Covitz|Chiefs draft preview: Reid, Dorsey have valued defensive players in past

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs draft preview: Reid, Dorsey have valued defensive players in past
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs have some holes on defense going into this year’s NFL Draft, notably at inside linebacker next to Derrick Johnson; at free safety because of Kendrick Lewis’ chronic shoulder injuries, and they need to upgrade their depth at cornerback and in the defensive line.

Both Andy Reid, in his 14 years as head coach at Philadelphia, and John Dorsey, during his 12 years assisting Ted Thompson and Ron Wolf with the draft at Green Bay, valued defensive players high in the draft.

With Dorsey as director of scouting starting in 2001, the Packers drafted eight defensive players in 12 years in the first round -- including one defensive end, four linebackers, a cornerback and two defensive tackles.

The Eagles, during Reid’s tenure, took four defensive tackles, three defensive ends and a cornerback in the first round but no linebackers.

Here’s a breakdown of the defensive players taken in the first round by Reid and Dorsey.

Green Bay drafts 2001-12

2001, DE Jamal Reynolds, Florida State: Reynolds was taken with the 10th overall pick through a trade with Seattle for Matt Hasselbeck. Though linebacker Torrance Marshall was taken with a third-round pick that also came in the trade, the Seahawks got the better of this deal. Reynolds would play in just 18 games over three years, while Marshall never became a starter in four seasons.

2003, LB Nick Barnett, Oregon State: Barnett, the 29th player taken in the first round, was a productive player for the Packers, taking over at middle linebacker as a rookie and starting for eight seasons only to miss all but the first four games of the 2010 Super Bowl season because of injury. He has spent the past two seasons with Buffalo.

2004, CB Ahmad Carroll, Arkansas: Carroll, the 25th overall pick, lasted three years, making three career interceptions and losing his starting job in 2006. The Packers, who did not have a second-round pick, also selected cornerback Joey Thomas of Montana State in the third round, but he had a short-lived career, too.

2006, LB A.J. Hawk, Ohio State: Hawk has been a solid player for the Packers, though he may not have lived up to his selection as the fifth overall pick of the draft. Hawk led the Packers in tackles as a rookie and had a career-best 3.5 sacks in 2006. Hawk’s best attribute has been his dependability. He has started 107 of 110 games in which he’s appeared, and he’s missed just five games in his seven-year career.

2007, DT Justin Harrell, Tennessee: Harrell, the 16th overall pick, was a bust. Hampered by injuries throughout his career, he appeared in just 14 games in four years and failed to register a sack.

2009, NT B.J. Raji, Boston College and LB Clay Matthews, USC: The Packers hit home runs with Raji and Matthews.

Six picks after the Chiefs took defensive end Tyson Jackson with the third overall pick, the Packers selected Raji. Raji started just one game in 2009, but he became a dominant force in the Super Bowl winning season of 2010. In 2011, Raji became the first Packers defensive tackle to be voted to the Pro Bowl since Bob Brown in 1972.

To select Matthews with the 26th pick, the Packers sent New England a second-round and two third-round picks for the Patriots’ first- and fifth-round picks. Matthews had slid down the draft board because of concerns about his size, but he dispelled those questions immediately.

Matthews became one of the league’s most impactful players, earning Pro Bowl recognition in each of his first four seasons; was the Committee of 101’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 when he had 13.5 sacks as the Packers won the Super Bowl; and returned interceptions for touchdowns in both 2010 and 2011. Matthews had 13.0 sacks in 2012.

2012, LB Nick Perry, USC: The Packers dipped into USC for another linebacker, taking Perry with the 28th overall pick. Perry suffered through an injury-marred rookie season, first suffering a wrist injury early in the year and then a knee injury in week six when he went on injured reserve.

Philadelphia drafts 1999-2012

2000, DT Corey Simon, Florida State: Simon, the sixth overall pick in the draft, had a solid career for the Eagles. He was a vital part of four teams that played in NFC Championship Games, plus the Eagles’ loss to New England in Super Bowl XXXIX. Simon played in 95 games, recorded 194 tackles and had 32 sacks, all good numbers for a defensive tackle.

The Eagles placed the franchise tag on Simon in 2005, and he refused to sign the tender. The Eagles eventually lifted the tag, and he signed with Indianapolis as an unrestricted free agent.

2002, CB Lito Sheppard, Florida: Sheppard, taken with the 26th pick, was another productive player for the Eagles. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Sheppard intercepted 18 passes in seven seasons. He became the first player in NFL history to record two 100-yard plus interception returns for touchdowns in his career with a 101-yarder at Dallas in 2004 and a 102-yarder against the Cowboys in 2006.

2003, DE Jerome McDougle, Miami: The Eagles moved up from the 30th pick to take McDougle with the 15th choice. McDougle battled injuries during his first two seasons, and just before he reported to training camp in 2005, he was shot in the abdomen during a robbery in Miami, causing him to miss that season.

After finally playing a complete season in 2006, McDougle would not play again for the Eagles. He suffered a season-ending torn triceps injury during the 2007 preseason and was released before the start of the 2008 season.

2005, DT Mike Patterson, USC: Patterson worked his way into the starting lineup as a rookie and was a fixture in the Eagles defense for seven seasons. He appeared in 115 games, starting 99. He had 16.5 sacks, one interception, four forced fumbles and recovered eight, including a 98-yard touchdown return of a fumble in 2006, the longest in Eagles history.

Patterson was diagnosed with a cerebral malformation in 2011 and underwent brain surgery in January 2012 and did not play last season. He was recently released.

2006, DT Brodrick Bunkley, Florida State: Bunkley, the 14th overall pick, spent five seasons with the Eagles, starting 15 games in 2007 and all 16 games in 2008 and 2009, plus five starts in the playoffs before he was traded to Denver before the 2011 season. When he missed two games with an elbow injury in 2010, it snapped a streak of 47 straight starts. Bunkley left Denver after the 2011 season and signed with New Orleans as an unrestricted free agent.

2010, DE Brandon Graham, Michigan: It took a while for Graham, taken 13th overall, to emerge as he went on injured reserve late in his rookie year because of an ACL, and appeared in just three games in 2011. But once he recaptured his starting role in week 12 of last season, he collected 4.0 sacks in his six starts and finished the season with 5.5 sacks in 16 games.

2012, DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State: The Eagles moved up three spots and selected Cox with the 12th overall pick, one spot behind the Chiefs’ Dontari Poe. Cox appeared in 15 games, starting nine. He led all Eagles defensive linemen with 65 tackles, ranked fourth with 24 hurries, and his 5.5 sacks tied for the team lead and also tied for fifth among all rookies and among all NFL defensive tackles.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Dee

[Sorter]

OMG, I wish there was like, a pie chart or something that already had charted this out for us from a poster here that liked KC's soccer team.