2012 Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft and Offseason Grades, Review, and Analysis
The Kansas City Chiefs had so many injuries before last season even started, I stopped counting and they were still a pretty competitive team despite stretches of looking like they were one of the worst teams in the league.
The Chiefs have excellent depth all around, but they lack a playmaker at one key position, perhaps the most key position in all of pro sports: quarterback.
Matt Cassel isn’t fooling me, and I don’t think he’s fooling anyone else. If Brady Quinn were any good, he’d have stolen a start or two in his time with the Broncos because Kyle Orton is/was awful and most people (potentially including Elway and John Fox) thought Tim Tebow wasn’t much better either.
I am rooting for Ricky Stanzi more than most, but the Chiefs are bringing him along slowly and I never actually saw much playmaking from him at Iowa, just good on-field leadership and poise similar to that of Cassel.
But, like I said, at pretty much every other position, the Chiefs are stacked and they potentially have the best offensive line in the NFL. They are deep in the defensive backfield despite losing star cornerback Brandon Carr, and they have a superstar on both offense and defense (Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry) who missed all of last season but made the Pro Bowl a year before. The Chiefs didn’t do anything to upgrade the quarterback position being that they are so financially committed to Cassel, but here are the moves they made in the 2012 NFL Draft and in undrafted free agency:
1. Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
2. Jeff Allen, OL, Illinois
3. Donald Stephenson, OL, Oklahoma
4. Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State
5. DeQuan Menzie, DB, Alabama
6. Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
7. Jerome Long, DL, San Diego State
8. Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan
UDFA’s:
Louisville WR Josh Bellamy, Kansas TE Tim Biere, California OL Justin Cheadle, Colgate RB Nate Eachus, Bethune Cookham DB Jean Fanor, Holy Cross DB Chandler Fenner, North Carolina State FB Taylor Gentry, Kansas State DB Tysyn Hartman, Louisville LB Dexter Heyman, Notre Dame DE Ethan Johnson, North Carolina OL Cam Holland, Nebraska WR Brandon Kinnie, Florida State DB Terrance Parks, SMU K Matt Szymanski and Auburn DB Neiko Thorpe.
Best UDFA Signing: Nate Eachus, RB, Colgate
There’s a good chance you probably haven’t heard anything about Eachus even if you consider yourself to be a pretty die-hard NFL Draft fan, but he was one of the most productive college football players over the last four years at any level of competition. He was injured and only played in six total games last year, but he is a pretty explosive guy and a hard worker who is going to be very tough to cut. He will be able to eat up carries and while he doesn’t have great speed, he’s hard to take down and he proved that the last four years. I think this could be a very unheralded signing if Eachus is able to make the roster or practice squad.
Offseason Additions, Losses via Walterfootball.com
Additions
TE Jake O’Connell (re-signed)
CB Stanford Routt
WR Dwayne Bowe (Franchise Tag)
DT Amon Gordon (re-signed)
RB Peyton Hillis
TE Kevin Boss
QB Brady Quinn
OT Eric Winston
LB Jovan Belcher
CB Travis Daniels
Losses
LB Demorrio Williams (Chargers)
QB Kyle Orton (Cowboys)
CB Brandon Carr (Cowboys)
FB Le’ron McClain (Chargers)
TE Leonard Pope (Steelers)
Biggest Addition: Eric Winston, OT, Houston Texans
Winston will be the starting right tackle for the Chiefs and he is one of the best in the NFL at his position. Most people were shocked when the Texans cut such a key piece of their offense, but the Chiefs weren’t too upset about it. They snatched up Winston and immediately fortified the right side of their offensive line. It was a great move by Kansas City to bring him in and should pay immediate dividends.
Biggest Loss: Brandon Carr, CB, Dallas Cowboys
Carr is one of the best and most underrated corners in the game. The Chiefs at least were able to replace him with Stanford Routt, but this is absolutely a devastating loss to their defensive backfield. Carr is really, really good, and the Chiefs had a lot of cap space so I’m trying to figure out whey they didn’t even really try to bring him back.
Projected Depth Chart (offense)
QB: Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn, Ricky Stanzi
RB: Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis, Dexter McCluster, Cyrus Gray (R)
FB: Shane Bannon
WR: Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston, Junior Hemingway (R)
WR2: Jonathan Baldwin, Devon Wylie (R), Terrance Copper
TE: Tony Moeaki, Kevin Boss, Jake O’Connell
LT: Branden Albert, Donald Stephenson (R)
LG: Ryan Lilja, Jeff Allen (R)
C: Rodney Hudson, Rob Bruggeman
RG: Jon Asamoah, Darryl Harris
RT: Eric Winston, David Mims
Projected Depth Chart (defense)
DE: Tyson Jackson, Allen Bailey
NT: Dontari Poe (R), Jerrell Powe, Amon Gordon
DE: Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Bair
OLB: Tamba Hali, Cam Sheffield
ILB: Derrick Johnson, Cory Greenwood
ILB: Brandon Siler, Jovan Belcher
OLB: Justin Houston, Andy Studebaker
CB: Brandon Flowers, Travis Daniels
CB: Stanford Routt, Javier Arenas, DeQuan Menzie (R)
FS: Kendrick Lewis, Kyle McCarthy
SS: Eric Berry, Donald Washington
Special Teams
K: Ryan Succop
P: Dustin Colquitt
LS: Thomas Gafford
Final Roster Bottom Line
The Chiefs are extremely deep at running back and on the defensive line, and they have a ton of talent at key positions but they are an injury or two away from being in real trouble, especially at the linebacker and safety positions.
