- Important 27
- Updates 96
- Articles 2
- All Updates 98
Do you want major updates to this story in your Facebook News Feed?
Like us to subscribe
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
2012 NFL Draft Results: De'quan Menzie Could Be Fifth Round 'Steal' For Chiefs, Per Todd McShay
As the 2012 NFL Draft grades and analysis comes out from a busy weekend, it’s clear that not every team is going to be able to win or come out without questions. For the Kansas City Chiefs, most of the ink of columnists is going to the Dontari Poe choice in the first round. However, Todd McShay praises Alabama’s De’quan Menzie as a potential “steal” later in the draft.
McShay writes, “Menzie’s talents fit what NFL teams look for in sub package defensive backs. He has experience lining up over the slot, is one of the most physical corners in the class in run support, and has the size and toughness to handle some of the bigger wideouts and flexed-out tight ends he’ll see in division games. Menzie does have some athletic limitations in man coverage, but he has a chance to be a steal.”
Greg Cosell praised Menzie as the best slot corner in the draft class, and his championship experience under Nick Saban is only going to enhance his ability to make the switch to the pro level quickly. The Chiefs could use that nickel safety and Menzie’s ability to play throughout the secondary should bode well for his chance to not only make the team but make an impact. Great fifth round choice.
For more on the Chiefs draft, check out Arrowhead Pride. For even more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to Mocking the Draft.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
2012 NFL Draft Grades: Mel Kiper Grades Chiefs Draft Class As 'C+'
The Kansas City Chiefs front office stuck to their guns over the weekend of the 2012 NFL Draft and came out with either the prize of all defensive players or a potential bust prospect along a defensive line where the Chiefs have struggled to find a true star. Dontari Poe is the Chiefs first round choice and it's been a polarizing one. Mel Kiper of ESPN grades itas a C+ in his latest column of grades after the draft.
Kiper writes, "Dontari Poe is one of the mysteries of the draft. He has the measurables of Haloti Ngata, but when you roll the tape you think he's a player who could still be around in Round 3. Why does he go No. 11? He's the rarest of players, a possible solution as a 3-4 nose tackle. You can't rave about the value, but the pick made sense, and this was a top need. I like the pick of Jeff Allen, a tackle from Illinois who should move inside to guard. Two picks, two needs down. After that it was a bit more scattershot, as you'd expect. I think Donald Stephenson has the upside of a starter at tackle, which is pretty good. Devon Wylie is a burner and will return kicks, where he's dangerous. Would have liked to see a value shot at either linebacker or safety."
Kiper gives the Chiefs ability to draft for need as a B, but apparently he doesn't like the value on the board since that's what lowers the grade. Interestingly enough, Kiper said before the draft that for the Chiefs to get an A, they would need to take Poe. Apparently that column went out the window.
For full draft results, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub, and for even more comprehensive draft coverage, head over to Mocking the Draft.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
2012 NFL Draft: Round 1 Reflections, Thoughts And Points Worth Making
Every NFL Draft column is the same today. Let me guess, dear sportswriter. You are going to choose five teams and call them winners. You'll choose another five and call them losers. You'll apply a school-like grading scale to each team's choice at the end of April. After reading through 30 such articles myself, it seems that some points need to be made not only about last night's first round but also about this entire process.
These thoughts are random and hold no more value than those of anyone else. At the very least, I'm not saying the Colts earned a B+ or calling the Cowboys big winners because they took a guy they never spoke with.
1. What The Tight End Is NOT Going On Here...
They say the NFL is a copycat league. After the New England Patriots made every defense shudder with the thought of having to cover both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez ever again, the prediction was that many teams would grab a tight end as a major offensive priority. The Broncos reportedly need a new Dallas Clark for Peyton Manning. The Giants were supposed to take Coby Fleener at 32.
Instead, the position went untouched just like last year when Kyle Rudolph was taken in the middle of the second round. Two years in a row and every tight end was told to have a seat. In short, it seems not everyone simply mimics what Bill Belichick does as their draft strategy.
2. Passivity Gets You Nowhere
The teams that seemed the happiest on draft night were the ones who knew who they wanted and did what they needed to get him. The Cowboys sacrificed a second rounder to get their corner. The Jags leapfrogged to grab their playmaker. The Browns gave up three extra picks to mosey up one spot. And, of course, the Patriots identified two pass rushers and moved up to get them. The rewards in each case were worth it for the team that knew exactly what they needed.
