Fair point.

The other candidates at 12 overall are similarly uninspiring.

I'm convinced the Chiefs think they have to get a tackle this year, though. We do need a starting RT, but more importantly, we also need insurance in case Albert loses his mind and demands Willie Roaf money.

I do love Trent Richardson, but (a.) he won't fall to us, and (b.) his window is what, 5 years?

I know I'll get slammed for undervaluing Belcher, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying to find an upgrade at ILB to pair with DJ at #12 overall.

Belcher certainly has a place on this team, but our LBs have the potential to be scary good if we were to add an elite player in the middle.

It's possible that we could grab Hightower in the second.

We could get a RT and an ILB

You're going to get slammed, alright.

What true thumper does this draft have that warrants the 12 overall?

Hightower is as close as you get.

Here's why I'm willing to take a big risk with that 1st rounder - look at what we'd otherwise be getting.

Say we take Richardson - 1/2 the top 20 backs in the league last year were in some way, shape or form flyers. Lynch for a lousy draft pick, Bush for free, Foster undrafted, blah blah blah. It's really not that hard to find a good RB, especially a good complementary RB.

Say we take Rief to play RT - well Bryant McKinnie could've been had for nothing, the Gaither story is a dead horse at this point as well. Frankly, RTs are not too tough to find either if you just keep turning over rocks.

Where else would we look there? We're clearly content with the DEs, there are no LBs that would rate that high, I'm on record with my fury over the idea of taking a CB to replace the CB that we should never let walk. We're not going to grab another 1st round WR and the NTs that are likely to be available there just aren't that great. There are no BJ Rajii's this year.

Frankly, if we go after Tannehill and the guy busts hard, our opportunity cost given our needs this year isn't truly that high.

If there's ever a draft, ever a year, to take an extremely high risk on an extremely high reward player, it's this year's draft. We're not looking at passing on a surefire NT. We don't need to find a speed-rusher to take our defense up a step. We don't have a problem in the secondary (because, again, if Carr goes and we use a 1st to replace him, there will be murders). We definitely need an upgrade at RT, but that's a secondary spot that can be filled in the 2nd or 3rd - not like we're replacing our LT or anything.

At worst, we lose the luxury of having a fantastic backup RB in Trent Richardson. And like I said, RBs aren't that tough to find if you're willing to throw numbers at the problem. Don't you think the Saints are regretting the hell out of that Ingrahm pick right now? The pundits loved it, but they had enough numbers and enough versatility in the backfield through turning over stones that Ingrahm was a complete luxury item that ultimately yielded nothing when needed most.

The only thing I could see changing this would be if Bowe walks, we use the franchise tag on Carr and we go after someone like Kendall Wright to complement Baldwin.

This is the year to take that bold chance because the downside of abject failure really isn't that cataclysmic.

He's not a thumper, but he absolutely could be elite, provided he's able shed blocks effectively in a 3-4:

Kuechly

Probably a better fit in a 4-3, but the dude's a player.

He's redundant in this defense.

If we didn't have DJ, perhaps - that's the role he's best suited for.

He's not a good fit for Belcher's job in this defense and I'd be pretty damn irritated if we took him at 12.

All good points, and I'm on record against the Richardson pick. You also neglected to mention the awesome David DeCastro, but if we take a GUARD with a first round pick, I will flip out.

A tackle does warrant serious consideration, however. Particularly if we can get somebody like Reiff or Martin who can man both tackle positions (in my opinion, Reiff can, but Martin is a pure LT). It would be smart, cheap money to man the RT for a year, then use for leverage and/or insurance in case Albert holds out or whatever.

My favorite move, at this point, would be to trade down. I'm not usually a trade down hawk. But if we're capable of trading down, we get better value. Hell, we can probably get Tannehill still.

I don't know. You make good points.

Yup.

Keuchly is a bigger, stronger Donnie Edwards with just as much speed.

He'll cover everywhere for you, but he's not a offensive line-destroyer.

Need to wait post-combine, but I think there's a pretty good chance that Tannehill is off the board when we pick.

Might be. Especially if we are picking at 12, with the Seahawks right in front of us.

It would be a reach of Christian Ponder proportions if they did, however.

we really need to trade down if we aren't angling for a QB, and if we do then i don't really care who we take at least we'll have picked up some value...

IMO, he's not that fast.

He's everywhere all the time.

He's either fast, has superb instincts, or both.

If all played our right, we could possibly come out of this years first two rounds with say Tannehill, Hightower, and say Reynolds.


IMO that would be a dynamite first two rounds, if played correctly.