2012 NFL Draft – Sixth Round

*-picks that were traded. (c)-compensatory picks. #-underclassmen selected.

2012 NFL Draft – Fifth Round

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2012 NFL Draft – Fourth Round

*-16 choices were traded. (c)-8 compensatory choices. #-5 underclassmen.

2012 NFL Draft – Positions, Colleges

There were 253 names called for the 2012 NFL Draft.

There were 125 on defense, 122 offensive players and six in the kicking game.

Ironically, it was the two positions that go head-to-head that matched up with the most draft choices – wide receiver and cornerback.

There were 33 guys that catch the ball and 32 players that try to keep them from grabbing the pass. Here are the picks broken down by position:

33    Wide receivers

33    Linebackers

32    Cornerbacks

24    Offensive tackles

22    Defensive ends

21    Running backs

20    Defensive tackles

18    Safeties

18    Guards

12    Tight ends

11    Quarterbacks

4    Kickers

3    Centers

2    Punters

————————————————

By Conferences:

• 42    Southeastern
• 41    Big Ten
• 31    ACC
• 28    Pac 12
• 25    Big 12
• 12    Big East

By college football levels:

• FBS (Division 1-major college football) – 230.
• FCS (Division 1AA football) – 16.
• Division II – 5.
• Division III – 1.
• Canada – 1.

2012 NFL Draft – Underclassmen

There were 65 players that were granted early eligibility into the 2012 NFL Draft.

The first six players drafted were underclassmen, and 10 of the first 12 had playing time remaining in the college ranks.

Here’s how the underclassmen were selected:

That left 21 players looking to hook up with an NFL via undrafted free agency:

QB (2) – Darron Thomas, Oregon; Barrett Trotter, Auburn.

RB (5) – Alvester Alexander, Wyoming; Mike Ball, Nevada; Jamison Berryhill, Texas; Jewel Hampton, Southern Illinois; Darrell Scott, South Florida.

TE (1) – Tiree Eure, Minnesota.

WR (4) – Dorian Graham, Syracuse; Aldarius Johnson, Miami; Damaris Johnson, Tulsa; Eric Page, Toledo.

OL (1) – Ken Plue, Purdue.

DT (1) – Marcus Forston, Miami.

DE (2) – Max Holloway, Boston College; Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina.

LB (1) – Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State.

DB (4) – Cliff Harris, Oregon; Janzen Jackson, McNeese State; Johnny Thomas, Oklahoma State; Philip Thomas, Syracuse.

2012 NFL Draft Trades

After there was a flurry of trades involving the first 10 draft choices, the trading activity died down around the NFL for the rest of the 2012 NFL Draft.

By the time it ended, there were 27 trades completed during the draft. Those deals involved 28 of the 32 teams. The Chiefs were one of the four teams that did not take part in the swap meet, along with Arizona, New Orleans and the New York Giants. There were three teams that were part of four trades: Minnesota, New England and San Francisco. Green Bay traded up three times, while the 49ers and Vikings traded down three times.

Here are the picks traded at least once per round:

That’s 40 percent of the picks that changed hands at some point in the process. It’s actually 46 percent since 32 of the draft choices are compensatory picks that cannot be traded.

Just in the 3-day draft, there were five 2013 choices that were traded, one each in the third, fourth and fifth, and two in the sixth.

Chiefs announce Undrafted Rookie Signees

That’s KU tight end Tim Biere (86) going for the ball against Georgia Tech. Biere signed with the Chiefs on Sunday.

———————————————————————–

We told you on Sunday about 10 players the Chiefs had agreed to terms on coming out of the NFL Draft. On Monday, they officially announced those 10 players along with five more.

The 15 break down seven on offense, seven on defense and a kicker:

OFFENSE: WR Josh Bellamy of Louisivlle, TE Tim Biere from Kansas, OL Justin Cheadle out of California, RB Nate Eachus from Colgate, FB Taylor Gentry of North Carolina State, C Cam Holland of North Carolina and WR Brandon Kinnie of Grandview and Nebraska.