Draft Pick Recaps and Analysis
1. Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
Pros
Absolutely huge…Unexpected athleticism for a man his size…Excellent strength has garnered a reputation as a guy who has impressive weight room strength…quick off the snap, but has conditioning issues…gets his hands up if he doesn’t get to the quarterback…Functional strength to hold up the point of attack and take on extra blockers…
Cons
Doesn’t play with great leverage, which must be improved…A little too heavy, it’s not all muscle…conditioning issues…not a top pass rusher at the N.F.l. level unless he gets in better shape and adds some moves…If he is this big, this fast, this strong why doesn’t he have top production?
Round Projection: 1st
Thoughts
Poe is not a name a casual draft follower will not be onto yet, but as soon as the pre-draft process rolls around everyone will know who this massive specimen of a man is. Poe is absolutely huge and has good athleticism to boot. He has an intriguing blend of size, strength, and athleticism. He is not going to make a ton of plays at the N.F.L. level, but he’s going to open up a lot of room for other players to make plays. His potential to play nose tackle also greatly boosts his draft stock. I project Poe as a 1st or second round pick more because of the position he plays and his upside, more so than his ability right now today. He has a lot of technical work to do to play with better leverage and learn how to beat double teams most consistently
His draft stock will depend a lot on the pre-draft process because he doesnt play a heavy slate of top competition. He’s competing with players like Josh Chapman and Alameada Ta’amu to be the first nose tackle taken off the board (my favorite of the three prospects is Te’amu)
NFLmocks preseason bio
Poe has the ability to be a dominant defensive tackle in the NFL, but what is the knock on most of these giant, 6’5″ 350 pound kids nowadays? They sometimes take plays off. That may be the case with Poe, but he is still a top ten defensive tackle heading into this year after two very productive years with the Memphis Tigers. Started all 12 games last year and finished the season with 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks to follow up a freshman season where he had seven tackles for loss, and two more sacks. He has already forced six fumbles in his Memphis career, and he should be one of the best defensive tackles coming out this year should he choose to do so. He is a massive gap clogger whose size indicates he is a perfect fit to play nose guard at the next level, but I think he is athletic enough to play in any scheme.
Big Ten honorable mention by coaches and 2nd team all-conference as voted by the media after being voted to the 2nd team also as a junior. Big, strong kid who struggles to use his length to his advantage at times. Not an elite athlete but very strong at the point of attack and seems best suited to play guard at the next level. Slightly sloppy build but uses very good technique and was a four-year starter for the Illini. I think he could get drafted as high as the late second round and should be a starter in the NFL eventually. Needs to show more effort in the weight room and get into peak physical shape so he can hold up against NFL defensive linemen.
Pick Analysis: Allen is a versatile offensive lineman who is likely best playing in a phone booth situation. He needs to get in better shape physically to compete for a long time at the NFL level. Perhaps he simply just doesn’t look the part and is actually in very good shape, but he looks like he needs to take his time in the weight room more seriously. He has a ton of potential as a left guard or even right tackle in the future, and he was decent value where the Chiefs got him with their second pick.
3. Donald Stephenson, OL, Oklahoma
Pick Analysis and Scouting Report
Starting left tackle on a stellar pass protecting offensive line at Oklahoma, Stephenson has great length and overall size to play in the NFL at either tackle position. Stephenson is considered extremely talented but really raw, and he has time to sit and learn as the Chiefs’ bookend tackle positions are already well-set with Eric Winston and Branden Albert. Stephenson needs to mature with his overall understanding of the game, but down the road, this could be one of the best picks the Chiefs made because I think if Stephenson had more seasoning, he likely would have been a first round pick. Being that Oklahoma has so many good offensive linemen, it’s easy for a guy like this to go overlooked, but obviously he was a third round pick with relatively limited starting position so that speaks volumes to his abilities.
4. Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State
Pick Analysis and Scouting Report:
Surprise, surprise–one of the first things I read about Wylie when I was looking more into this pick was a comparison to Wes Welker. I’m getting pretty annoyed by those comparisons, but on paper, again, Wylie does look to have a similar skill-set to that of Welker. He is a very fast receiver with excellent punt return abilities, and he’s going to be a thorn in the foot of many teams the Chiefs play. I don’t see him as a 100 reception type of guy, but he will be extremely valuable on third and fourth downs as a slot receiver and special teams player with speed. This pick wasn’t as big a reach as many people think, as Wylie was projected to be the sixth highest ranked receiver by some outlets, and was projected in the fourth round by some. I like this pickup for the Chiefs to get a guy who can come in and instantly be their punt returner, and a dynamic one at that. Maybe he is more Tim Dwight than Wes Welker?
