My official endorsement for the 21st overall pick. - Page 6

Direckshun · 03-02-2011, 02:43 PM

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.

Titty Meat · 03-06-2011, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

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.

What? He was the reason why we struggled in short yardage situations and got ate up by 3-4 defenses.

Bewbies · 03-06-2011, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

What? He was the reason why we struggled in short yardage situations and got ate up by 3-4 defenses.

Don't worry, we don't need short yardage anymore, we have a stud ass speedster in Kevin Curtis now.

KCrockaholic · 03-06-2011, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

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

Billick is a waste of space.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 03-06-2011, 04:47 PM

If Peterson was there at 21, sure, pick a corner, but picking a guy like Jimmy Smith or Harris at 21 would be ****ing lunacy.

Saccopoo · 03-06-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billay

What? He was the reason why we struggled in short yardage situations and got ate up by 3-4 defenses.

Obviously, you didn't watch any Chief games this year.

milkman · 03-06-2011, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Obviously, you didn't watch any Chief games this year.

You're an idiot.

An idiot of such epic proportions that I can't even begin to do justice to with a rant to describe your idiocy.

Trevo_410 · 03-06-2011, 06:25 PM

just thought i'd say this,, a draft expert on the radio said yesterday that drafting a NT in the first round would be one of the worst decisions for the chiefs.. said something about it not really being the position of most need like wide reciever and pass rushers... especially if we ressign shaun smith and ron edwards or pick up some free agents...

Saccopoo · 03-06-2011, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

You're an idiot.

An idiot of such epic proportions that I can't even begin to do justice to with a rant to describe your idiocy.

You've got to develop a better sense of humor. I'm afraid that the aneurysm you are destined for is going to be so huge that it will actually have a negative global impact.

KCrockaholic · 03-06-2011, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevo_410

just thought i'd say this,, a draft expert on the radio said yesterday that drafting a NT in the first round would be one of the worst decisions for the chiefs.. said something about it not really being the position of most need like wide reciever and pass rushers... especially if we ressign shaun smith and ron edwards or pick up some free agents...

The Pats drafting Vince Wilfork in the first turned out to be a TOTAL fail.

I'm not saying theres a Wilfork in this class, but the NT in a 3-4 is the anchor that makes the entire defense work. If it's a need (which it is), and if theres a guy there in the first worth taking, you make your pick. BUT if there are better prospects available when 21 comes up, you pull the trigger on them. It's far from being the "worst" decision this team can make.

Titty Meat · 03-06-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milkman

You're an idiot.

An idiot of such epic proportions that I can't even begin to do justice to with a rant to describe your idiocy.

I think the word you're looking for is Dumbass.

Bewbies · 03-06-2011, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

If Peterson was there at 21, sure, pick a corner, but picking a guy like Jimmy Smith or Harris at 21 would be ****ing lunacy.

If Billick posted in our DraftPlanet Sacc would make fun of his idiotic takes. The guy has clearly not watched KC play this year....CB's?

Chris Meck · 03-07-2011, 12:15 AM

Sacc is just a troll. I think he just spouts out the most ridiculous crap specifically to draw an argument.

Chiefnj2 · 03-07-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bewbies

If Billick posted in our DraftPlanet Sacc would make fun of his idiotic takes. The guy has clearly not watched KC play this year....CB's?

The Jets took a CB in the first even though they had a good crop of CBs on the roster.

Bewbies · 03-07-2011, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

The Jets took a CB in the first even though they had a good crop of CBs on the roster.

They were also in the AFC Championship game that year. They're not a building team anymore....

Saccopoo · 03-07-2011, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bewbies

They were also in the AFC Championship game that year. They're not a building team anymore....

Bad argument.

In 2010, the Chiefs took a safety with a top five pick, and in the second round we took a punt returner/slot receiver and a kick returner/nickel package defensive back.

Those are hardly considered high positional value slots for a team that was coming off a four win season with a lot of other needs at more "valuable" positions.

03-02-2011, 02:43 PM
Direckshun __ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Springpatch Casino cash: $2033447	My official endorsement for the 21st overall pick. 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.
Posts: 59,693

03-06-2011, 04:47 PM	#79
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7159572	If Peterson was there at 21, sure, pick a corner, but picking a guy like Jimmy Smith or Harris at 21 would be ****ing lunacy. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 75,082

03-06-2011, 06:25 PM	#82
Trevo_410 Veteran Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Independence, Missouri Casino cash: $3605380	just thought i'd say this,, a draft expert on the radio said yesterday that drafting a NT in the first round would be one of the worst decisions for the chiefs.. said something about it not really being the position of most need like wide reciever and pass rushers... especially if we ressign shaun smith and ron edwards or pick up some free agents...
Posts: 1,528

03-07-2011, 12:15 AM	#87
Chris Meck MVP Join Date: May 2001 Location: midtown KC Casino cash: $-1315090	Sacc is just a troll. I think he just spouts out the most ridiculous crap specifically to draw an argument.
Posts: 19,458