You grade the draft- all 7 rounds (Poll)

[banyon]

2008 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS DRAFT
(Pick Analysis by NFL.com)

1a. (5) DE - GLENN DORSEY - 6-1 - 297 - LSU
Combine 40 Time: Did not run.


Pick Analysis: Dorsey's dominance should go a long way toward helping Kansas City rebuild its defense. He should command double-teams and the Chiefs become better up the middle instantly. There were some concerns about problems with Dorsey's tibia stress fracture, which may have been the reason he was still on the board at this point. His best traits are outstanding agility and a great motor.

1b. (15) T/G - BRANDEN ALBERT - 6-5 - 316 - VIRGINIA
Combine 40 Time: 5.17.


Pick Analysis: Albert has the versatility to play guard or tackle in the NFL. He finishes blocks down the field and in space. He started 37 games (35 games at left guard, two at left tackle) for Virginia over three years. Has great overall athletic ability for a big man and could develop into the best offensive lineman in the draft.

2. (35) CB BRANDON FLOWERS - 5-9 - 187 - VIRGINIA TECH
Combine 40 Time: 4.55.


Bench Press Champion. Pick Analysis: With better speed, Flowers would have been a much higher pick. He plays the game faster than his timed speed indicates (4.55). Best traits are good instincts and physical play.

3a. (73) RB JAMAAL CHARLES - 5-11 - 199 - TEXAS
Combine 40: 4.38.


Pick Analysis: The Chiefs take a guy that is likely the best player on their board right now in Charles. He likely fell to the third round due to his lack of strength, but when it comes to speed, he's a break-away back. His playmaking ability makes him a potential situational player that can also catch the ball.

3b. (76) TE BRAD COTTAM - 6-7 - 269 - TENNESSEE
Combine 40 Time: 4.68.

Analysis
Pick Analysis:Cottam's problem was the fact that he only started 10 games in five years at Tennessee. He has very impressive size and skills for a tight end to go with speed in the 4.6's. The Chiefs may be looking for a future starter with Tony Gonzalez nearing the end of his career.

3c. (82) S DAJUAN MORGAN - 6-0 - 203 - NC STATE
Combine 40 Time: 4.52.

Pick Analysis: Morgan was a one-year starter and raw, but has good athletic ability and potential. He is the type of player who can get better in the pros with good coaching, because of his measurables and potential to develop. He is an excellent special teams player who originally made his mark in the kicking game.

4. (105) WR WILL FRANKLIN - 6-0 - 209 - MISSOURI
Combine 40: 4.37.


Pick Analysis: At over 6-feet and 214 pounds, Franklin has impressive speed (he ran a 4.3 40) for a guy his size. He is extremely explosive and was generally graded as a third rounder, so Kansas City gets good value in the fourth round

5. (140) CB BRANDON CARR - 6-0 - 207 - GRAND VALLEY ST.

Pick Analysis:Carr went under the radar as a Division II All-American for Grand Valley State. He has good size for a cornerback, but looked more like an athlete than a football player at times. He needs to work on his technique.

6a. (170) T BARRY RICHARDSON - 6-6 - 319 - CLEMSON
Combine 40 Time: 5.47.


Pick Analysis: He's a huge guy who runs well and has talent, but it has been said he lacks passion for the game. If a coach can motivate him and get him excited about playing football, he may well wind up being a find at the guard position.

6b. (182) WR KEVIN ROBINSON 6-0 190 -Utah St.
Combine 40: 4.69.


Pick Analysis:Robinson is the best return man in the country out of Utah State. The competition isn't great in the WAC and it could be tough for him to adjust to the pro game. Still, he's very good at what he does and is an excellent special teamer.

7a. DE BRIAN JOHNSTON 6-5 280 Gardner-Webb
40 speed (non-combine): 4.78


With the advent of the 34 defense in the NFL, those jumbo defensive ends like Johnston have been much sought after. Johnston has fought almost constant double teams, which is why his 6 sacks don’t look that impressive, but he has proven to be very solid against the run, despite being double teamed, his 74 tackles, 20.5 being for a loss, prove that he can fight through multiple blockers and get to the ball carrier. Very good at using his hands, strong and quick, Johnston plays the game with a non-stop motor. He will have to increase his repertoire of pass rushing moves and continue to train to get stronger and quicker in the NFL, but he has the raw talent and skills to warrant a 4th or 5th round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

7b Michael Merrit TE So. Florida Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 270 pounds

Pick Analysis: A prototypical blocking tight end, Merritt has good size and strength. He is not a threat in the passing game, but can be utilized in jumbo packages.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by Coach

Here's mine.

