The Kansas City Chiefs have definitely struck out several times along the defensive line in the last several years. That much is for sure and needs to be stated up front. The list of names is enough to make any Chiefs fan's stomach turn just a bit in memory of some of the misses along the front of the defense, but should that be enough for Scott Pioli to ignore going with another risky choice like Dontari Poe? Apparently not.
However, Steve Sell believes otherwise. He describes the choice of Poe leading to Chiefs fans screaming and lists previous names that Poe could forever be connected to if he does not pan out.
"When the Chiefs picked Memphis' mammoth defensive tackle Dontari Poe, the screaming of their fans could be heard for miles," writes Sell. "Immediately, images of Glenn Dorsey, Tyson Jackson, Alex Magee, Tank Tyler, Ryan Sims and Junior Siavii came to mind. Dorsey was the fifth pick the year he came out and universally it was thought the Chiefs had a stud for a decade. While serviceable, he's never come close to the Pro Bowl and is an adequate plodder. Jackson was the overall No. 3 the year he came out and probably is still with the team only because the Chiefs do not want to admit what a mistake they made. He starts, but makes little impact, at least the impact you'd think a No. 3 overall pick would make."
Sell has a point. Any long-time Chiefs fan remembers those names well and there are even others he failed to list: Turk McBride, Eric Downing, Eddie Freeman. But many of those were under a regime far removed from Scott Pioli. Failing to take an impact defensive tackle because of perceived miscues of the past makes no sense. It's akin to saying that because the dice have rolled snake eyes three times in a row that they're bound to do so again at a higher percentage than normal. It's false logic.
The reality is that Dontari Poe represents the biggest upgrade the team could make in the draft and the best 3-4 defensive tackle was there for the taking. It was a mix of the greatest need and value at the same spot -- the perfect storm, so to speak. Whether it works out or not doesn't mean Pioli was/is a failure. It's the same pick many others would or should have taken given the state of the roster.