DEFENSE: SS Jean Fanor of Bethune-Cookman, FS Chandler Fenner from Holy Cross, SS Tysyn Hartman of Kansas State, LB Dexter Heyman of Louisville, DE Ethan Johnson out of Notre Dame, SS Terrance Parks and FS Neiko Thorpe from Auburn.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Matt Szymanski from SMU. …Read More!

Complete Coverage of the Chiefs & NFL Draft

The three-day passion play that in the NFL is known as the annual player draft left us with plenty of stories as the Chiefs drafted eight new players that they hope make a difference for their team in the coming years.

We were all over it throughout this year’s Draft and especially before as we tried to bring you as much information on possible draft choices as a one-man band can put together.

Here’s a compilation of our Sunday stories, entries on all eight draft choices and all of the seven-round picks in order, along with notes and other tidbits. Enjoy the package – for football fans it’s always a Christmas in April type of feel.

Here’s where you can find all the draft information:

• Column – What about help for 2012?
• A second guess with Chiefs-Steelers picks.
• Our evaluation of eight Chiefs draft choices
• 1—Chiefs grab NT Dontari Poe in first.
• 2—Offensive line helps comes from Jeff Allen.
• 3 – Pick goes local with OT Donald Stephenson.
• 4 – Fresno State WR Devon Wylie brings speed to KC.
• 5 – Alabama “star” DB DeQuan Menzie joins Chiefs.
• 6 – Chiefs grab Texas A&M RB Cyrus Gray.
• 7a – Another defensive lineman in DT Jerome Long.
• 7b – Chiefs close out draft with WR Junior Hemingway.
• Day #1 coverage.
• Day #2 coverage.

In Sixth Round Chiefs Select Texas A&M RB

From the Truman Sports Complex

In the sixth round, the Chiefs reached down into the Longhorn State and grabbed RB Cyrus Gray of Texas A&M.

The 5-10 ¼, 206-pound Gray is a Texas native and brings a combination of speed and power to the Chiefs offense. He was timed at 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and did 21 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press.

In four seasons at College Station, Gray played in 49 games with 24 starts. He ran 632 times for 3,298 yards and 30 TDs. He caught 103 passes for 776 yards and 6 TDs. He had back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 rushing yards, gaining 1,133 in 2010 and 1,045 in 2011. He scored a dozen touchdowns in each season.

“He was a tremendously productive back,” GM Scott Pioli said of Gray. “He and (Ryan) Tannehill were the leaders on the football team down there. He played injured, played with a big problem all this year and he continued to be productive and a team leader.”

Gray said the leadership role is one he embraces

“I think what I do best is just being a leader on and off the field,” Gray said. “My skills and all that stuff speak for themselves. Hopefully I can show that when I get there.”

Over his career at Texas A&M and DeSoto High School, Gray played many different spots, working at quarterback, slot receiver, fullback and he was also one of the better Texas schoolboy kickoff returners.

“I think that was good for me,” Gray said of his jack of all trades work. “My coach always told me the more you can do, the better it is. Maybe I haven’t mastered one thing, but if you can be a jack of all trades and do more, then I guess guys will be willing to have you.”

Here’s a more complete profile that we ran several weeks ago.

Cyrus Danall Gray

Born – November 18, 1989 in DeSoto, Texas

Graduated in 2008 from DeSoto High School.

Evaluating & Analyzing Chiefs Class of 2012

From the Truman Sports Complex

Here’s our evaluation of the good, bad and other items involving the Chiefs eight selections in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Thursday, April 26

• Chiefs 1st pick Dontari Poe (Round 1, 11^th overall).

The good: The big nose tackle is a remarkable athlete with size, speed and strength numbers that were among the best in the 2012 draft class. Plus, Poe’s a hard worker with a good attitude who is anxious to step in and play in the NFL.

The bad: He came out of a losing program and his production was minimal over three seasons. The level of competition he’s played against was not first-rate and he did not dominate when he was on the field.

Character/background: Poe grew up in tough circumstances in Memphis with a single Mother and older brother in prison for burglary and drug charges, but he came through his childhood and

Need pick?: Yes, a nose tackle was the biggest hole in the Chiefs roster, both in the short term and longer term.

The bottom line: Poe is a developmental project. Those type of players are not often drafted that high in the first round. Most teams saw him as a bottom of the first-round choice.

