My official endorsement for the 21st overall pick.

[Direckshun]

Barring any bombshells, we pretty much know what we have in most of these prospects. There will be countless clues as to who and what the teams and GMs like in the prospect field over the next two months, but ultimately, the players have spoken.

Some Pro Days are going to fiddle with the rankings, but by and large we aren’t going to be terribly surprised by anybody.

My selection for the Chiefs at #21 is based on the prospect’s talent, the nature of his position, our team, and this draft. My great enthusiasm for this player is matched by my certainty that this player will not be selected by the Chiefs.

With the 21st pick in the NFL Draft, the Chiefs should select OLB Justin Houston, Georgia.

Talent

Justin Houston is a bolt off the edge. Before he gained his recent weight (in which it did not look like fat…), he showed great anticipation of the snapcount and was pure lightning off the edge. That speed, and that anticipation, are nigh impossible to actually “teach” a player. The versatility he will need to develop will come as he has added strength and 35” arms with which he can master any number of techniques. In other words, he comes pretty well prepared to blow stuff up in opposing backfields, while still having massive room for growth.

Houston is also what Herm Edwards would call a “football player” in the vein of Tamba Hali and Glenn Dorsey: the man plays with tons of fire and willingly throws his body into blocks for teammates and plays the run passionately. This is no Dwight Freeney – this guy gets off on running backs just as much as quarterbacks. And with his added bulk, that will only add to his ability in that department.

Houston has the look of somebody who can put up double-digit sacks in the NFL. I don’t claim he is the best prospect – I’m iffy on Bowers but I’d take Ryan Kerrigan in a heartbeat – but with the decent-enough depth at pass-rusher in the first round, it’s likely that Houston can fall to us.

His biggest setback at this point is his added bulk. The 270 he weighs now looks a lot more like a 4-3 DE than a 3-4 OLB body-type. But even with the bulk, his speed is still very solid (4.6 at the Combine, he plays like a 4.5 on the field…). And he features a vertical that most receivers in this class lack. I think this translates into a player who can drop into coverage.

The OLB Position

Passrushing is the toughest job to do on the football field other than playing the QB position. It requires a specific set of physical skills and a never-say-die attitude that will be challenged hundreds of times throughout a season. Your strongest muscle must be your heart.

Because of the difficulty of the position, it takes passrushers about as long as it takes quarterbacks to adjust to the league and play up to their potential. If you’re going to be in a rebuilding process, which despite their 2010 record, the Chiefs definitely are, you should go early and often with passrushers in the draft in the hopes of having a ferocious passrush in a couple years when you’re ready to contend for a title.

Passrushers are also a lot like quarterbacks in that it is extremely rare that your true sack artists come from any round other than the 1st. The other positions Chiefs fans are debating this offseason for the first pick—reciever, nose tackle, offensive line—can be had in later rounds with less of a drop off. But passrushers in the first are the most likely to thrive, and it’s not even close.

The Kansas City Chiefs

I believe in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson. Dorsey is now playing like a franchise defensive lineman, and Jackson came on incredibly strong in the last four games of the season – as well as the first game of the season. In other words, games in which he was playing close to 100% healthy. If this guy stays healthy, I bet he’s a gamer.

These are two indispensible puzzle pieces for this team given the high picks we invested in them. But neither one is a great passrusher. Neither one of them is much of a passrusher, matter of fact. Our defensive line only features one good passrusher (Wallace Gilberry) and another guy (Ron Edwards) who is guaranteed three sacks a season. (Shaun Smith, meanwhile, is the worst passrusher we have on the DL.)

Under normal circumstances, we could just upgrade the ends with passrushers, but the Chiefs are in an extraordinary circumstance with what we’ve invested in ours. Dorsey and Jackson need to not only be our defensive ends going forward, they need to play the overwhelming majority of snaps. Upgrading the defensive end position basically negates the value we spent on those players.

