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2013 NFL Draft: Should the Kansas City Chiefs draft for value or need?

There are two opposing schools of thought on what the Kansas City Chiefs should do with their high draft pick next season.

Chris Graythen

The Kansas City Chiefs are currently on pace to net the No. 1 pick in the draft, and will surely end up with one of the earliest picks next April. Although the team is in desperate need of a starting quarterback, there are people arguing that the team should not select a quarterback with their first pick.

The top players in this draft play on the defensive side of the ball, with Manti Te'o, Star Lotulelei and Jarvis Jones amongst the top draft-eligible players. Quarterback Geno Smith, the top quarterback prospect, tends to slot closer to the tenth-best player overall, making some believe that Kansas City should draft a higher-rated player and select a quarterback later in the draft.

Mel Kiper agrees with this point of view, as he argued that the Chiefs should select Te'o with their top pick in the draft. Although that would give Kansas City an impressive linebacker unit, fans might riot if a quarterback is not taken in the first round.

Arrowhead Pride writer Matt Verderame argues that Kansas City should draft for need, writing:

I don't want to hear any nonsense about waiting until the second round to take a quarterback because the value is there... value has no place in the Chiefs' first selection. It must be a quarterback, the best quarterback.

Both sides will have plenty of time to make their arguments between now and April.