This also means that the Chiefs graciously declined two opportunities to move down in order to stand their ground and take the best 3-4 defensive tackle on the board. Whether it's a trade or a non-trade, decisive teams walked away happy. Meanwhile, teams like the Ravens were forced to move back because the guys they wanted were gone. Are the Jets happy with Quinton Coples after they failed to move up after reports said they were trying all night? The best teams know what they want and get where they need to be.
3. Instant Grades Are Useless
Here's the bottom line on "grades" at this point: they're good for entertainment only and hold zero merit whatsoever. Think about this: the guys who make the calls here have insider access at all levels, endless game tape, years upon years of training and their very livelihood depends on their ability to make the correct choice. They've researched, interviewed, analyzed, compared and then repeated the process all over again.
Let's take the Chiefs, for example. For Scott Pioli to officially choose Dontari Poe, the Chiefs front office likely had to find some consensus among multiple coaches, scouts and front office personnel. They know the exact schemes they want to run, they know what they already have on hand, and they know the opponents they have to face. It's also what they do 24/7. For fans to moan over any pick is an exercise in futility no matter how much of a stretch it seems.
4. New Faces In Means Old Faces Out
As Morris Claiborne enters, Michael Jenkins must be leaving. As Brandon Weeden is selected, Colt McCoy could be traded. Each new acquisition in the draft means that someone must leave, and that's as much a part of the draft process as knowing the rookies. Some teams are going to want instant draft assets in exchange for veteran parts they no longer need, which means Scott Pioli and company could add a player later in the draft weekend for a draft selection. With some extra cap space to work with, the Chiefs could even take on a larger contract that wiggles free.
For more on the Kansas City Chiefs and the 2012 NFL Draft, check out Arrowhead Pride, Mocking The Draft and SB Nation's NFL page.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
2012 NFL Draft Grades: Compete Wrap-Up Of Opinions On Chiefs DT Dontari Poe
Looking out over the vast expanse of NFL analysis coming out today reflecting back on the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, it's clear that very few people are immediately happy with the Kansas City Chiefs' selection of Dontari Poe at No. 11. Whether they believed there was better value available or that Poe is too much of a project, Scott Pioli is getting some second-guesses on this one. Here's a complete round-up of opinions from all around the Interwebs.
Matt Bowen of the National Football Post likes the upside with Poe:
Dontari Poe is one of the prospects that intrigued me leading up to the draft because of the big combine workout paired with the inconsistent tape. Did the Chiefs reach on him? Not if he can control the interior of the D-Line when K.C. looks to get after the QB. Still, an interesting pick from Scott Pioli.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports gives the Chiefs a "C" grade:
He's a big wide body for the middle of the KC defense, but he has to start making plays. He looks the part, but where are the numbers?
Mike Mayock of NFL.com says the Chiefs potentially scored the next dominant 3-4 anchor:
Think Haloti Ngata. That's the kind of skill set and the kind of size he brings to the table. He's got average college tape, but he's got freakish athletic ability for a big man. Romeo Crennel has a good one here to coach up. ... Most rookie defensive tackles get taken off the field on third downs. This kid's best down is third down.
Sporting News Vinnie Iyer says Crennel has some work to do here:
The Chiefs went for the Combine workout warrior in Dontari Poe, hoping he can eat up necessary space in Romeo Crennel's 3-4 defense. Crennel will need to work with Poe to make him deliver on his promise as a consistently productive player.
Don Banks of Sports Illustrated focuses on Pioli reversing his typical risk-free attitude:
Kansas City's general manager Scott Pioli is thought to be risk-averse, but he made one of the bigger rolls of the dice Thursday night when his Chiefs made Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe their first-round pick at No. 11. Poe is massively gifted from an athletic standpoint, but his game film was less than inspiring in 2011. That's the thing about those boom-bust types. You ever notice the boom part gets mentioned first, sometimes distracting us from the bust possibility?
The NFP's Wes Bunting has some motivational concerns:
I have some concerns about Memphis DT Dontari Poe being asked to do the dirty work and anchor the Kansas City 34 front. Physically and athletically he certainly has the talent. However, guys with motor problems rarely stay motivated clogging up run lanes inside
Cold Hard Football Facts says the Chiefs chose to address a non-issue and ignored the offensive woes of last season:
The Chiefs love their defensive tackles. Poe is now the ninth DT the team has drafted since 2002. Only the Titans have drafted more interior defensive linemen over that period. This pick is loaded with question marks, too. Kansas City's problems last year were on offense (31st in scoring), not on defense (12th in scoring). Poe could be largely overvalued, as well: a small-school guy who impressed more in workouts than he did on the field against quality competition.
