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Here's a rundown of the prospects the Chiefs are talking to leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft.
NFL.com's Mike Mayock recently listed the top five players at every position in this year's draft class. That includes the top-five quarterbacks and the top-five offensive exterior linemen, which are two positions that the Kansas City Chiefs are likely to address in April's 2012 draft.
When it comes to quarterback, the Chiefs aren't going to be selecting one of the top two or three players on Mayock's list because they still have Matt Cassel as their starter and there's a chance that Kyle Orton could be back in a Chiefs uniform as well. However, they do need to look towards the future. The top five quarterbacks are Stanford's Andrew Luck, who is likely heading to the Colts with the No. 1 overall pick, Baylor's Robert Griffin III, who many have going off the board with the second overall pick if a team trades up, Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill, Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden and Arizona's Nick Foles.
The Chiefs probably won't be looking to grab a quarterback until the first few rounds are over, but it's possible that either Weeden or Foles are on the board when they are. If that's the case, don't be surprised if one of those guys gets selected by Kansas City.
The offensive tackle position is one that the Chiefs are likely going to address early in the draft. The top-five tackles are USC's Matt Kalil, Iowa's Riley Reiff, Stanford's Jonathan Martin, Ohio State's Mike Adams and Georgia's Cordy Glenn. SB Nation's latest mock draft has the Chiefs taking Martin at No. 11 and other mocks have them taking other linemen.
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Thomas Mayo is one of the better small school prospects eligible for the draft and he turned some heads with his play and practices at last week’s East-West Shrine Game. Apparently he also got some specific teams to notice him including the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Buchanan has word that the Chiefs were talking to Mayo during the week, putting another late-round prospect on the radar for the Chiefs’ draft fans.
Wes Bunting says Mayo will have a tough time making himself known at the next level. He writes, "Possesses a solid looking frame, good size and natural length. Has the ability to extend and catch the football off his frame. However, is just a very “blah” athlete. Looks tighter in the hips when trying to get out of his breaks, even on vertical routes and there is really no legit burst to his game. Is going to have a really tough time separating from NFL corners at the next level and isn’t dynamic enough of a option to be able to win when corners are draped all over him."
Other teams interested in Mayo include the Bears, Cowboys, Texans and Packers.
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking ahead to the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft and going over their checklist for next season. There are holes on both offense and defense that the Chiefs will look to shore up if they want to improve after a lackluster 2011.
Josh Looney from the official Chiefs website believes that one of the draft targets for the team may be wide receiver Marvin McNutt Jr. of the Iowa Hawkeyes, a talented wideout with Chiefs ties. If Kansas City does end up selecting McNutt, it would make three straight years of the team selecting an Iowa player in the draft, following Tony Moeacki in 2010 and Ricky Stanzi last year.
Here is Looney's take on the Chiefs targeting McNutt:
[F]or those who follow Iowa football a little more closely, McNutt's connection to the Chiefs runs deeper than noticing his record-breaking career and the team's recent pipeline of Hawkeye draft picks.
The All-Big 10 receiver spent his beginnings in Iowa City battling current Chiefs quarterback Ricky Stanzi for the Hawkeyes quarterback job. When it became clear McNutt wouldn't beat out Stanzi, or Jake Christensen, he was asked to move to wide receiver.
The rest, of course, is history.
It goes without saying that the position change did McNutt well. He would go on to finish his career as Iowa's all-time leading receiver with 2,861 career receiving yards and 28 career touchdown catches. His size, at 6'2" and 212 pounds, is appealing to NFL teams looking for an impact player in the middle rounds.
The Chiefs could certainly benefit from picking up a dynamic wide receiver. Time will tell whether McNutt will end up in Kansas City next season.
For all news and information regarding the Kansas City Chiefs, please visit Arrowhead Pride. For updates and perspective on the Iowa Hawkeyes, head on over to Black Heart Gold Pants. For lots more on the 2012 NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.
The Kansas City Chiefs are checking in on players, as are many NFL franchises, at this year’s Senior Bowl and as we find out names, we’ll keep you informed as to which directions Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel might be looking. One position of need in terms of depth is running back, so it’s interesting to see the Chiefs checking in on Cincinnati halfback Isaiah Pead.
Rob Rang says he’s already turning heads early at the Senior Bowl with some potential beyond the position. Rang writes, “Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead got an opportunity to field punts late in Monday’s practice, showing the concentration to catch the ball in traffic as well as the burst, elusiveness and vision you’d expect from the all-conference running back. Pead was rarely used in this capacity while with the Bearcats but turned some heads with his few opportunities Monday.”
Wes Bunting has a scouting report up on Pead at the National Football Post. He writes, “An explosive running back with the initial burst to press space quickly, put his foot in the ground and side step a defender. However, isn’t natural inside between the tackles and isn’t going to create on his own if there isn’t a big hole there. A space runner who will be looked at as more of a zone guy or third down back to most teams.”
Pead finished the year with 237 carries for 1,259 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.
As various teams' scouts and personnel are taking a closer look at the prospects available for the 2012 NFL Draft, it's possible to get a read on who and what positions are interesting particular teams. Thus far at the Senior Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs have been linked with a running back and an offensive lineman.
Isaiah Pead, a running back from Cincinnati, and Johnnie Troutman, an offensive lineman from Penn State, drew the interest of Chiefs personnel yesterday at Senior Bowl practices for the North roster. Troutman in particular would help fill a need along the offensive line for more depth and youth in the interior. At 6-4, 314 lbs, he's also got the size to match his gifts.
Bunting likes him as a low round pick and writes, "He's a big, thick kid with a naturally strong lower and upper half allowing him to rag doll/control blocks at times even with poor technique. Needs to continue to improve balance and wasted motion off snap in the run game, but his combo of size/athleticism is enough at this stage to warrant a shot to fight for a roster spot."
2012 NFL Draft: Boise State Running Back Doug Martin Visited Chiefs, According To Source
Scout.com's Aaron Wilson is reporting that, according to a league source, former Boise State Broncos running back Doug Martin has visited the Kansas City Chiefs. He has also visited with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams.
Martin is considered one of the top running backs in this year's draft class and has been a late first-round pick in some recent mock drafts. The Chiefs could be interested in Martin, who is considered to be one of the more versatile backs this year, to be the future of the team's backfield. However, with both the speedy Jamaal Charles and the powerful Peyton Hillis in the backfield, it's doubtful that they would spend a high pick on another running back when there are other needs.
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Apr 12 3:38p by Jason Garrison