This is possibly the best draft the Chiefs have done in quite some time. Now, I know that you can't officially grade a draft until 2-3 years later, and that is correct. However, I am grading off on right now, not 2-3 years. We'll worry about that when the time does come. So, that being said, here goes.....

Total grade: A+

Every guy on that list was projected to go higher than where we picked them. (those ones who they projected, anyway.)

[CosmicPal]

Originally Posted by Coach

Here's mine.

This is possibly the best draft the Chiefs have done in quite some time. Now, I know that you can't officially grade a draft until 2-3 years later, and that is correct. However, I am grading off on right now, not 2-3 years. We'll worry about that when the time does come. So, that being said, here goes.....

(Round 1, Pick 5) Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU. Wow. I mean, wow. Who the hell let the possibly the best player on the board slip through 4 picks? Kansas City just got the best player on the board on the 5th pick. A steal and a excellent value for the 5th spot. Dorsey is going to be a pain in the ass for the AFC West teams for years to come. It's going to be fun watching this guy play, and disrupting the backfield. I should also point out that he did play in a very tough conference in the SEC, and he dominated that league when healthy. Even that, a 75% healthy Dorsey can still be productive in this league. What a great value. What a great player. A+ TheFootballExpert.com had him projected at 1st round, 3rd pick to Atlanta.

(Round 1, Pick 15) Branden Albert, T/G, Virginia. A great pick. I was worried about the Clady issue, since I wasn't really confident on Clady and the compeition level that Boise played. Even that, Albert can play either the G or the T position, which tells you how athletic he is. The Chiefs may have found their LTOTF (Left Tackle of the future) with this guy, since he does work well in space, and does have excellent feet. He finishes blocks down the field as well. And if he doesn't do well at the LT position, at worst, he's a Pro-Bowler Guard. But even that, Albert is really good, and he has the potentional to become the best O-Line in the draft. A+ TheFootballExpert.com had him projected at 1st round 12th pick to Denver.

(Round 2, Pick 35) Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech. Another great pick by Kansas City. Jesus, they just pulled a ****ing turkey, by selecting Brandon Flowers. Now, you'll say he's small. So what? Pretty much almost all CB's in the NFL is small, so that is irrevelent. His 40 time is 4.55? Sure, but keep in mind, we play in a Cover 2, which does not reqiure speed, but instincts and physical play. I should also point out about his 40 time. If he was 1/10ths of a second, he would have been in the top 10, easily. But even that, he plays faster than his 40 time indicates. The Chiefs just found Ty Law's replacement. A TheFootballExpert.com had him projected at 2nd round, 33rd pick to St. Louis.

(Round 3, Pick 73) Jammal Charles, RB, Texas. I was a bit surprised with this pick, since it was "out of left field" but then I remembered that the Chiefs had to play Battle on the RB spot because LJ was already injured and Smith was injured as well, and the Chiefs already had traded Bennett at the time. This guy runs a 4.38, so he does have homerun speed. He may lack strength, but he does make it up for his break-away speed. Perfect for screens/dumpoffs/shovel passes, etc. It also provides some RB depth for KC as well. Also I believe he does return kicks, but I'm not 100% sure at this. Even that, it still provides depth, and he can get some playing time for this year. B+ TheFootballExpert.com had him projected at 2nd round, 58th pick to Jacksonville.

(Round 3, Pick 76 Brad Cottam, TE, Tennessee. This was also a head scratcher as well, but then I remembered that Dunn was done, Kris Wilson was a clossical failure at TE, and that Gonzo may have at least 2-3 good years left on him. So spending for the future replacement here makes sense, especially a tall TE who does run pretty well on the 40 time. I remember that ESPN did highlighted Cotton before the round 3 started, so they were watching for him, and when KC made the pick, they were surprised and said that KC made a hell of a steal on this guy at 3rd. This guy is 6'8" and 270, and he runs a 4.69, which is the 4th best by a TE. He's a very solid blocking TE, who still has room for improvement here. So, he'll be getting some playing time, epsecially on Gailey's double TE's sets on 3rd and short/4th and short situations, and he may get a few passes thrown his way. B- TheFootball Expert.com had him projected at 3rd round, 72ndth pick to Buffalo.

