Walterfootball.com Mock Drafts

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by pestilenceaf23

Updated.....only change is in the 3rd round. I'd be ****ing happy with this draft.

3. Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
JAN. 22 UPDATE: This isn't as much of a lock as Matt Stafford going first or the Seahawks taking Michael Crabtree, but I think there's a pretty good chance that the Chiefs select Mark Sanchez. A new regime usually means a new quarterback, and Sanchez is way too talented to pass up.

Some may argue that new general manager Scott Pioli has never taken a quarterback this high. That may be true, but it's fairly obvious why - he had Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady in New England. Why would he use a first-rounder on a signal caller? I doubt Pioli read Andy Reid's NFL Drafting for Dummies.

All the talk regarding New England's pick last season was that Pioli and Bill Belichick never spent a top-10 choice on a linebacker. Well, they drafted Jerod Mayo, didn't they?

PREVIOUS UPDATES: With Sam Bradford going back to school, this selection has become a lot more difficult to predict.

I have a feeling that a lot of mocks in the 2009 NFL Mock Draft Database will have Aaron Curry going here. I don't see that happening. The last time a player who wasn't a quarterback, running back, receiver, offensive tackle, defensive end or under tackle was chosen in the top three selections was LaVar Arrington (Redskins, 2000). I think Scott Pioli is a slightly better drafter than Daniel Snyder, don't you think?

Assuming the Chiefs go to a 3-4 with Pioli, Curry would be an inside linebacker for them. With trading down nearly impossible at No. 3 (no owner will want to trade up and pay tons of money to an unproven player in this economy), it's safe to say Curry won't be chosen.

So, that leaves us with the following options:

Best offensive tackle available
Michael Crabtree
Chris Wells/Knowshon Moreno
Brian Orakpo/Everette Brown
Mark Sanchez

With Larry Johnson still on the books, I think you can eliminate Wells and Moreno. Wide receiver isn't a prime need, so the Crabtree selection becomes unlikely. A left tackle could happen - the Chiefs would move Branden Albert inside.

Orakpo is probably out because he struggled against Alex Boone in the Doritos Fiesta Bowl. Brown is a stronger possibility if he has a great performance at the Combine. The Chiefs are likely to switch to the 3-4, and Brown, a nasty pass rusher coming off a huge year, would fit in perfectly.

However, I'm going with Sanchez. A new regime almost always equals a new quarterback. Sanchez is a hot commodity, coming off a brilliant performance at the Rose Bowl, sponsored by Kraft. The knock on him is the lack of experience, but going 28-of-35 for 413 yards and four touchdowns against Penn State pretty much quelled those concerns.

By the way, I'd like to say that this 2009 NFL Mock Draft is based on what I think will happen; not on what should happen.

If I were running the Chiefs, I'd continue to go with Tyler Thigpen. Thigpen did a remarkable job as the full-time quarterback, commanding Kansas City's offense to 21.6 points per game since Oct. 26. I know he was guilty of a lot of turnovers, but this was essentially his rookie year. He also had a weak running game and a pedestrian offensive line. He'll continue to get better.

34. Clint Sintim, DE/OLB, Virginia
With the Chiefs likely to make the jump to the 3-4, Scott Pioli will be busy hunting for players who can fit that scheme this April. Why not begin with Clint Sintim to help an anemic pass rush that managed a grand total of 10 sacks in 2008?

67. Antoine Caldwell, C, Alabama
More than half of Kansas City's roster needs to be upgraded. You can include the center position, currently occupied by Rudy Niswanger.

Updated as of November 28th....and it's still this.