Friday, April 27

• Chiefs 2^nd pick Jeff Allen (Round 2, 44^th overall).
  

The good: The Illinois blocker is a durable performer who opened 47 games at both left and right tackle. That’s an impressive history given the type of competition he was playing against in the Big Ten Conference.

The bad: He will be asked to move to guard, a position that he’s never played in high school or college. There will be a big learning curve for Allen.

Character/background: Team leader at Illinois with no apparent off-field problems during his time with the Illini.

Need pick?: Yes, depth was very necessary for the Chiefs in this draft, especially along the offense line.

The bottom line: Allen is a developmental project and unlikely to contribute much in the 2012 season, especially if he’s moved to guard.

• Chiefs 3^rd pick Donald Stephenson (Round 3, 74^th overall).
  

The good: The Kansas City native spent the last two seasons handling left tackle at Oklahoma, no small achievement for a program that likes to throw as much as the Sooners.

The bad: With only two years of real playing experience, he remains a very raw prospect that will need close instruction and time to develop.

Character/background: Stephenson was suspended during his time with Oklahoma for breaking team rules. He was also arrested as a high school senior when he was part of joy-riding crime spree in Blue Springs.

Need pick?: Yes, long-term depth at tackle was a must for the Chiefs.

The bottom line: Stephenson is a developmental project and unlikely to contribute much in the 2012 season.

Saturday, April 28

• Chiefs 4^th pick Devon Wylie (Round 4, 107^th overall).
  

The good: The Fresno State wide receiver has sub-4.4 speed and the knack of getting away from opponents and creating space, particularly as a punt returner.

The bad: At just 5-9, 186 pounds, Wylie battled injuries throughout his college career.

Character/background: No known problems.

Need pick?: Yes. The offense needed a speed receiver and the Chiefs needed another punt return threat.

The bottom line: When he’s healthy, Wylie has shown the ability to contribute and he could do that early in 2012 as a punt returner and slot receiver. He might be the first of these ’12 draft choices to get regular playing time.

• Chiefs 5^th pick DeQuan Menzie (Round 5, 146^th overall).
  

The good: A two-year starter in the Alabama defense, Menzie played the difficult “star” position and handled the physical and mental aspects well enough to keep his job for the always hard to please Nick Saban.

The bad: He’s lacking in speed and may have trouble making the transition to the NFL and its faster receivers and deep threats in coverage.

Character/background: No none problems.

Need pick?: No, Menzie was more of a best available athlete pick. If he moves to safety, then he’ll fill a hole the Chiefs have in their roster.

The bottom line: There’s a roster spot waiting for Menzie if he shows he can handle the transition to pro football and can play a bit of safety.

• Chiefs 6^th pick Cyrus Gray (Round 6, 182^nd overall)
  

The good: At running back Gray has a nice combination of power and speed and is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

The bad: Throughout his career he’s been the jack of all trades, but master of none.

Character/background: A team leader with the Aggies, he scores high on intangibles.

Need pick?: Yes. The offense needed a young back, with a style somewhere between Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis. That’s what Gray provides.

The bottom line: With Charles and Hillis at the top of the depth chart, Gray will have to make his initial mark on special teams or possibly fullback, but he’s done that before at A&M.

• The Chiefs 7^th pick Jerome Long (Round 7, 218^th overall)
  

The good: At San Diego State, he played both DE and DT for the Aztecs and his versatility paid off in 2011 when they went 8-5 and played in the New Orleans Bowl.

The bad: He has not played in a 3-4 defense since high school, and even then just a brief period of time.

Character/background: No known problems.

Need pick?: Yes. Offense needed a faster receiver and the Chiefs needed another punt return threat.

The bottom line: Limited production at San Diego State over his career, hard to see where he fits in the NFL.

• The Chiefs 8^th pick Junior Hemingway (Round 7, 238^th overall)
  

The good: WR Junior Hemingway brings a great deal of athletic skill to the Chiefs receiving corps, especially with his ability to go vertical.

The bad: Playing games in five seasons with Michigan, Hemingway’s production was limited and he’s dealt with a lot of injuries.

Character/background: No known problems.

