With the first pick in the Zoneblitz Team Blogger Mock Draft, Arrowhead Addict a week or so ago selected quarterback Geno Smith as the top overall selection.
That pick was mocked by a couple people who commented on the blog. And I’m pretty sure Patrick Allen, the senior editor at Arrowhead Addict, knew his pick wasn’t the correct one when he made it. But I think I understand at least in part why he did it.
The Chiefs have the top pick in the draft this year on the coattails of a terrible 2-14 season. The top pick in the draft is an opportunity to reinvigorate the franchise and the fan base – to give them a reason to believe this season might be different.
But with the draft a mere 10 or so hours away, I am already prepared to hate the Chiefs’ draft. Because in all likelihood, if the media reports that have been coming out over the last couple weeks are true, Kansas City will barely be any better after their first pick than they were after trading for Alex Smith shortly after the offseason started.
I have nothing against Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel or Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher. I think they’re both fine players. But while they are upgrades over the likely outgoing Branden Albert, they’re not enough better than him to push the needle forward on a team that clearly needs more of a boost than that.
Some of this is not the fault of the Chiefs, who had the misfortune of sucking miserably during a season where the draft is considered pitifully weak at the top. There are no Andrew Lucks or Robert Griffin IIIs in the 2013 draft. There may not even be any Brandon Weedens or Ryan Tannehills in this year’s draft.
But that doesn’t mean the Chiefs shouldn’t be looking for a better scenario than what it looks like they are going to do. In fact, I do think they are trying. Reports came out last night that the Chiefs are still trying to trade out of the top spot. Good for them – they still have a chance to make this post moot.
Even if they don’t trade, they still have a chance. I’d like it better if the Chiefs took one of the tackles and told Albert he was staying and moving to right tackle or guard, whether he likes it or not. Then you could make the argument that you’ve made two spots on the offensive line better with one pick.
I’d like it better if the Chiefs took a lesser-than-normal offer to trade down and then selected one of the potentially game-changing pass rushers dotting the early selections in most mock drafts or if they did the same and selected one of the run-stuffing tackles, such as Star Lotulelei or Sheldon Richardson.
And I’d like it better if they made the same trade to move back in round one and took one of the admittedly less-than-a-sure-thing quarterbacks. This is a team that hasn’t won a game that was quarterbacked by someone the Chiefs drafted and groomed since Todd Blackledge did so in 1987.
1987! I was in seventh grade.
It’s been even longer (1980) since a quarterback the Chiefs drafted led the team in passing yards. That was Steve Fuller, by the way. That year I was 5.
As much as Joe Montana is one of the greatest players I ever watched while I was growing up and as much as Steve DeBerg, Matt Cassel, Elvis Grbac, Steve Bono and Trent Green are perfectly decent people, this is a team that needs to get a young guy in who can develop and change that stat.
So yes, any of those alternatives would actually move the needle on a franchise clearly in need of moving that needle.
But the vast majority of the reports indicate that the Chiefs plan to take one of the tackles and trade Branden Albert, who admittedly sounds like he’ll whine if he’s switched to another position. That move apparently most likely will net a mid-second round pick from Miami. And that means that if Kansas City’s new brass is being honest with its fans at the draft party tonight, they’ll be telling them “we have an incrementally better offensive line than we had yesterday.”
So that’s why I think I understood what Patrick Allen was doing when he made Geno Smith the top pick in our mock draft. And that’s why, with the draft still around 10 hours away, I’m already ready to hate this team’s draft.
Loading ...
Worst article ever. Hali and Houston are great pass rushers we could just get a pass rushing DE in the third. Not a first round demand. About run stuffers…..you have a point, but our ONLY two needs are OT and DE. Let young Poe develop. Btw, we’ve made a TON of offseason acquisitions like Donnie Avery, smith (cb&qb), Robinson, devito, chase Daniel, and 2 linebackers with playing experience. Saying we r not that improved is RIDICULOUS. Fisher is fine as an OT. With him and Albert we’ll have an elite line.
A couple things. I don’t think you can ever have enough pass rushers. I like a couple of the guys you mentioned, no question. But look at teams like the Giants. They go three, four, five deep with solid-to-elite pass rushers.
Second, I’m not referring to the entire offseason. I’m referring specifically to the draft. If all you can say after having the first pick in the draft is that you got incrementally better at left tackle, I think it’s a bad situation. My sense is they are not going to keep him. I say in the post that if they keep Albert AND draft a tackle, then move Albert to another position on the line that I like the pick better.
Are the Chiefs better than what they were last season? Yes. Does what is likely to happen on draft night excite me? Not at all. Just my opinion. You’re entitled to disagree. And I appreciate your stopping by to tell me your thoughts.
Bob – Your comment is ridiculous–this isn’t even Andy’s worst article on this site, much THE worst ever.