My official endorsement for the Chiefs 1st rounder in 2017.
 

I've been doing this as a dumb little exercise to pacify my gigantic ego for several years now.

I didn't get a chance to do it in 2016, however.
2015: C Cam Erving, Florida State
2014: WR Brandin Cooks, Oregon State
2013: QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
2012: OLB Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
2011: OLB Justin Houston, Georgia
2010: QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame

I'm issuing two this year -- one for the Chiefs to trade up and go get this guy. He will be my primary selection, and the one I will bring back in subsequent years in future "official endorsements."

The other one I'll do if the Chiefs stay put at #27.

As always, this is not a prediction, this is a statement of personal preference.

Should the Chiefs be willing to trade up: they need to go get QB Deshaun Watson out of Clemson if he falls out of the Top 10.

That means trading up to get ahead of the Cardinals at 12, if necessary. I would be willing to part ways with a future 1st if it lands us the QB we want.

Watson is player with plenty of flaws, but he is the closest thing to Russell Wilson we've seen. He is a physically gifted athlete who would excel in Andy Reid's system, and while he doesn't have a gifted arm, he displays excellent vision and outstanding leadership abilities.

The best thing about him is the thing we all know: you have to look very, very hard for a premier QB that has racked up more impressive wins that Watson has.

It's time for the Chiefs to make major investments to move on from Alex Smith in the very near future. Watson would require less developmental time than either Mahomes, Kizer, or Webb, and he is clearly not a guy who is going to get jittery at the thoughts of performing on this stage. Watson would also bring an "it" factor to this offense, and allow it to better utilize the cadre of weapons that Dorsey has slowly been assembling.

Should the Chiefs stay put at 27:

If that's the case, I assume these players are off the board.

QB Mitch Tribusky, North Carolina
QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson
RB Leonard Fournette, LSU
RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan
WR John Ross, Washington
TE O.J. Howard, Alabama
DE/DT Jonathan Allen, Alabama
DE/OLB Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
DE/OLB Solomon Thomas, Stanford
DE/OLB Derek Barnett, Tennessee
ILB Reuben Foster, Alabama
CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State
CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama
S Jamal Adams, LSU
S Malik Hooker, Ohio State
S Jabrill Peppers, Michigan

There are some outstanding candidates left, and they obviously won't all be on the board. Takkarist McKinley is a favorite of mine, a very talented edge rusher who could solidify our passrushing depth once and for all. Haason Reddick would also be a great linebacker to add who can also get after the QB. My primary non-QB choice would likely be Haason. There's also an outstanding guard on the board here in Forrest Lamp, who could be an All Pro for a decade, as well as some very talented RBs. I don't like Gareon Conley as much as most of you do, plus I think we need to extend Terrance Mitchell, not replace him. And don't sleep on any DL, seeing how Logan and Howard are both FAs in 2018.

I think the Chiefs need to pick QB Patrick Mahomes out of Texas Tech. I know that's a boring endorsement since we all want the Chiefs to go that way, and he may not even last past the Texans.

But this is a golden opportunity for the Chiefs to make a top shelf investment at the most important position. We all know Mahomes has possibly the best arm in the field, and seems to be a high character guy who is extremely accurate and decisive.

He has a SHIT ton of work to do. He may not even be ready in 2018. We may have to wait until 2019, like we had to with Dee Ford. But that's why it's important to draft these kids in the 1st round -- it gives you the full five years to groom and prepare them.

I increasingly think the Chiefs go elsewhere with the 1st rounder. I just can't believe they'd select a QB. I can't. I think their favorite QB is Peterman and we'll trade up to get him in the 2nd. But Mahomes would give us the best talent, the most potential, the best arm, and the longest amount of time to groom him.

Go Chiefs. Don't break my heart.

it's official - Mahomes will be a bust.

Yeah my track record with first round QB love affairs has been atrocious.

Not true.

Deshaun Watson will be a bust. That's the guy Direkshun really wants. So he's put his failstamp on Watson and not Mahomes.

Ah - okay.

Tricky.

Direckshun lost his 2016 first-round pick for tampering.

It's the best I've got.

After his Cam Ervin debacle of 2015, this has become similar to Obama picking KU to win the tournament. Or CoMo making a prediction of any sort.

I need to see the opposite of what I want. And I have every expectation that Watson will fail at the next level. So there's a chance I'm seeing what I want to see here.

Uh, I was way, way off well before the Cam Erving debacle. I don't know why you were putting any stock in my takes prior to that.

LMAO

How do we continue to be fans of this team if thry dont draft a QB? Last year was the most boring, predictable style of football ive seen played since the 2001 Bears.

Yeah, but I had to eat a little shit on Geno so I can't hold that one against you. Cooks has been an intermittently decent player (who's an asshole, but that's not a deal breaker). Mercilus is a good player and at the time I doubt Houston had popped positive so that couldn't be held against you.

I'll be honest, after last season fizzled out (especially the way it fizzled out), I was real close to dumping DirecTV (and Sunday Ticket) and getting Dish so I could get the PAC-12 Network (**** you, DirecTV) and just concentrate on college FB next year (and into the future). I still might depending on how this draft goes. There are some exciting young players on the team like Hill and Peters but I don't know if I can take reliving the 90's again, like it appears this team is trying to do.

If the Chiefs drafted Foster, how it affect that Adopt-A-Chief program? Could someone adopt him or would they merely be a Foster parent?

I wouldnt blame you if it werent the Beavers :) On a side note your boy Riley fired the reallybad assistants and has replaced them with some of the best young recruiting talent in the nation and its starting to pay off!

My Beavers are improving. It's a process. Plus, my youngest son goes to UW so I have been watching them too.

If Riley had been willing to fire his assistants, he would still be here. He quit instead.