Wes Bunting of the National Football Post has his latest mock draft before next week’s NFL Combine out and several new names have made their way into the first round. However, the Kansas City Chiefs are sticking with familiar territory for the for the 2012 NFL Draft with their selection of Mike Adams of Ohio State. The right tackle is the ideal fit and several mocks have made this same selection in the past.
Bunting writes, “You have to think after the struggles the Chiefs had at right tackle last season, drafting a guy like Adams who has the size and athleticism to handle powerful NFL pass rushers is a must for them this off-season.”
As for Adams’ talent, Bunting rates him as the second best tackle in this year’s class and his incredible size at 6-8, 320 should give defensive linemen fits. Bunting summarizes his opinion by saying, “He’s a talented kid with a big frame, long arms and natural movement skills. He can bend and if he can put it all together and continue to improve his footwork he could certainly mature into a starting caliber left tackle in the NFL.”
The reason this works so well for the Chiefs is that Barry Richardson has been a subpar right tackle over the last two seasons, and many draftniks believed the Chiefs would have addressed the position a year ago. Given the dearth of solid options in free agency, the Chiefs are bound to wait until the draft to select a tackle and the first round presents the best options compared to deeper positions available in the draft. Adams would shore up the right side for the Chiefs and improve all facets of the offense.