(Round 3, Pick 82) DaJuan Morgan, S, NC State. Jesus, the Chiefs are on the roll here. They selected a guy who was, in most mocks, in the 2nd to 3rd rounds, and they got him in the late 3rd round. Wow. This guy is probably the best safety on the roster, and it's not even funny. Page is serviceable in the FS spot, but Morgan is perfect fit for a Cover 2 S. One would have to wonder if Pollard is going to be either moved to ST, or the LB spot? He ran a 4.52 in the 40 which is pretty solid for a SS. A- TheFootballExpert.com had him projected at 2nd round, 46th pick to Cincinnati.

(Round 4, Pick 105) William Franklin, WR, Missouri. A great value on the 4th round for a team that is in need for a receiver, since Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker was released, and nobody other than Bowe, pretty much showed up on Sundays. Webb isn't the answer for the potentional #2 receiver, and the fact that Franklin has amazing speed (4.37) can really be the down the field threat for the Chiefs. He will help get some of the attention away from Bowe. If all fails, he'd make a serviceable slot player. B- TheFootballExpert.com had him projected at 4th round, 113th pick to Chicago.

(Round 5, Pick 140) Brandon Carr, CB, Grand Valley St.. This pick is probably the first WTF moment for the Chiefs. Did we reach for him? Could be possible. He does have nice size and decent speed (allegedlly) in 4.4 range. The Chiefs are stockpiling their defensive backs, since more than likely that Wesley and Surtain may be gone after the end of the 2008 season. But this one here seems to me more of a Herm pick, since he always does this kind of stuff. (See Maxey) C- TheFootballExpert.com did not have him projected anywhere in the 7 rounds.

(Round 6, Pick 170) Barry Richardson, T, Clemson. A great pick in this area. This guy is huge and a mauler at the T position, and it does address the O-line issue. Now it doesn't necessary address ALL of the issues, but really, Rome wasn't built in a day. The issue with him is his motivation. Now, knowing that Herm is a very passionate movitator, this may work out to be the best advantage for the Chiefs. C+ TheFootballExpert had him projected at 5th round, 137th pick to St. Louis.

(Round 6, Pick 182) Kevin Robinson, WR, Utah State. Not a intruging pick, unless you look at one interesting stat. This guy is the best return man coming out of college, and we all know how inept our special teams return abilities were last year. I'm not so sure how he'll do as a receiver, but at least it does in a way provide depth. He's probably more strictly for special teams. C TheFootballExpert does not have him projected anywhere in the 7 rounds.

(Round 7, Pick 210) Brian Johnston, DE, Gardner-Webb. What a great value for a 7th rounder. This guy is a freak, and how did he get in the 7th round, is unknown to me! His 40 time is great, but his 10 second time frame is unbelieveable. He'll be coming off the edge pretty damn quick. He could be a situational pass-rusher for the Chiefs in some certain downs, provided if he is what he is capable of. He was consistently double teamed, which explains his low sack total, but he's equally effective aganist the run as his tackle for losses was a conference record of 24. This one has a potentional of being a next Jared Allen, minus the boozing issue. B+ TheFootballExpert had him projected at [color=blue]5th round, 147th pick to Buffalo[/b].

(Round 7, Pick 2320 Michael Merrit, TE, So. Florida Not sure what to make out of this one. Probably just camp fodder. Even that, this pick has no weight nor grade to hurt or help the rest of the grade. A prototypical blocking tight end, Merritt has good size and strength. He is not a threat in the passing game, but can be utilized in jumbo packages. Incomplete yet irrevelent TheFootball Expert does not have him projected anywhere in the 7 rounds.

Total grade: A+

Great job...

[Mecca]

I really think Flowers character concerns are very overblown and being made a huge deal of when they really aren't there.

[Ultra Peanut]

Originally Posted by Mecca

I really think Flowers character concerns are very overblown and being made a huge deal of when they really aren't there.

But FACEBOOK, man. FACEBOOK!

