Another round of 2012 NFL Mock Drafts are out over at the NFL’s main site and between four columnists, the Kansas City Chiefs are selecting four different players. That’s just how hard it is to tell where the Chiefs might go at No. 12 overall (or No. 11 depending on an upcoming coin flip). The Chiefs have need at inside linebacker, so it’s no surprise to find candidates like Luke Kuechly from Bosotn College or Dont’a Hightower from Alabama here. However, the variance shows just how upside-down the first round rankings are outside of the two top or three players.
Hightower was a major part of the championship defense for Nick Saban last season, but this is the highest slot I’ve seen him listed in any mock to this point. If he’s comparable to Rolando McClain, however, he might go even higher, as McClain went at No. 8 overall to the Oakland Raiders.
Kuechly, meanwhile, is largely considered the best linebacker in the country at this point by most sportswriters, so this is about the spot most people place him. The Chiefs already have a strong linebacking corps except for inside linebacker next to Derrick Johnson, so this choice would make it a truly elite unit.