Assumptions:
1. The Chiefs let Dorsey walk and cut Cassel.
2. The Chiefs land CB Sean Smith, and a free agent DE like Chris Canty or Jenkins (we'll just say Canty, since he was actively reached out towards).
3. They get one compensatory pick, an extra third (Carr).
4. The Chiefs try furiously to trade down, but there are no takers.
On with the show:
1. QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
Let's break down what we think we know about the #1 overall pick:
- We're probably stuck with it; trading down is next to impossible at our spot in this draft.
- The Chiefs do not want to use it on a corner, as they're probably locking up Sean Smith as we speak.
- They apparently don't want to use it on a defensive lineman, as they've tried to fill Glenn Dorsey's vacant spot with Chris Canty and even Dorsey himself.
- They have openly praised Branden Albert's talent, and cannot possibly be ignorant to the fact that we have two second-year tackles on this team already.
I honestly think this draft slot belongs to either Geno Smith, if this front office feels extraordinarily ambitious (because this would be an extraordinarily ambitious move, of historical proportions, combined with the Alex Smith acquisition), or the safest of all safe moves in Luke Joeckel, who the team clearly really likes. There is no in between.
I think this is a tough decision to make when you're the guy on the hotseat, but nonetheless I think it's the absolute right decision to make. Joeckel is a talented player, but the Chiefs should honestly make aggressive moves to lock down Branden Albert for the future. No big free agent signings this offseason are necessary -- just pick Geno, pick up Canty or retain Dorsey (or go for Jenkins), get the deal done with Sean Smith, and lock down Branden Albert, which would actually bring your cap
down for 2013.
It's a tough deal, but these are the prices you pay for not having a Super Bowl QB. If we had a high caliber one, we could make all sorts of bargain bin prices like the Joeckel-for-Albert exchange. Until then, $10 million a year is a fair pricetag to keep your backside safe and your run game lethal.
3. WR Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech
I love Patton when I watch his tape -- I obviously didn't watch any LA Tech play this past year, but he does have some tape and he did perform outstandingly well at both the Senior Bowl and the Combine. I love a lot of his mechanics -- good speed, hands, good route-running, but mostly I just love his competitive fire. He reminds me a lot of Torrey Smith because he just absolutely wants to be The Guy, or at least plays like he does.
3. ILB Arthur Brown, Kansas State
The last remaining starting hole on this team. Short, compact, and powerful, Arthur Brown has that angry leadership that this defense desperately needs. We are too loaded not to be elite, what's missing is a big fat dosage of heart, and that's where Brown comes in.
4. OT Tanner Hawkinson, Kansas
If the Chiefs need a developmental swing tackle, Hawkinson is as good as any. He's probably NFL ready right now in terms of pass protection, but he needs to get bigger and stronger.
5. OLB Quanterus Smith, Western Kentucky
It would be such a ****ing smart decision to bring this guy along. He's recovering from an ACL tear, otherwise he'd be far up the draftboard. It's not every day you can score a guy who is an awesomely prolific passrusher in the midrounds.
6. TE Brandon Ford, Clemson
The TE position is a pretty good fit for the late rounds if you're somebody like the Chiefs, who primarily need a new receiving weapon more than they need a hefty blocker (Maneri is an excellent blocking TE). Ford is exactly that kind of tight end -- a one-dimensional receiving threat that this team sorely needs. Fast, smart, great at finding soft spots in zones, Ford is one of several receiving TEs late in the draft.
7. RB Cameron Marshall, Arizona State
Marshall has slid down big boards for a year straight because the drunk coaching staff at ASU, who decided to reward Marshall's really good 2011 season by languishing him in a running back committee in 2012. The upside, of course, is that now he's particularly fresh and ready to lend his 220 lbs frame to the Chiefs in the 7th round.