Potential 1st Round Pick

[OldSchool]

This is my Pre-Combine list of the top 10 players in this draft that the Chiefs may pick at 23. This will reflect who I think may drop and who I think the Chiefs may value higher than other teams that will give them 1st round grades for the Chiefs. Feel free to add any input/suggestions that you might have.

Key Notes:

1. Players names listed in order of highest rated to lowest in terms of how I think the Chiefs will view them.

2. Numbers in parenthesis are where I would rate them.

3. Letter in parenthesis designate their position ranking out of the players available.

4. Colors designate position of need: Very High, High, Medium, Low

5. Players whom I believe will be gone by pick 23 (in no particular order): Clowney(DE), Barr(OLB), Manziel(QB), Bortles(QB), Bridgewater(QB), Watkins(WR), Mack(OLB), Ebron(TE), Lewan(OT), Matthews(OT), Robinson(OT), Ealy(OLB/DE), Hagemon(DT/DE), Ford(OLB), Evans(WR), Gilbert(CB), Ha Ha Dix(S), Martin(OT), Nix(NT), Donald(DT), Richardson(OT), Pryor(S)


Without further ado:

(2,A)Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State: At 5'11" and 197 pounds, Dennard displayed the ability to lock down opposing WRs in man coverage, which led to him winning the Thorpe Award as the top DB in the Nation. He is very technically sound in everything he does and is the most consistent DB I've seen out of this draft class. His big question that will cause him to drop into the Chiefs' range is his speed and lack of elite athleticism. It wouldn't be a big surprise to me if he ends up running in the 4.5-4.6 range at the NFL combine, which will cause him to drop into the second half of the first round. He wouldn't add speed to the Chiefs secondary but he will provide the Chiefs with a player who is consistent in coverage (which was another thing that the Chiefs lacked), and sound in his reads. He still has the potential to become a very good #1 corner in the mold of the Titans' Alterraun Verner.

(3,C) Marquise Lee, WR, USC: He is an average sized WR at 6'0" and 195 pounds but possesses game-changing ability. He is an explosive player who can attack a defense all over the field; he can take a short pass to the house or run past defenders for a deep ball. He has elite athleticism that allows him to make defenders miss in the open field. His hands are among the best that you can find at the college level. He is a good route runner who is experienced with the West Coast offense and is exceptional at running slants and dig routes. He would be one of the few, if not the only, plug and play WRs for Andy Reid's system to come out of this draft. His lackluster 2013 campaign will cause him to possibly drop into the Chiefs' range.

(4,D) Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State: At 6'3" and 210, Robinson has the size to dominate smaller corners in the NFL. He is a very fluid athlete who accelerates quickly in and out of breaks, allowing him to gain lots of YAC. He doesn't have elite speed and won't run an impressive time at the combine, but he plays fast and runs with a lot of power; high effort player who is not afraid of contact. He has a large catch radius and he is consistent in using his size to his advantage. He is the most polished WR in this draft class and is the best shot to be this year's Keenan Allen.

(7,B) Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame: He has good size at 6'6" and 312 pounds. I liked him better in 2012 than in 2013 where he looked a bit sluggish and didn't have the same burst and effort that he had in his Sophomore campaign. If he is able to return to his 2012 form when he displayed rare athleticism for a man his size, then the Chiefs would have their starting 3-4 DE for the foreseeable future. He flashes the ability to dominate his blocker and get after the QB but needs to become more consistent. At worst, the Chiefs will have a good run stuffing 3-4 DE on their hands.

(5,E) Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State: At 6'5" and 235 pounds, Benjamin is among the largest WRs in this year's draft class; he is also this year's ultimate boom or bust player. He possesses good speed to threaten down field, a huge catch radius, and good body control to allow him to adjust for passes in the air. However, he is inconsistent when it comes to catching the ball and doesn't dominate on jump balls as much or as consistently as you would want. He needs to improve his route running and focus more on catching the ball. If he is able to put it all together, Benjamin may end up being the best WR to come out of this draft; I wouldn't exactly bet on it though. Dorsey, on the other hand, did bet on Fisher's potential last year over what was considered to be the sure bet in Joeckel; so he may elect to bet on Benjamin's potential over any other receiver in this draft as well.