For more on the Kansas City Chiefs and the 2012 NFL Draft, check out Arrowhead Pride, Mocking The Draft and SB Nation's NFL page.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
Round 2 Mock Draft: Mel Kiper Has Alshon Jeffery Headed To Chiefs
As the Kansas City Chiefs head into the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, tonight's second and third rounds will bring at least another couple of players to the Chiefs to add overall depth and hopefully another starter or two depending on the position. Thus far, the team has grabbed Dontari Poe at the No. 11 selection, staying put near the top of the draft while everyone else was trading. Mel Kiper believes tonight will bring a wide receiver to the Chiefs in Alshon Jeffery.
Kiper praises him as a great red zone target, and the South Carolina wideout had 8 touchdowns catches last season. Overall he caught 49 passes for 762 yards in 2011, a drop in production after a great 2010 season due to a change in quarterback. In 2010, he caught 88 catches for 1,517 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also has a solid build at 6-3, 216 lbs to go with a great vertical leap.
The National Football Post's Wes Bunting doesn't like him nearly as much, however, and says there are cause for concern with his game. He writes:
Overall, Jeffery looks like a more dynamic version of Seahawks wide out Mike Williams who will be limited in the routes he can run (fade, slant, post, corner) at the next level. But can still be successful as the "Z" receiver where he will be put in motion and used a lot in two man routes with the tight end running vertical and adjusting to the throw. However, he's never going to be overly productive due to his inability to separate consistently of his breaks.
Other receivers are available this round include Rueben Randle of LSU and Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech, but every skill position player at this point comes with some areas of concern. It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs add someone to the wideout corps given the Dwayne Bowe contract situation that looms.
For more on the Kansas City Chiefs and the 2012 NFL Draft, check out Arrowhead Pride, Mocking The Draft and SB Nation's NFL page.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
NFL Draft Grades: Kansas City Chiefs Earn A 'C' For Dontari Poe
The gang at SB Nation's NFL team have already handed out their way too early 2012 NFL Draft grades (at least for the first round), and the somewhat debatable merits of Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe earned the Kansas City Chiefs a 'C' grade by the SB Nation squad:
Chiefs: Dontari Poe has the physical skills, but we're not sure if he can consistently put it together on tape. This pick can go either way.
How the Chiefs' draft class stacks up against their division rivals is a big, fat 'TBD' at the moment, what with Oakland having no first pick thanks to the Carson Palmer trade, and Denver trading their way out of the first entirely. San Diego earned a 'B' for Melvin Ingram from South Carolina, but the shakedown of this division is still yet to come.
For more on the Kansas City Chiefs and the 2012 NFL Draft, check out Arrowhead Pride, Mocking The Draft and SB Nation's NFL page.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
NFL Mock Draft Round Two: Kansas City Chiefs Projected To Take Peter Konz
After taking the mammoth run-stuffer Dontari Poe out of Memphis in the first round to strengthen their interior defensive line, the Chiefs are projected to work on the other side of the trenches in the second round, according to SB Nation's latest round two mock draft:
44. Kansas City Chiefs - Peter Konz, OL, Wisconsin
First-round pick: Dontari Poe, DT
In the Chiefs' zone blocking scheme, they obviously need linemen who can get out on the move. Konz is a killer on sweeps in the run game, and gets to the edge really fast. He's a perfect fit for the Chiefs. He could start at guard as a rookie and be insurance if Rodney Hudson happens to struggle at center.
Wisconsin has a long and storied reputation of creating pro linemen, and Konz would help reestablish the Chiefs' stable of runners after injuries hampered the backfield in 2011.
For more on the Kansas City Chiefs and the 2012 NFL Draft, be sure to check out Arrowhead Pride, SB Nation's NFL page and Mocking The Draft.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
2012 NFL Draft: Second Round Draft Order
The Kansas City Chiefs have the No. 44 pick overall and the No. 12 pick in the second round thanks to the flop of picks with the Seattle Seahawks in alternating rounds. That means that 11 more choices will come off the board, likely starting with Cordy Glenn, before the Chiefs get a chance to add to their roster in the 2012 NFL Draft.
After taking Dontari Poe, the Chiefs could likely go with an offensive lineman or someone else for the secondary. However, it's clear the Chiefs will simply follow their draft board and allow the draft to come to them. While a slew of trades will undoubtedly be made, we have the second round order for you below.
