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OG/C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
For the record, C Austin Reiter has a futures contract signed with the Chiefs as of this week, and should he remain on the roster, he will be entering his eighth year in the NFL. So let us not underrate the value of offensive lineman who do their jobs, provide their teams the depth they so badly need, and somehow remain in the league past any reasonability in a vacuum. And that's likely the career Jarrett Patterson has ahead of him.
He has starter upside, as a smart lineman who has center experience calling out blocking assignments. A true "team protector," he has the profile of a guy who is going to have problems in one-on-one drills but when utilizing the chemistry of his teammates will be able to do his job competently. He's essentially NFL ready right now, and other than some strength & conditioning, I think he'd be the Chiefs' top interior lineman if they let OG/C Nick Allegretti and OT/G Andrew Wylie go.
And honestly, Allegretti is not a terrible comparison for him. He lacks a lot of Allegretti's nasty in the run game, but he is no finesse player himself. You can ask him to pull, you can ask him to combo block downhill, just don't ask him to do either for 17-games and expect a Pro Bowl performance. Backup lineman make their dime in this league by plugging the holes in the veritable dam without becoming a blatant liability. The Chiefs are set along their interior for at least the next two years, and have no need for starters. But there's always room for a Patterson in this league, and if he's still on the board, make him a pick in the 6th.
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