and he decimates the bullrush. He can get downfield and block, he can plow through tackles and wall off ends from run plays. He's got a great punch, and plays with a mean streak. When he's on, there's maybe no tackle in this draft that's better.

He handles his assignments very well, and is almost never fooled. The one thing he struggles with, other than just general consistency, is his footwork, and that will take time. Speed rushers have given him fits but, again, there's nothing in his skillset that says he can't be coached up to shut that down.

Projection for Kouandjio: It all comes down to how much you want to invest in coaching up a tackle. If Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson going #1 and #4 overall last year wasn't indication enough that teams will take that investment, than it's pretty clear to me that Kouandjio is a first round pick -- probably a Top 15 pick if he shows well at the Combine.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Dial it up to 11, and rip off the knob. The Chiefs love huge OL, and they love to draft and coach up athletic projects -- at least that's been Dorsey's track record so far. Assuming both he and Fisher would pan out, Kouandjio couldn't make a more perfect compliment: his aggressive road-grader style to Fisher's finesse athleticism. Plus, he'd more than likely have a year to learn the ropes while Stephenson and Fisher take snaps at tackle. The Chiefs would love to get their hands on this guy.

No need for a new thread, but this fits here nicely.

Just read Mel Kiper's 2008 redraft. Take a wild guess who he has us taking?

Jake Long.

LMAO

Did we pass on Matt Ryan or did he go to the Dolphins?

Ryan and Flacco went 1-2. Clady and Rice went 3-4.

We passed on Mayo, CJ2k, DeSean Jackson, Chris Long, Matt Forte, Charles, Jordy Nelson.

According to Kiper, KC picked four first rounders in that draft:

Charles, Flowers, Albert and Carr.

Sadly, 5 years later - the guy we actually took plus probably two more off the above list will be gone.

OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State

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Gabe Jackson plays like a man, but suffers from the same scheme limitations at the hands of Mississippi State's offense as Martin does from Notre Dame. He is a really impressive player, but there's still a lot we need to know before we understand how well he'd click into any particular NFL offense.

Here's what's indisputable: Jackson is, uh, kinda big (6'3", 340) and carries is phenomenally well. It's almost certain that an NFL team's going to ask him to lose 15-20 of it anyway, but that should only help his already-pretty impressive athleticism for a player that projects to be a power guard in the NFL.

His pass protection, so long as he locks in on his assignment, is extremely strong. He's a master at sinking his hips and swallowing bullrushes, or shoving a defender who's slamming the gaps wide of his mark. What he's not great at is communication with his fellow lineman -- stunts regularly throw him and his fellow lineman off, and there's far too many blitzes where Jackson ends up a bit confused and blocks nobody.

Jackson gets really good push in the run game, but it's hard to tell how great he'd be in space, since Mississippi State virtually never put him in space. The scheme is very direct and downhill, but on the odd occasion where Jackson was asked to pull, he was effective.

Gabe Jackson has a very high ceiling if he responds to coaching. I don't think zone blocking offenses will have a ton of interest in him, and offenses that like to run a bunch of screens or put their OL in space... There's still a lot to learn about him, even as he's a senior.

Probably the best thing about Jackson is that you don't have to give him help. He can handle defensive tackles extremely well one-on-one, and will pancake them in the run game from time to time. If we find out he can play well at the second level, can get out in front and block on a screen, or can even play a little tackle if an emergency calls for it, then he's going to get a shit ton of interest as a potential All Pro talent.

Projection for Jackson: I'd really like to see him at the Combine and see how athletic he is. A non-athletic Jackson could be an extremely good value pick in the 2nd round. But if he's a surprising athletic wonder, at 340 pounds, he won't last past the "teens" in the first round.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Moderate. At 23, he'd be a decent value pick, other than the fact that you're selecting a guard in the first round -- which Dorsey is more than capable of, for all we know. Gabe doesn't quite have the versatility of any of the other tackles the Chiefs could entertain here, but the Chiefs are really hurting for a reliable push down the middle of the DL.

OG Cyril Richardson, Baylor

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Be wary with offensive lineman out of Baylor -- they have the same hit rate as defensive backs out of Alabama. That's for similar reasons, as well -- Alabama defensive backs have much of their food chewed for them, as the Alabama front seven puts tremendous pressure on teams and cramps their passing games typically before the ball ever reaches downfield.

And so it goes with Baylor, a team that plays a thrilling-to-watch, quick-strike, wide-open offense that spreads out defenses and keeps them honest more often than not. As such, the job of an offensive lineman at Baylor is far easier than it is at other schools, and you keep seeing these under-talented guys go in the first round (tackle Jason Smith, guard Danny Watkins) far before they should be.