(1,B) Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech: He would be the largest target on the Chiefs' roster at 6'5" and 260 pounds. He possesses a rare blend of size and athleticism that makes him one of the best offensive weapons in the 2014 draft class. He has excellent deep speed for the position and an even better burst for his size which allows him to create separation underneath against LBs and safeties. His soft hands allow him to catch nearly everything that is thrown at him and his size makes him a great threat in the red zone. I have him ranked here because the Chiefs seem to be content with the current TEs on the roster and want to give Kelce a chance to shine instead of bringing in someone new. Personally, I think Fasano is a below average starter and could stand to be upgraded. Reid loves to go with double TE sets and the combo of Amaro + Kelce would be a hell of a lot scarier than Fasano + Kelce.

(8,E) Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama: At 6'5" and 310 pounds, Kouandjio is an early entry who should have stayed in school for his senior year instead of declaring for the draft. That being said, he possesses elite athleticism for the position and was a great asset in run blocking for Alabama. He is explosive as a run blocker and has the quickness to move inside and pull in the running game. He flashes the ability to be a dominant player at OT but can also be beat from time to time; he would benefit from adding a bit more strength. I wouldn't be a big fan of the pick simply because we took Fisher last year already, but he would provide welcome competition at the OT position for both Fisher and Donald as well as being insurance should one of them struggle to emerge as a solid protector or if one of them ends up being injured (Fisher). It is a move that I can see the FO making because both Reid and Dorsey believe in building from the trenches first.

(10,A) C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama: He is similar in size to Nico Johnson at 6'2" and 232 pounds. He is an instinctive player who can start immediately next to Derrick Johnson and eventually replace him as the QB of the defense. He has good athleticism and a high football IQ allowing him to drop back and provide solid coverage as well as making plays behind the line of scrimmage. I personally don't see him as a special LB in the mold of Willis, Bowman, Kuechley, etc. but he has a chance to take over as the future of the Chiefs' ILB position. I wouldn't like the pick.

(6,B) Jason Verrett, CB, TCU: Verrett plays bigger than his size at 5'10" and 180 pounds. He possesses elite athleticism, excellent fluidity in his hips, elite short area quickness, great ball skills, great read and react skills, good toughness, a willingness to tackle much larger players, and very good speed to run with faster receivers. His only knock is his lack of size which will prevent him from going in the top 20 picks of the draft. He has shown the ability to excel in both man and zone coverage but could improve his pressing ability. He displays good recovery speed and a tenacious attitude on the field. If he were a couple of inches taller he would be a top 15 pick in this draft. He has the potential to be a similar player to Lardarius Webb and shows the knack to make plays on the ball like Tim Jennings. Unfortunately, the Chiefs seem to be in love with taller and longer DBs so I don't think they will draft Verrett.

(9,C) Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington: Probably the biggest TE in this draft at 6'6" and 276 pounds, Jenkins has some monster potential. He has great athleticism, especially for his size, and possesses the body control to adjust to any pass to go along with a pair of soft hands that can catch anything thrown his way. He has good top speed with decent acceleration, though not in the same neighborhood as Amaro and Ebron, and presents a big and reliable target to his QB. As a blocker, he is among the best in this draft and should be able to contribute from day 1. He reminds me of Marcedes Lewis but with more reliable hands and better body control.

There is also a small chance that the Chiefs may consider drafting Derek Carr but I believe that they would be more likely to trade out of this spot to some other team that wants to draft a potential Franchise QB with Carr still waiting around.

Anyways, there are my thoughts on the potential pick at 23. Any thoughts/comments appreciated.