"Edwards said Hali and Pollard would play right away."

[the Talking Can]

Hali day shopping
Edwards expects help on defense right away
By ELIZABETH MERRILL

The Kansas City Star

They popped in the film again late Friday, long after Tamba Hali ran an unimpressive time in the 40-yard dash, eons after the NFL gurus had cast him off their mock-draft hot list.

Maybe it was a last dose of affirmation. Maybe they’re just plain stubborn.

As the Chiefs’ time on the clock drew closer Saturday, glitzy names such as North Carolina State defensive end Manny Lawson and Ohio State receiver Santonio Holmes were still on the board. Kansas City went with Hali, a defensive end from Penn State, with the 20th pick in the first round.

“At the end of the day, they play in pads,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “They play on the grass. They don’t run a 40, they don’t do all these gymnastic drills.

“Defense is not pretty. Defense is guys getting dirty and playing hard and playing with toughness and passion. And that’s what this guy does. When you turn the film on, you turn it off and you go, ‘Wow.’ ”

Down the street from Arrowhead Stadium, the mildly stunning pick was met with a smattering of boos and shock at the Chiefs’ draft-day party. Most were expecting a cornerback, or at least Lawson, who was tabbed by some as the second-best pass rusher in the draft.

The puzzled looks continued a few hours later in the second round, when Kansas City picked Purdue safety Bernard Pollard. By the end of the night, when the Chiefs picked Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle in the third round, there were no cornerbacks, just three guys that Kansas City had hoped would be on the board and were.

So much for the mock drafts.

But really, were Saturday’s developments all that stunning? When Edwards was hired in January, he promised a gritty, ugly, in-your-face defense. He wanted younger guys to set the tone.

Edwards said Hali and Pollard would play right away.

“That’s what we drafted them for,” Edwards said....(more at link)


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