So a passrush will need to be manufactured in other positions – namely, the position that’s actually designed to be a pure passrusher in a 3-4: the outside linebacker. Tamba Hali is a player that offenses have to single-mindedly focus on to keep their backfields clean. With Justin Houston developing, offenses would have to go more conservative to ward off both edges.

A great passrusher would make everything on this defense better. The secondary would be under less pressure. Other players on the DL (namely Dorsey) would face less focus, and would be freer to operate which in turn would almost completely free up Derrick Johnson and our ILBs. In short, as important as a nose tackle is, one more great passrusher would vault this defense deep into the Top 10.

The 2011 Draft

Like all drafts, this is a draft that has more than a few quality receiver prospects in the early-to-mid rounds. Phil Taylor may be a reach at #21 anyway, so better to get some value later on for the nose. And I am under the belief that our current offensive line (Albert, Waters, Wiegmann assuming he returns, Lilja, and Richardson with Asamoah, Niswanger, and O’Callaghan in the wings) could use some depth, but can hold together for another season while we invest in other positions that are more difficult to develop. It’s hard to complain about an OL that paved the way for two 900+ yard rushers.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

I'd add LT and QB to that list as well. Albert was horrible last season and I wish that people would stop giving him a free pass just because he's young and he was a first rounder. He's had three years of starting to figure it out and it's not happening. He is a liability at the second most important position on the offensive side of the ball. And Cassel isn't good. He's inaccurate on his throws, has terrible pocket presence and doesn't see the field/go through his progressions at an NFL QB level.

I also think that Belcher was quite effective at MLB and that Mays and particularly Williams were good backups at the MLB/ILB spots respectfully.

Personally, I think that the coaching staff, particularly Crennel, did wonders last year.

They were also aided by a schedule that perfectly played to the strengths of the 2010 Chiefs team. (Bad pass rushing teams and team that don't defend the run very well.)

Next season, the schedule won't be as fortunate and I think that we'll get a better understanding of how truly ready we are to be a playoff team and where our greatest needs are from a roster perspective.

Albert wasn't good, but he wasn't horrible either.

Do you not understand that you had little to no credibility before you posted your evaluation of Asomoah's play at LT, and lost whatever credibility you might have had then.

No one is paying any attention to your dumb ass.

[Chiefnj2]

forget it,dumb idea

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by milkman

Albert wasn't good, but he wasn't horrible either.

Do you not understand that you had little to no credibility before you posted your evaluation of Asomoah's play at LT, and lost whatever credibility you might have had then.

No one is paying any attention to your dumb ass.

No credibility because I think Albert isn't a starting left tackle based on his level of play over the last three years?

Whatever you say Mr. Super Talent Evaluator that continued to preach that the guy was "ASCENDING."

Let's see...I think Albert isn't a good left tackle and you think he's ascending. And that gives me no credibility and you have placed yourself on the throne of credibility, holding the scepter of football knowledge. Is that correct?

Welcome to Chiefs Planet, where everyday is opposite day.

And apparently, you are paying attention to me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have responded.

Ascending.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

No credibility because I think Albert isn't a starting left tackle based on his level of play over the last three years?

Whatever you say Mr. Super Talent Evaluator that continued to preach that the guy was "ASCENDING."

Let's see...I think Albert isn't a good left tackle and you think he's ascending. And that gives me no credibility and you have placed yourself on the throne of credibility, holding the scepter of football knowledge. Is that correct?

Welcome to Chiefs Planet, where everyday is opposite day.

And apparently, you are paying attention to me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have responded.

Ascending.

No credibility because you embellish how poorly Albert is playing, and because you fail to read others posts, as illustrated by the fact that I have repeatedly said that Albert didn't improve and that I would not be opposed to replacing him.

And, if by paying attention you mean, that you are hard to ignore, much like the poorly discilplined child in the store who continually cries every minute that he's in the store, then yeah, I'm paying attention.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by milkman

No credibility because you embellish how poorly Albert is playing, and because you fail to read others posts, as illustrated by the fact that I have repeatedly said that Albert didn't improve and that I would not be opposed to replacing him.

