With the recent announcement from the NFL of the punishment regarding the Chiefs tampering claim against the Lions, it seems a fine time to look at what kind of players would be available if the same scenario would have happened in recent drafts.
Perhaps it's an exercise in futility, since hindsight is always 20/20 and every team has a different draft board, making it impossible to tell what might have happened under certain scenarios. But let's also be honest that the looming labor situation isn't giving us much to talk about except the greed that currently infects the NFL on all sides, so we need at least something to fixate our attention upon.
To catch everyone up to speed, the Chiefs gain the 9th pick in this year's fifth round, which should give them something around the 146th selection (depending on compensation picks at the end of previous rounds). The Chiefs move up from the 23rd pick in the fifth round (around 160, or the same place the Chiefs took Justin Medlock), trading slots and gaining a window of 14 players in the process. Some have noted the relatively lackadaisical punishment and that the Chiefs could file an appeal to gain more compensation, yet that's just conjecture at this point.
So what exactly would this window grant KC in years past? Four years ago, in that celebrated 2007 draft where the Chiefs grabbed Medlock and Kolby Smith, they could have had TE Kevin Boss or special teams highlight David Clowney in that window. In 2008, the Chiefs could have taken RB Tim Hightower or QB Dennis Dixon in the same frame. The following year, 2009, would have offered LB Jasper Brinkley and not much else.
The results are slightly better in previous years, since the last few cupboards are obviously bare. Defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin (2003), defensive end Aaron Kampman (2002), punter Mike Scifres (2003), guard Jake Scott (2004), safety Erik Coleman (2004) and linebacker Michael Boley (2005) were all taken in that span. However, the greatest players chosen in that window in the last decade are the Eagles choice of defensive end Trent Cole in 2005 and RB Michael Turner by the Chargers in 2004.
It seems recent years prove the Chiefs shouldn't expect much from the jump in draft position, but further digging reveals some solid players can be found in the jump in draft slots. The Chiefs, at the very least, are in a slightly better position to grab someone higher on their draft board -- in the hopes that player turns into the next great find in the fifth round.