5. DeQuan Menzie, DB, Alabama
Pre-season report:
Former junior college player who dominated the JUCO ranks and was a four star prospect on Rivals.com before transferring to Alabama. Tide head coach Nick Saban criticized his very talented defensive unit’s overall toughness and tackling ability, but noted Menzie as one of the shining stars:
“DeQuan Menzie was a guy that if you went on the last scrimmage based on him being healthy and being able to practice all the time, I sort of felt like in that particular scrimmage he was our best corner,” Saban said. “Because of that, maybe the guy expands his role on our team. It makes good competition because we’ve got three guys that have played a significant amount at that position. It’ll be interesting to see how those guys compete and respond to that.”
Now, injuries are a concern for Menzie. He has had a torn Achilles tendon, and has also battled through hamstring problems, but he has every tool required to play corner at the NFL level, but the ‘Bama defensive backfield is so loaded, he might not even start there. Keep an eye on this guy. If he can stay healthy through the season, he will emerge as a top 10-15 cornerback.
Pick Analysis: Obviously, the talent is there for Menzie, but he needs to stay healthy. It’s not a bad idea by the Chiefs to take a flier on him since he has great talent despite being slow in the 40 yard dash. He could provide the Chiefs with an excellent nickel/dime defensive back who can play either corner or safety.
6. Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
Pros
Has a good build for a shifty back and runs with a low center of gravity…Pretty good speed, but not elite speed…soft hands out of the backfield and runs some routes…will run right through arm tackles and does a decent job of picking up yards after contact…does a good job of picking up the blitz…Pretty good vision and excels at making cut back runs…has taken snaps at wide receiver…Some kick return experience…
Cons
Isn’t extremely dynamic in the open field, and while he has a nice build for the position isn’t going to get the ball 20 times a game… A little impatient at times is setting up his blocks at times..Drops passes because he is looking up the field before he makes the catch, though he does have good hands…
Thoughts:
Gray doesn’t have elite speed, but he has enough speed, and ability to be a very nice complementary back in the N.F.L. Gray has good vision and does really well with cut back runs and would be a good fit in a zone-system. Gray also adds an element as a kick return man that is intriguing. Gray has had some of his production dip because of the presence of Christine Michael this year, but Michael is now out with an injury and Gray has a shot to have a real strong finish to the season. Gray offers reliability out of the backfield, especially in the screen game and blocks well enough to not be a liability in pass protection.
NFLmocks Preseason Bio
Gray is a quick twitch running back with excellent speed and burst off the line. This is a kid who is a threat to score literally every time he touches the ball. Led the Aggies with 13 total touchdowns in 2010, 12 of which came on the ground. Not a great inside runner, but he doesn’t hesitate in the backfield so he more than compensates for his lack of natural power. He will remind a lot of people of a LeSean McCoy type of player, and is improving in that regard as a receiver out of the backfield. In fact, he has 61 receptions over the last two years, so he has been an integral part of the Texas A&M passing attack. Probably the best overall senior running back in this class of players. Very good at reading his blocks, and has excellent vision. Always keeping his eyes down field, and great body control in the open field. Always a threat to make something out of nothing. Probably shorter than his listed height. Threw a pretty touchdown pass against LSU in the Cotton Bowl, and has taken snaps at wide receiver as well as quarterback for the Aggies, so could have upside in the NFL as a wildcat quarterback. Plays with a low center of gravity, but could add lower body strength to make him even more effective in the trenches. If he is up to 210 pounds by the NFL Scouting combine, he will likely be a sure-fire first or second round pick in the NFL Draft. Hard nosed guy who typically doesn’t go down on first contact. Workhorse for the Aggies who has great balance.
7. Jerome Long, DT, San Diego State
Pick Analysis: This is a guy who can potentially crack the Chiefs’ rotation, but it’s going to be tough. They aren’t too deep on the defensive line for him, and he has ideal size for the five technique position. Really not on many people’s radar before the draft, but the Chiefs have obviously done their homework and like this guy enough to use a pick on him in the seventh round.
8. Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan
Pre-Season Scouting Report (Nick Hlebichuck)
Hemingway will need to show that he can be a great receiver in the pro style offense this season. He has great size, listed at 6 foot 1 inch and 227 pounds, ideal for a wide receiver in the NFL. Hemingway did not excel as a pass catcher in the spread offense, however, he is probably the most sure-handed out of all the wide receivers on the squad this season. The earliest round that I can see Hemingway being taken in is the 3rd round, but more likely he will be a late round pick.