And, if by paying attention you mean, that you are hard to ignore, much like the poorly discilplined child in the store who continually cries every minute that he's in the store, then yeah, I'm paying attention.

How have I embellished how poorly Albert is playing? I said he's horrible (lower/bottom tier tackle compared to his peers if you want me to be nice about it) and hasn't improved at all since he started at left tackle in 2008. He has poor footwork, slow react times, bad balance and struggles to lock onto a defender. He lunges at guys versus engages them. The guy is simply not good and doesn't possess the skills to be a starting left tackle in the NFL. I do think he could be a very good guard though, especially in this system and hope that the team doesn't waste that opportunity by continuing to parade him out there at the LT position where he isn't effective.

I don't think any of that is an embellishment.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

How have I embellished how poorly Albert is playing? I said he's horrible (lower/bottom tier tackle compared to his peers if you want me to be nice about it) and hasn't improved at all since he started at left tackle in 2008. He has poor footwork, slow react times, bad balance and struggles to lock onto a defender. He lunges at guys versus engages them. The guy is simply not good and doesn't possess the skills to be a starting left tackle in the NFL. I do think he could be a very good guard though, especially in this system and hope that the team doesn't waste that opportunity by continuing to parade him out there at the LT position where he isn't effective.

I don't think any of that is an embellishment.

He struggles with consistency in his technique, and that has been a problem.

But when he does things well, he can and has locked down his opponent.

He does a good job as a run blocker, and gets to the second level, something you constantly say that he hasn't done.

He hasn't progressed.

But at worst, he's adequate until someone is brought in to replace him.

[keg in kc]

The problem with the line is not Albert. The problem with the line is that Wiegmann, while adequate in space hitting second level blocks on run plays, does not effectively drive block against any sizable linemen, and is basically a turnstile in pass protection against any remotely good defensive tackle. Which actually hurts the pass protection in a larger way, because he has to have guard help. He's too light (particularly by year's end) and he's too old (also more of an issue late in the season). I like the guy, he was good for years, but that ship has sailed.

The other problem is that the franchise has been trying to find a right tackle since 2002, when Tait went to the Bears, and has so far failed to do so.

Those are the problems that need to be addressed. Finding someone to take Albert's spot at this juncture would be a luxury, not a necessity, and it would also, I think, be premature.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

The problem with the line is not Albert. The problem with the line is that Wiegmann, while adequate in space hitting second level blocks on run plays, does not effectively drive block against any sizable linemen, and is basically a turnstile in pass protection against any remotely good defensive tackle. Which actually hurts the pass protection in a larger way, because he has to have guard help. He's too light (particularly by year's end) and he's too old (also more of an issue late in the season). I like the guy, he was good for years, but that ship has sailed.

The other problem is that the franchise has been trying to find a right tackle since 2002, when Tait went to the Bears, and has so far failed to do so.

Those are the problems that need to be addressed. Finding someone to take Albert's spot at this juncture would be a luxury, not a necessity, and it would also, I think, be premature.

I am going to fill space with unnecessary words in order to show my fellows on CP that I agree with this thoughtful post.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

The problem with the line is not Albert. The problem with the line is that Wiegmann, while adequate in space hitting second level blocks on run plays, does not effectively drive block against any sizable linemen, and is basically a turnstile in pass protection against any remotely good defensive tackle. Which actually hurts the pass protection in a larger way, because he has to have guard help. He's too light (particularly by year's end) and he's too old (also more of an issue late in the season). I like the guy, he was good for years, but that ship has sailed.

The other problem is that the franchise has been trying to find a right tackle since 2002, when Tait went to the Bears, and has so far failed to do so.

Those are the problems that need to be addressed. Finding someone to take Albert's spot at this juncture would be a luxury, not a necessity, and it would also, I think, be premature.

The problem is, that while sacofdumbassey embellishes, he is right in that Albert's progress has plateaued.

He fails to recognize that he did progress over the latter half of the '09 season, suggesting that he hasn't progressed since '08, but that's not important.