And so it goes with big Bear Cyril Richardson. Richardson is massive, even without his hideous dreds (6'5", 335 lbs). He looks like a pretty decent athlete, and the Bears asked him to pull and get to the second level very frequently, which he usually did with aplomb.

Without a doubt, what Richardson can hang his hat on is his runblocking. He gets fantastic push in the run game, and can blow open holes and sustain his block. He's fantastic when he pulls, and looks really good at the second level. I love how quick he is off the snap. I don't see much of a dirty side but I do see a dogged determination to finish his blocks when he engages.

His ability in pass protection is what I question. He seems to be pretty capable, and I find it promising that he's able to handle stunts and read blitzes from his stance pretty effectively. But again, in Baylor's offense, I don't think he's facing as much heat as, say, Gabe Jackson or Xavier Su'a-Filo.

Projection for Richardson: He's a really, really good run blocker with some questions about his pass protection. Like Smith and Watkins before him, he has the look of a first-round pick on the field, and perhaps even the best guard this draft has to offer. The question then becomes: how much do you ignore Baylor's track record in recent years. Given that teams are still selecting Alabama cornerbacks in the first round, I bet somebody takes him late.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Moderately high. Richardson is a pretty good athlete who could stand to actually lose about 10 pounds, and blasts holes in the run game. There's no guarantee he'll make your pass blocking any better than it was with Schwartz, but he has lots of tape of him pulling and getting out in space very well, which the Chiefs love to do more than anything. I would just advise laying off Baylor offensive lineman in the first round, but keep in mind the last one was drafted by Andy Reid... so, yeah.

OG David Yankey, Stanford

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Ladies and gentlemen, the best guard of this draft class. Absolutely no doubt in my mind.

There's a reason OL from Stanford are highly sought out. They are expertly coached, and come into the NFL readymade to be plugged into a lineup and play. The program has made miracle talent out of people like Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro in recent years, and David Yankey is better than both of them.

He does play, however, a devalued position at guard. But positional value aside, Yankey is entering Draft season as a Top 5 player in sheer talent. That'll probably change as the ebbs and flows of the year progress, but for now, there's Clowney, then there's Yankey and three or four other guys, and then there's everybody else.

There are absolutely zero holes in his game. His pass protection along the interior is smooth and efficient. His run game blasts holes open. His technique, great. His athleticism, nearly Fisher-esque -- at the guard position.

It's hard to even tell what offensive gameplan Yankey couldn't effortlessly execute. I'm tempted to say he's more of a zone-blocker than he is a power-blocker, but who the hell drafts a guy like Yankey just to waste his talents forcing him to block downhill? Yankey's true talent is his Swiss army knife utility: you can pull him, you can throw him out on screens, you can send him to the second level, you can him sprinting out to the edge on bubble screens!

If there is a single hole in Yankey's game, and I do mean a single hole, it's that he is developed to capacity. He's already at his ceiling. But that ceiling is already Pro Bowl material for ages. He is one of the players I am most excited to see in the NFL.

Projection for Yankey: I think Yankey is Top 15 material unless he tanks at the Combine. There is no offensive system he cannot fit into. There is seemingly no pass protection responsibility he cannot handle. I think Yankey is going to blow up at the Combine, however, and he's a prime candidate to go in the Top 10 if there's a team stupid enough to draft a guard that early.

Projected Chiefs interest @ 23: Maximum. The Chiefs would adore a talent like Yankey's to supplant the struggling Jeff Allen at LG, Yankey's position at Stanford. If Yankey somehow lasts to the 23rd pick, he's absolutely gotta be on KC's shortlist, and I'd argue he'd be the heavy favorite to end up a Chief.

I thought Yankey looked overmatched against Michigan State in the Rose Bowl.:shrug:

So you have a foot fetish?

Another reason why I think we're looking at an OL early, and I still believe that OL is going to be the first pick: the draft is not terribly deep at OL.

By the time you get to the 4th or 5th round, the OL talent pool has almost entirely dried up.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=281764

Oy.

Zach Martin may be there for us at 23. If we can't trade back, I'm betting that Dorsey will take him with the question marks on our OL. However, there's a long time between now and the draft. Things will change once FA rolls around, then we'll hopefully have a better idea of where we stand.

Zack Martin will very likely be there for us. As will Su'a-Filo.

But Dorsey likes versatility. I've no doubt that Zack Martin is on our radar.

Yup, potential solid starting OT and Pro-Bowl level OG. Reid must be salivating at the thought of getting himself an Evan Mathis clone.

I will smack you with my penis if you suggest such a thing again.

THE CHIEFS ARE GOING TO DRAFT A SKILL POSITION PLAYER.