Here's the complete draft order for the NFL Draft's second round:
No. 1 (33): St. Louis Rams
No. 2 (34): Indianapolis Colts
No. 3 (35): Baltimore Ravens (From Vikings)
No. 4 (36): Denver Broncos (From Buccaneers)
No. 5 (37): Cleveland Browns
No. 6 (38): Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 7 (39): St. Louis Rams (From Redskins)
No. 8 (40): Carolina Panthers
No. 9 (41): Buffalo Bills
No. 10 (42): Miami Dolphins
No. 11 (43): Seattle Seahawks
No. 12 (44): Kansas City Chiefs
No. 13 (45): St. Louis Rams (From Cowboys)
No. 14 (46): Philadelphia Eagles
No. 15 (47): New York Jets
No. 16 (48): New England Patriots (From Raiders)
No. 17 (49): San Diego Chargers
No. 18 (50): Chicago Bears
No. 19 (51): Philadelphia Eagles (From Cardinals)
No. 20 (52): Tennessee Titans
No. 21 (53): Cincinnati Bengals
No. 22 (54): Detroit Lions
No. 23 (55): Atlanta Falcons
No. 24 (56): Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 25 (57): Denver Broncos
No. 26 (58): Houston Texans
No. 27 (59): Green Bay Packers
No. 28 (60): Baltimore Ravens
No. 29 (61): San Francisco 49ers
No. 30 (62): New England Patriots
No. 31 (63): New York Giants
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
NFL Draft 2012: Pittsburgh Steelers Reportedly Taking David DeCastro
So much for any possibility of the Kansas City Chiefs moving up to take David DeCastro in the 2012 NFL Draft. After many people thought the Chiefs might take him at No. 11 to bolster the offensive line, DeCastro has dropped much farther down draft boards than any analyst predicted. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly set to take him at No. 24 according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
DeCastro is a Stanford product regarded as potentially the best interior offensive lineman to come out to the pro level since Steve Hutchinson. That’s high praise for DeCastro, but he’s impressed anyone who’s watched his game tape and the Steelers could have themselves a Pro Bowl caliber player for the next decade.
The Chiefs can still address the guard position in the draft since it is one of the deepest positions in the draft class. Kevin Zeitler is still on the board, as is Cordy Glenn. Multiple others would make fine additions as well by the time the Chiefs select in the second round.
For even more comprehensive coverage of the NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
NFL Draft 2012: Dontari Poe Is Chiefs First Round Selection
With the 11th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs has selected Dontari Poe, a nose tackle from the Memphis Tigers. These NFL Draft 2012 results confirm the projection for Poe, whom many scouts and evaluators felt was one of the top defensive linemen in the draft.
The junior was the anchor of the Memphis defense last season with his impressive size at 6'4" and 346 pounds. He also wowed scouts at the NFL Scouting with his surprising speed and his overall strength. It remains to be seen if that will translate to the NFL given that much of his domination in college was against Conference USA foes, but if he commits himself to working hard, he could be a great anchor to a 3-4 system.
He definitely becomes the player with the highest ceiling along the Chiefs defensive interior. However, the team could also sign a veteran to aid him like bringing back Kelly Gregg.
The Chiefs's next pick is the No. 44 selection.
- about 1 year ago
- Update
- 0 comments
NFL Draft Trade: Cowboys-Rams Make Move For Morris Claiborne At No. 6
Adam Schefter is reporting that the Dallas Cowboys have reached a deal with the St. Louis Rams for the No. 6 pick in the draft and the rumor is that they want to grab LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne in the process. The Rams pick up the second round choice of the Cowboys in the process.
If so, that means a couple of things for the Kansas City Chiefs. First of all, the Cowboys will not be moving up for Mark Barron with the Chiefs, which means the safety could still be there at No. 11. This also means that the Cowboys will have brought in former Chiefs cornerback Brandon Carr and then picked Claiborne in the draft to form one of the best young corner tandems in the NFL.
Credit the Cowboys for making significant moves in both the NFL Draft and free agency to address the team’s biggest need. The secondary has been reborn and now the team can move forward. The Rams, meanwhile, pick up other picks that they needed to help rebuild the team. The Chiefs now have one less trade partner.
Read more news and analysis on the Chiefs at Arrowhead Pride and SB Nation Kansas City. For additional news and notes around the league, check out the SB Nation NFL hub page.