Need pick?: Not really. He’s a typical seventh-round choice – a good athlete without a sparkling career.

The bottom line: Special teams will punch his ticket on or off the roster.

The Draft Hay Is In the Barn – But Is It Worth Eating?

From the Truman Sports Complex

To a certain extent, the Chiefs eight-man class for the 2012 NFL Draft leaves me perplexed. GM Scott Pioli picks have as much of a chance to be successful as any of the other 31 draft class. He did not draft eight guys that are cripples or without resumes that show some achievement in the college ranks.

Yet, it’s a draft that is all about the future, not about the present and that’s what makes it all so hard to understand. How Pioli can sit in his chair in a fourth year in charge of the Chiefs and spend valuable draft currency looking past year No. 4 and focusing on year No. 5 and 6? He’s either had his contract extended by team chairman Clark Hunt, or he has the owner completely snowed.

I really hate to harp on one aspect, but there’s no way to evaluate the three-day 2012 NFL Draft without considering some important numbers:

• Chiefs five-year record – 27-54, a .333 winning percentage.
• Record under Pioli’s leadership – 21-28, a .429 winning percentage.
• Number of head coaches in the last three years – 3, with the first two fired.

…Read More!

Just A Little Second Guessing . . .

My contention has been that the Chiefs drafted for down the road, and ignored the help needed to improve the team in 2012. My contention is that good personnel teams can do both.

For example, one of the best drafting teams in the NFL over the last 25 years has been the Pittsburgh Steelers. They seldom make a big mistake with their money picks, they always seem to have bodies ready and able to step in when they lose some of their older veterans to free agency, and they are not a group influenced by the public on who or what position they should focus on for their selections.

That’s one reason they’ve been in the Super Bowl three times over the last seven seasons, winning two of those championships.

My contention is this – if the Chiefs had used their first five draft choices in the manner that the Steelers did their choices, Kansas City would be better off in 2012 and beyond.

Here are the choices for both teams: …Read More!

Chiefs Adding Undrafted Rookies

Even before the NFL Draft is over each year, the race to sign undrafted rookies begins. It’s just another important part of the personnel process. Yes these are the players that will round out the bottom of the 90-man roster for training camp.

But there are so many stories about undrafted rookies not only making the club; they went on to long careers.

(That’s Colgate RB Nate Eachus to the left.)

The Chiefs have announced their signings yet and won’t until they have contracts actually signed by the player. But through agents, other media and Twitter (is that now other media?) there appears to be at least 11 players that committed to GM Scott Pioli and his signing staff: …Read More!

Chiefs Close Out 2012 NFL Draft With A Receiver

With their second selection in the seventh round and eighth pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Chiefs grabbed Michigan WR Junior Hemingway.

The 6-1, 222-pound Hemingway hails from Conway, South Carolina, but he’s spent the last five seasons in Ann Arbor playing for the Wolverines in 48 games with 31 starts. In that time he caught 88 passes for 1,638 yards and 11 TDs.

Hemingway was the 30th wide receivers selected in the 2012 NFL Draft and the third player this year from Michigan.

“Being able to be productive, graduate, and now have my shot in the pros, it kind of makes me feel like I can do anything,” Hemingway said.

How did a kid from South Carolina get to Michigan? “I started playing receiver the summer going into my junior year of high school and I went to Michigan for camp and played receiver,” said Hemingway. “They offered me a scholarship and stuck with me all the way through the recruiting process. So I decided to go to Michigan to play football.”

After minimal playing time in his freshman season (2007), Hemingway ended up receiving a medical redshirt after playing in four games in the 2008 season and then being forced to the sidelines by mononucleosis. He came back in 2009 and earned a starting job, which he pretty much held for the next three seasons.

This came through three different coaching staffs. He was recruited by Lloyd Carr and his staff that was replaced by Rich Rodriquez and his staff in 2008. Rodriquez was fired after the 2010 season and replaced by Brady Hoke.

“There were a lot of ups and downs,” Hemingway said. “But I played through it all and ended up pretty good.”

