The Kansas City Chiefs have a major choice ahead of them with restricted free agent Brandon Carr. If they can sign him to a long-term deal, then the team can move on to other candidates for their first round choice, which will come at either No. 11 or 12 without a trade (and depending on the upcoming coin flip during the NFL Combine). If, however, they lose their starting corner to another team -- like his hometown Detroit Lions -- then the team has some work to do.
Part of that work to solve the corner dilemma could come at the expense of that first round choice in the 2012 NFL Draft. Dre Kirkpatrick is among the top corners available in the draft and while others like Morris Claiborne could go as high as No. 3 to the Minnesota Vikings, Kirkpatrick will likely slide to some degree because of character concerns (which includes a recent arrest on possession of marijuana, although charges were later dropped). Still, his talent should overwhelm any character issues.
Wes Bunting writes, "Overall, Kirkpatrick has all the physical tools to be an excellent corner in the NFL. Corners with his height and wingspan are rare and he should get drafted very high assuming he runs well at the combine. The main concern is that shortly after the season ended, he was arrested for marijuana possession ... Still it’s a red flag and cause for concern and his off-field activities need to be checked out."
The Chiefs might have greater needs to address with that choice (especially offensive tackle), but a high value corner like Kirkpatrick might shift things if they like what they see at the Combine and ensuing Pro Days. At the very least, the Chiefs have options to keep cornerback a position of strength.