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Monster draft. I even give them a pass on the CB. I trust Herm with those guys. If they took him, they probably picked a winner. Time will tell. I'll say this much, I never thought I'd be as excited about this year as I am. It's going to be fun watching these guys develop.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by Mr Flopnuts

Monster draft. I even give them a pass on the CB. I trust Herm with those guys. If they took him, they probably picked a winner. Time will tell. I'll say this much, I never thought I'd be as excited about this year as I am. It's going to be fun watching these guys develop.

Yep, and being excited doesn't mean we expect a 12 win season. This is just a start.

A hell of a good start.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Originally Posted by KcMizzou

Yep, and being excited doesn't mean we expect a 12 win season. This is just a start.

A hell of a good start.

Yep. It'll be the first time in my life that I watch football and don't EXPECT wins each and every week. Well, the first time I'll watch AND enjoy it.

[Dayze]

A+ by itslef; if you compare it to the past 10+ years of drafts, this one cetainly goes to "11".

[shaneo69]

Dorsey --- A-, not our biggest position of need, but he's supposed to be a great one

Albert --- A-, plays the same position as Brian Waters; ask Welbourn how easy it is to switch OL positions

Flowers --- A-, sounds like another Kevin Ross; needs to be a day-1 starter

Charles --- A+, this is like the LJ pick in '03, except we got him in the 3rd round

Cottam --- D-, should've taken Rucker or Kellen Davis; can't waste a 3rd rounder on a boom-or-bust player

Morgan --- C, should at least be good on special teams, but sounds like a clone of Page/Pollard; we'll probably dump Wesley now. Good trade-off?

Franklin --- D+, it was a position of need but he doesn't play as fast as his timed speed, doesn't have great hands, and is a slow learner; sounds like the makeup of a practice squad player

Carr --- B+, position of need; good size/speed; he played at a Div II powerhouse; I like looking at these kind of players in the 5th round; practice squad if he can't beat out D. Patterson for dime CB

Richardson --- A+, love the pick, All-Conference in a major league; hopefully he can start somewhere on the line this season

Robinson --- A+, great pick, we need a returner in the worst way

Johnston --- A+, hopefully he can start at RDE this season

Merritt --- A+, need to replace Dunn; we'll probably keep 4 TE's and maybe one FB

[LiL stumppy]

Mine says I voted "F" on Dorsey, but I voted A-A+

[Coogs]

Originally Posted by LiL stumpy

Mine says I voted "F" on Dorsey, but I voted A-A+

I voted A-A+ on several... but just using Dorsey as an example, I am assuming just voting Glen Dorsey trumps an A-A+ vote.

[banyon]

Originally Posted by LiL stumpy

Mine says I voted "F" on Dorsey, but I voted A-A+

Yeah you're the only one...



WHY DO YOU HATE DORSEY AND FREEDOM SO MUCH!!!

[banyon]

Originally Posted by Coogs

I voted A-A+ on several... but just using Dorsey as an example, I am assuming just voting Glen Dorsey trumps a n A-A+ vote.

I just used the names to mark off, people really didn't have to vote the name.

But with 13 picks, you couldn't go A, B, C, D, F with a 50 poll choice max.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by dayzeofthenew

A+ by itslef; if you compare it to the past 10+ years of drafts, this one cetainly goes to "11".

Which is clearly better.

[shammus]

Coach - great work! You captured a lot of the same opinions I have about the draft. Thanks for the detailed breakdown/analysis. I'll add a few of my own comments, grades and a couple questions below -

Dorsey --- possibly the best overall player in the entire draft and I believe this was the guy at the top of the Chiefs draftboard. I'm thrilled we got him. Now, when our ends come flying around the side, the QB won't simply be able to step up to avoid them as we'll have Dorsey clogging up the middle. While this was sort of a "duh" pick, I do give the Chiefs a lot of credit for not taking the offered trades and sticking with "their guy". People were upset after the Allen trade because they felt we could have built our defense around him. Now we have a new centerpiece. A+

Albert --- seems as though we were heavily considering Albert for the #5 spot because the general feeling was that Dorsey would be gone. The fact that we got both of them is outstanding. His position is sort of up in the air right now but I'm thinking he'd be able to play at a high level at guard if not tackle. This was another pick that the Chiefs really managed well. They noticed the "run" on tackles that was beginning with Clady and Williams being taken off the board and were proactive enough to trade up so that they'd still have a shot at their guy. A

