No matter what the Chiefs do concerning Kyle Orton, Peyton Manning or a number of other possibilities on the open market, drafting a quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft is still a good move for the Kansas City Chiefs. Scott Pioli has already said that he wants to conceivably draft a new quarterback every year and this year has several decent options to consider. Brandon Weeden is the latest second round choice from Drafttek in their most recent mock draft for the Chiefs:
The Chiefs are emerging as a strong contender for Peyton Manning, if he becomes a free agent. However, that does not preclude drafting a developmental QB. The Chiefs are reported to be down a bit on Ricky Stanzi’s development. Hence Brandon Weeden makes sense here. There is a lot to like in Weeden. He finished the season third in the league in passing yardage, throwing for 4,277 yards with a nice 34/13 TD/INT ratio. He has a strong arm, displays accuracy on all NFL type routes, has enough mobility to be effective, and is a leader on the field. Oh yes, then there is the fact that he is 28 years old. There is a lot to work with here.
If Weeden cleans up his footwork and adapts to playing under center, he could be very effective. With this pick, the Chiefs would be looking for him to start no later than year two. His ceiling is high, but his window is short. With quarterbacks playing until their late 30’s, he could have a nice 8-10 year career.
Weeden just led the Oklahoma State Cowboys to a Big 12 title and solid BCS placement this season with a receiver like Justin Blackmon beside him. The Chiefs should overlook his age and enjoy the product if he’s available considering that he would still have plenty of time in an NFL uniform.
If the Chiefs bring in Weeden and a free agent to go with Matt Cassel, then Ricky Stanzi is likely finished before he ever got started with the Chiefs, and that might be the one element to keep in mind here.