Last year was his best season with 34 catches for 699 yards and four touchdowns. That was good enough to lead the Wolverines in receiving. Against Notre Dame he caught 3 passes for a career-high 165 yards, including a 43-yard scoring play and a 77-yard completion. Hemingway was the MVP of the Sugar Bowl in January when he caught two TD passes in Michigan’s victory over Virginia Tech in New Orleans.

“I think a lot of his production was limited because of the offense he ran,” said Chiefs GM Scott Pioli. “He’s a guy who has really good physical tools, good hands.”

Kenneth Earl “Junior” Hemingway, Jr.

Born – December 27, 1988 in Conway, S.C.

Graduated from Conway High School in 2007

Graduated from the University of Michigan in 2011 with degree in

5 rushes for 9 yards. 13 punt returns for 140 yards.

First 7th Round Choice Goes To Defense Line

With the first of two choices in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft the Chiefs selected DT Jerome Long from San Diego State University.

The 6-4, 285-pound Long played four seasons for the Aztecs with his best season coming in 2011, when he earned second-team All-Mountain West Conference defensive honors. The California native had 69 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks.

“He’s a long, linear type player who is probably going to come in and lineup initially at the defensive end position for us,” GM Scott Pioli said of Long. “He’s another guy that’s a team leader, high motor guy, tough guy and a really, really smart guy.”

Over his career in San Diego, Long played in 49 games with 163 total tackles, 17.5 TFL and 9 sacks.

“I played inside in college, but I could do whatever the team wants me to,” Long said. “I’ll do my best.”

He became a full-time starter in 2010 and racked up 30 tackles. Long came back in the 2011 season and finished with 73 total tackles and five sacks.

At Morro Bay High School in California, he played tight end and defensive end. He was also a wrestler.

JEROME LONG

Born – April 9, 1990 in Riverside, California

Graduated from Morro Bay High School in 2008

In Sixth Round Chiefs Select Texas A&M RB

From the Truman Sports Complex

In the sixth round, the Chiefs reached down into the Longhorn State and grabbed RB Cyrus Gray of Texas A&M.

The 5-10 ¼, 206-pound Gray is a Texas native and brings a combination of speed and power to the Chiefs offense. He was timed at 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and did 21 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press.

In four seasons at College Station, Gray played in 49 games with 24 starts. He ran 632 times for 3,298 yards and 30 TDs. He caught 103 passes for 776 yards and 6 TDs. He had back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 rushing yards, gaining 1,133 in 2010 and 1,045 in 2011. He scored a dozen touchdowns in each season.

Over his career at Texas A&M and DeSoto High School, Gray played many different spots, working at quarterback, slot receiver, fullback and he was also one of the better Texas schoolboy kickoff returners.

Here’s a more complete profile that we ran several weeks ago.

In The Fifth Round Chiefs Grab Alabama DB

With the 146th choice in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected Alabama DB DeQuan Menzie.

The 6-0, 198-pound native of Columbus, Georgia, began his college career in the junior college ranks at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi. He joined the Crimson Tide in 2010, playing in a dozen games with seven starts.

Then in the 2011 season he started at cornerback opposite Dre Kirkpatrick, starting 12 games, plus moving inside and covering the slot.

“When they were in their sub defense, he moved into their star position,” said GM Scott Pioli. “That’s the guy who covers the slot. This is a guy we were very excited to get. He was a player we were talking about.”

The star position is the spot where Javier Arenas caught the Chiefs eye during his final season in the Crimson Tide defense before he was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

“The person that Nick (Saban, Alabama head coach) puts at the star is usually really, really smart and really, really competitive and DeQuan is both of those things. One thing I think we’re all learning in this league and in our division is you can never have too many defensive backs that can cover and this guy can do that.”

Menzie said it’s called the star position because of how much effort goes into playing the spot. “It’s basically the hardest position,” said Menzie. “You’ve got to do a lot of reading the line, you’ve got to know formations, you’ve got to know where to fit and stuff like that. It’s really a hard position.”

Menzie appeared in 25 games over two seasons with the 2011 national champions. He had 41 total tackles, 1 interception, 1.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery.

Some draft pundits considered him a second-round talent, but teams may have been afraid of his speed – not that he was too slow, but that they didn’t really have a good time on him in the 40-yard dash.