Yeah, but if we can improve pass protection even by an average of .5-1 second longer, how much would you bet that Alex Smith will play more consistently at a high level for us? He put up 44 points with the weapons that we already have (excluding Charles). Give him a bit more time in the pocket and we might be seeing those playoff level performances of him on a more consistent basis regardless of who we have outside. We can realistically wait until the 3rd-4th round and take a dependable slot WR (or just sign a solid FA WR) and our offensive production will likely improve by a significant margin.

Dorsey and Reid both believe that everything starts in the trenches. We are potentially going to lose 3 starting OL men to FA, will only be able to re-sign 1 of them. We have very little insurance behind that even though our current backups flashed in the Chargers game (but the Chargers are hardly known for having a stellar pass rush).

Let's just say I would not be surprised in the least if we're sitting at 23 and no one calls but Zach Martin is still there. Welcome Zach Martin, better have been worth it.

I can't take it... I literally won't be able to take it...

IT WILL BREAK ME.

as do I, but really conflicted on this...a team on the cusp of a breakthrough, or still in rebuilding mode? it will be a lineman in the first...:ZZZ:

Well, what would help us more?

Increase of time in the pocket by and average of .5-1 more second?

Or another WR target who might add 200-500 more yards over last year and 4-5 more passing TDs as an individual? (taking McCluster's contributions into consideration).

Worst things can happen than taking Martin @ 23. The WR depth is crazy deep and they can find a player or two later. If Albert and Schwartz both walk Martin becomes almost a no-brainer. After the 2014 season isn't Hudson a FA and then Allen and Stephenson the following year?

Yup. No one wants to admit it because we took Fisher 1st overall last year, but we actually do need OL players. Looking at only Kush and Fisher signed for 2016 right? Well, also have to consider the fact that we will have more room for free agents by then. But you want consistency in your OL, not an ever cycling group that never gets a chance to really gel. It's pretty much imperative that we keep at least 4 of our 5 current starters together if we ever want a dominant OL which would lead to a dominant offense.

RT: Stephenson
RG: Schwartz
C: Kush
LG: Hudson
LT: Fisher

You don't draft a guy in the first round, at the offensive line position, who is going to be a backup.

They will be drafting a skill position guy.

If Odell Beckham is there, he'll be a lock for the pick.

I wouldn't do it, not in this draft, but Reid and Dorsey might be too tempted to resist the draw of taking potential pro-bowl caliber player along the OL when we currently have 3 FAs who were starters at one point or another. Still a long time until the draft.

I'll take the wr. Alex is pretty mobile so I trust him behind an average line.
A wr who can get separation may negate the need for more time in the pocket waiting for someone to get open.

Well, the thing is that, even if Alex Smith is mobile and can make plays with his legs, there is no denying the fact that his play and the increase of our offensive production coincided with the improvement in OL play. When he was actually getting time in the pocket, Smith was more willing to take shots on deep passes and Reid was more willing to call those longer plays because there was more trust in the OL's ability to hold up for over 2.5 seconds.

We need to to find a way to keep Albert. And then trade down in the first to pick up a 2nd.

Sure.

They could pass on the selection altogether. That's worse.

The best thing about them potentially drafting ANOTHER offensive lineman?

It will push me back into the "don't care" mode for another season. It was nice having Sundays free.

Your entire interest in the team is based on one draft pick? WTF?

You sure do post a lot for having "borderline interest".

Sounds like it's time to change the tampon.LMAO

ROFL

As if that's the only thing they've ****ed up in the 30+ years I've been a fan.

You don't understand the concept of "compounding"?

My interest in the team, right now, is based almost entirely on the network of "buddies" I've built up here.

No Chiefsplanet and I wouldn't be interested in the Chiefs at all.

See my previous post. I like Chiefsplanet.

Yeah, because NOT CARING somehow equates to menstrual hysterics.

Comprehension fail.

It's the act of letting players go to draft their replacement year after year instead of just signing the ****ing talent that you have.

It's also the utter boredom of drafting fatties every year instead of drafting skill players...

I understand that, and can relate somewhat, but I also believe that you start from the inside out to build a team, and that has never been more reinforced than by this year's SB winner. Also worth noting that that was the formula for the Chiefs most successful two era's in franchise history.

The Chiefs have been building from the inside out for 4 decades.

We won what in those two successful eras?

well one Super Bowl for starters...and several division titles.

I've read rumors elsewhere that the Chiefs may target Pryor at #23 and then try to trade Berry for a 2nd round pick because they don't feel like Berry fits the defense and his contract is too high. I would hate that.

That's a fascinating rumor. Hmm.

Where'd you see it?

I actually don't remember right now. Hopefully it was some BS rumor someone made up. I hate using 1st round moves to make lateral moves.

I dont think that was a real rumour.

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/02/26...the-stars.html

Still a pretty interesting idea.

Good, it was just speculation from Paylor.