Flowers --- Lots of corners were yanked off the market in the late first round. The Chiefs managed to get one that fits their defensive scheme very well and is tough against the run. This is the third pick in a row where we acheived solid value while filling a position of need. I'm not sure who we'd start opposite Surtain if we hadn't drafted Flowers in this spot. B+

Charles --- At first, my reaction here was "What the...." thinking that the last thing we needed was a third running back. But then again, Larry Johnson is not guaranteed to regain his form after the mysterious foot injury. If he reinjures himself again, we'll be down to Kolby. If Kolby gets hurt again or otherwise regresses. We'll have...uhhhh, Jackie Battle??? Charles was expected to be gone long before now so we got terrific value here too. B-

Cottam --- My reaction to this pick was just about the same as that of the Charles pick. Nice value but not necessary. Then I remembered that After Tony G, we have Michael Allen? This guy reminds me a bit of Jason Dunn although hopefully with better knees. B

Morgan --- I was really really disappointed with our third round at first. I was hoping for a WR, DE and other Olineman. Then I started really thinking through our picks. I remembered, in this case, that we're counting on Pollard to be a starter next year. Morgan is a terrific candidate to start if Pollard doesn't show improvement and like previously mentioned, he may already be the best Safety on the roster. Tremendous value here as well. A

*** So yes, I didn't get any of the positions I had originally wanted in the third round. But cases can be made for all three of our picks. Also, another point....I think we would have been reaching if we had taken an Olineman and I didn't really see any DE I would have wanted us to take anyway. Someone feel free to correct me though if one was there that I missed. ***

Franklin --- Well we addressed one position that I was hoping we would in round 3 here in the 4th round. Franklin is fast so he should be a decent candidate to at least give Darling some competition for the #2 receiver or hopefully be a slot receiver if that doesn't work. B-

Carr --- Well, we got all the way to the 5th round before making one of those picks that makes you throw your hands up and go "Who?!?" At this point, there were several Olinemen left and I would have preferred to see us go after a Jonathan Sullivan or Steve Justice sort to give us some more options there. It seems as though we have plenty of options already for backup corner - Barksdale, Brackenridge, etc... He runs a 4.4 so he's fast, but he wasn't even projected to be drafted at all which makes me think he's a significant reach in the 5th round. C-

Richardson --- Nice pick here. He's huge so he fits the running "grind it out" style of offense Herm wants to run. I always get really leery of the guys that have motivational issues though. We seem to attract a lot of D-linemen with that character trait. Still, good value on this pick and if there's a time to undertake a bit of a "project", the 6th round would probably be it. B+

Robinson --- Nice return man, but another "who?!?" pick. Not projected to be drafted at all and apparently he runs a 4.69 - did I read that correctly? Does fill a large need though from last season. C

Johnston --- Johnston was slated to be drafted two entire rounds before now so this looks like outstanding value for a 7th round pick. And unless I'm missing something, we don't really have anyone slated to fill our left DE postion except Boone? From everything I've read about him, Johnston sounds like a poor man's Jared Allen. A


Merritt --- I was disappointed with this pick as I was really hoping for Radovich or Eric Young. Just one final stab at getting an Olineman in the draft. I thought Darrell Robertson, Erin Henderson or Wesley Woodyard might have made solid picks here too. But tight end was a pick we already addressed and now we have a fourth. We probably could have signed him as a free agent afterwards on top of that. I feel any of the other four guys I listed above would have a solid chance to at least be second string. This guy would be practice squad at best. D

On the whole, I'm thrilled with the draft and while a few of these guys raised an eyebrow, this is a terrific group altogether. We got tremendous value for a lot of these while addressing a lot of needs. In a perfect world, I would have liked to have seen us draft an extra G/C type. I don't think we even have a clearcut starter at Center right now. I also would have preferred Doucet, Bennet or Caldwell to Will Franklin. An extra DE would have helped too but there really didn't seem to be a good one available in the middle rounds. I knew things weren't going to go exactly the way I wanted them too though but I'm happy they went the way they did. No questionable "Kris Wilson" sort of picks in the second round this time either!

Total grade....a solid A- for me.