“He didn’t run for time,” Pioli explained. “He had a hamstring and then a groin. He had a groin issue and then groin hernia surgery at the end of the season and he wasn’t fully prepared to run in the last months.

“He’s a junior college transfer and when he first showed up at Alabama, he had an injury to his Achilles tendon. So I think his speed on paper is a little bit different.”

DeQuan McKenzie

Graduated in 2008 from Carver High School in Columbus, Georgia

In Fourth Round Chiefs Grab Wide Receiver

The Chiefs kicked off the third and final day of the 2012 NFL Draft by going small, rather than grabbing another big man like their first three choices.

In the fourth round they selected diminutive WR Devon Wylie out of Fresno State.

The California native is 5-9, 187 pounds. That’s seven inches shorter than third-round choice OT Donald Stephenson and 60 pounds lighter that first-round pick NT Dontari Poe. What he lacks in size and stature he made up for in his college career with explosion. He played in 44 games with the Bulldogs, catching 98 passes for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns. Wylie also made a name for himself on punt returns, averaging 13.5 yards on 41 returns with a pair of touchdowns.

“We have him rated as being one of the guys we thought would be a top special teams player coming out of the draft,” said GM Scott Pioli.

But he was not a starter for the Bulldogs, opening only seven games, five of those last year. Wylie struggled with injuries throughout his college career that began in 2007. He dealt with a hamstring, sprained foot and then lost an entire season save one game to a lisfranc fracture in his foot (2010).

It wasn’t until the 2011 season that Wylie was able to stay on the field and away from major injuries.

“The good thing about it is none of it is lack of durability,” Wylie said of his injuries. “It’s just been unfortunate things. In this last season, I was able to prove that I can make it through the season explosively. Everything is on the right path, and everything is going well.”

Wylie caught 56 passes for 716 yards and one TD. He also finished fourth in major college football on punt returns in 2011 with a 15.4-yard average, including a 79-yard TD return against Boise State and a 67-yard return for a score against Nebraska.

“As a slot receiver, he has a chance to come in (and play),” said Pioli. “At the receiver position we thought about a couple different things in terms of need, not just a slot receiver, but a speed receiver. He hits two of those needs at that particular position.”

The guy he’s compared to most often is Patriots WR Wes Welker, and that’s just fine with Wylie.

“People consider me to be an undersized slot receiver and that’s fine, I take it as a compliment,” he said. “You know I take pride in being the Wes Welker-type.”

DEVON WYLIE

Graduated in 2007 from Granite Bay High School in California

Caption This!

This meeting went down Thursday night in New York. Quite probably for the first time ever, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell got to know the Chiefs first-round draft choice Dontari Poe in a very personal way.

What do you think they were saying to each other? Let us know.

NFL Draft Day No. 2 – More Big Bodies For Chiefs

Late Friday night, Scott Pioli was not willing to make a commitment that the Chiefs were done selecting wide bodies in the 2012 NFL Draft.

In three rounds that wrapped up with the third round, Pioli has taken three players that combined weight 959 pounds and average just a hair more than 6-4.

Dontari Poe . . . Jeff Allen . . . Donald Stephenson are all big boys. That certainly should allow the Chiefs to find some smaller, faster, quicker players in the final rounds on Sunday, right?

Wrong.

“Romeo and I were laughing because we’re two guys that love linemen,” Pioli said. “Clark (Hunt) made a joke as we were finishing up about “how many linemen are we drafting tomorrow. I won’t say we’re done with linemen yet.”

Here’s our day coverage:

• Column – Pioli finds nothing for 2012.
• Second-round choice Jeff Allen.
• Third-round choice Donald Stephenson.
• Pick-by-pick in the second round.
• Pick-by-pick in the third round.
• Pre-Draft coverage from Friday.

Column: Where’s the Help For 2012?

The Chiefs are two days and three choices into the 2012 NFL Draft and here’s what we know of this year’s class of Dontari Poe, Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson:

• They are big . . . on average 6-4½, 320 pounds.
• They all play among the big uglies on the line of scrimmage.
• They have GM Scott Pioli and head coach Romeo Crennel very excited.
• Their selections have Chiefs fans befuddled.
• There is a good probability that for the season opener, all three will be on the game-day inactive list.
• Same for the week after that, and the week after that, and after that, and . . .
• The chances that any of the three finishes the season as a starter at his position are slim, the only time that word will be associated with them.