It still remains that he showed no signs of progress in '10.

So replacing him, while not a priority, is also not out of the question.

Replacing Weigman is a priority, though.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by milkman

The problem is, that while sacofdumbassey embellishes, he is right in that Albert's progress has plateaued.

He fails to recognize that he did progress over the latter half of the '09 season, suggesting that he hasn't progressed since '08, but that's not important.

It still remains that he showed no signs of progress in '10.

In your opinion, is that from lack of talent (or drive) or crappy coaching?

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by milkman

But when he does things well, he can and has locked down his opponent.

That can be said about every tackle in the league. The problem with Albert is that happens far to infrequently.

He does a good job as a run blocker, and gets to the second level, something you constantly say that he hasn't done.

Oh, he can get to the second level. He flounders when he gets there however and more often than not, struggles considerably in finding and locking on a defender. There were many times this past season when he got out to the second level on run plays and simply watched the play go right by him without engaging anyone.

He hasn't progressed.

No, he hasn't.

But at worst, he's adequate until someone is brought in to replace him.

At worst, I think he's well below the adequacy line. At best, he's adequate. The problem around here is that you've got a bunch of people who are so against addressing this problem because he's only spent three years in the league and he was a first round pick. They apparently loathe the concept of having more than one first round pick on the offensive line (even though there are five guys there and it is a position of importance) so much that they are willing to turn a blind eye towards Albert's gross inconsistencies and think that everything is hunky dory.

It's okay to have multiple first rounders on the defensive line. Three out of three first round picks on a 3-4 defensive front seems to be the average CP posters idea of football nirvana. But have two guys on the offensive line that were first rounders?! It's akin to having your scrotum placed on a belt sander.

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by milkman

The problem is, that while sacofdumbassey embellishes, he is right in that Albert's progress has plateaued.

He fails to recognize that he did progress over the latter half of the '09 season, suggesting that he hasn't progressed since '08, but that's not important.

It still remains that he showed no signs of progress in '10.

So replacing him, while not a priority, is also not out of the question.

Replacing Weigman is a priority, though.

Albert, even without progressing from where he was in 2009 (or 2010), is a passable starting left tackle. This isn't Jordan Black starting out there. Is he Jonathan Ogden? No, he's not. But he's not the weak link on the line by any stretch.

The problems on the line are immediately to his right. And I don't just mean Wiegmann. Waters is 34 and has been on a steady spiral down since Roaf retired. And then there's Wiegmann.

Get a better center, and I think the impact ripples outward. Get a better left guard to boot (although I haven't heard a word about that happening...) and I think all of a sudden Albert looks like a lot better player.

In a lot of ways, line play is a sum of the parts. As far as those parts go, Albert is at the worst the 2nd best cog we have (Lilja probably played the best last year). The right tackle position has been a hole for years. Center play has been a problem for years. And Waters is an increasing problem as time passes.

I believe that replacing Albert, as I said before, would be a luxury move at this point. Bigger fish to fry. Unless you can bring in a hall of fame calibre vet for a song the way that Roaf came over in 2002. And I think we all know what the odds of that kind of lightning striking twice are.

[Tribal Warfare]

here's Billick's opinion on KC's needs for the draft. the video is short though

[SAUTO]

Didn't sacc also state that weigman was the best o line player we had last year? Waters was number two IIRC

Originally Posted by milkman

The problem is, that while sacofdumbassey embellishes, he is right in that Albert's progress has plateaued.

He fails to recognize that he did progress over the latter half of the '09 season, suggesting that he hasn't progressed since '08, but that's not important.

It still remains that he showed no signs of progress in '10.

So replacing him, while not a priority, is also not out of the question.

Replacing Weigman is a priority, though.

Posted via Mobile Device

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Didn't sacc also state that weigman was the best o line player we had last year? Waters was number two IIRC
Posted via Mobile Device

He was.

He is also 38 years old and is pondering retirement. Getting a suitable replacement behind him is a priority. That is, unless you are satisfied with Niswanger.