Talking after the Draft’s third round ended on Friday evening, Pioli mentioned one of the goals the Chiefs had for this year’s draft.

“We talk about trying to get this team bigger, stronger, faster, tougher and we feel in the last two days we have certainly gotten bigger, stronger, faster, tougher,” Pioli said.

All that is well and good, but are they a better team after the first three picks of the draft?

It’s impossible to answer that question to the affirmative, even though Pioli tried.

“We’ve created quality depth and definitely created competition throughout the football team,” Pioli said.

Maybe so, but the additions of Poe, Allen and Stephenson are not about the little picture of 2012. It has far more to do about the big picture of down the road, in 2013, 2014 and beyond. That is something that a GM and head coach must realize and prepare for, especially teams that are consistently on top of the pro football standings. The Giants, Steelers, Packers, Patriots do this every year.

The last time I checked, the Chiefs did not make the playoffs last year. In Pioli’s three seasons in charge of the team, they’ve not won a game in the post-season. They are 21-28.

In other words, they need more talent and they need that talent to be on the field making big contributions in the regular-season opener against Atlanta on September 9.

“I think they’ll come in and compete immediately for positions,” Pioli said of his Friday draftees, blockers Allen and Stephenson. “We feel these guys, both of them have great versatility. The good news is that they’re going to be able to seriously compete and push players ahead of them for jobs right away. We expect for them to immediately come in and push people for playing time.”

Are we supposed to believe that Allen and Stephenson, a pair of college tackles, are going to come in and push starters Branden Albert and Eric Winston for playing time? Please. Even Pioli backed away from what he was trying to sell.

“I think we’ll be creating depth,” Pioli said. “We don’t expect them to come in and beat guys out right away. But they’ll be coming in and competing against other tackles.”

Again, how does that make the Chiefs better in 2012? On game day, there are usually seven offensive linemen on the active roster. If Albert or Winston goes down with an injury, are they really expecting Allen and Stephenson to be able to step in and make a difference? Right now, and the season remains four months away, the Chiefs have no experienced depth on their offensive line at any position.

“That’s correct, but you’ve got to start playing sometime, you know what I mean?” Pioli said.

Yes, I know what he means, and so does Matt Cassel and the doctors and trainers that will have to piece him together each week if this team is going to rely on rookies to provide depth.

Listen, there is a never ending fight that goes on within football organizations that pits the present against the future. Franchises that haven’t won a game in the playoffs since January 1994 – like the Chiefs – generally tend to be more concerned about the present, and establishing a new attitude within the team and thus building a new direction.

One gets the sense team chairman Clark Hunt and Pioli already believe that work has been done. They have changed the so-called culture of what they found four years ago. That may be true, but what they haven’t produced are successful results (21-28), and just maybe that’s been produced by the effects of a flowed approach to the NFL Draft.

2012 NFL Draft Second Round

*-picks traded. #-8 underclassmen drafted. Time of round – 2 hours, 6 minutes.

2012 NFL Draft Third Round

*-picks traded. (c) Compensatory pick. #-7 underclassmen drafted. Time of round – 1 hour, 42 minutes.

Chiefs Third Round – Oklahoma OT Donald Stephenson

From the Truman Sports Complex

In the third round with the 74th selection of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Chiefs selected OT Donald Stephenson from Oklahoma.

Stephenson, 6-6 and 307 pounds, played at Kansas City’s Central High School and at Blue Springs High School where his senior season was hampered by a broken toe.

Joining the Chiefs was a dream come true for the big man.

“I’m speechless,” Stephenson said right after receiving the call from the Chiefs at his mother’s home in Blue Springs. “I love the Chiefs. I’ve always loved them. To have a chance to play in my hometown is huge.”

He was a two-year starter for the Sooners at left tackle. As a freshman he took a redshirt season in 2007 after undergoing shoulder surgery that kept him out of physical action for three months. The next year he played in seven games as a reserve blocker and then did not play at all in the 2009 schedule as he served a school suspension.

“He ran into a little issue while he was there, but in talking to the young man and talking to the people at the school, they feel like after that issue he handled himself well and grew from it,” said Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel. “They gave him a vote of confidence, to that helped make our decision easier about choosing the young man.”

In the 2010 Oklahoma season he started 1-0 of 14 games at left tackle, playing a total of 868 snaps. Stephenson stayed in that left tackle spot last season, when he earned honorable mention status All-Big 12 Conference.

He began his high school career at Kansas City’s Central High School, but said that at the end of his time there he was more interested in winning games, which is why he and his mother moved to Blue Springs and gave him the opportunity to play for excellent and winning Blue Springs High School program.

“It all came down to winning football games,” said Stephenson. “We weren’t doing much of that at Central, so I knew about Blue Springs High and their history and I wanted to be part of something special. Me and my Mom sacrificed and moved out here (Blue Springs) and got an apartment. She made a lot of sacrifices for me in doing that and it was a tough year for us but it turned out to work out for the best for me.”

Second Round For Chiefs – Illinois OL Jeff Allen

From the Truman Sports Complex

Help for the offensive line came with the Chiefs second-round choice in the 2012 NFL Draft Friday night when they selected OL Jeff Allen from the University of Illinois.

The 6-4, 307-pound Allen earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors playing at left tackle with the Illini in the 2011 season. He played in 49 games and started 47 consecutive games dating back to his freshman season in 2008, all of those starts coming at tackle.

But the Chiefs spoke to Allen about playing guard when he joins them for his rookie season. That’s the position he was introduced at by former Chiefs guard Will Shields, who was in New York to handle the announcement for the second round of the draft

“I didn’t play guard one single game at Illinois,” Allen said. “I showed the ability to play guard when I was at the Senior Bowl. A lot of teams liked it. I think I’m comfortable enough to play it at a high level. The difference with guard is that you have to be less patient. I learned that at the Senior Bowl.”

Allen started nine games as a freshman that year at right tackle. In his sophomore season, he moved to left tackle and started all 12 games there. As a junior and senior, he opened all 12 games in both seasons at left tackle and was named the team’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman.

In his first two seasons, Allen had the chance to play with current Chiefs right guard Jon Asamoah. “When I came to Illinois, I started as a true freshman,” Allen said. “I played right next to him. I was at right tackle and he was at right guard. He’s one of those guys that carried me along and kind of showed me the ropes.

“He taught me the persistency you have to bring especially at that level. You have to be persistent and I’m pretty sure it’s the same in the NFL.”

Allen also said he’s heard plenty about Kansas City, the Chiefs and Arrowhead Stadium from Asamoah, and plenty about the community from his Illinois teammate and starting quarterback, Nathan Scheelhaase. “I heard a lot about the Chiefs in the locker room.”

A native of Chicago, the 22-year old Allen attended King High School where he was a four-year, two-way starter for head coach Lonnie Williams, where he was ranked among the top 30 prospects in the state.

“He’s a captain, been playing for about four years,” said Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel. “He flips left and right, so there are a lot of good things about him. We’re going to take a look at a couple different positions, both tackle and guard, to see where he might fit.

“He’s been a tackle all his life, so just to say he’s going to come in and be a guard, I don’t know if I would say that. We’re going to let him compete and see where he fits.”

Ready To Kickoff Day #2 Of NFL Drtaft

Another 64 names will be called Friday evening as the 2012 NFL Draft continues in New York.

It all starts at 6 o’clock CDT and can be watched on ESPN and the NFL Network.

It was a speed record time for the first round on Thursday evening, when 32 players were picked in three hours. In the second round teams will have seven minutes to decide on a pick, while it’s a five-minute maximum for the third round.

The Chiefs have selection No. 44 in the second round and No. 74 in the third round.

There remain many talented players available to the teams drafting in these next two rounds. …Read More!

Chiefs Go Poe In First Round

.

“When I actually heard my name called, I just went numb. Being drafted that high and by that team was a best-case scenario.”

Those were the words of Dontari Poe, a huge 6-3, 246-pound nose tackle out of Memphis after he got the call from the Chiefs and was selected as their first-round draft choice. It was the Chiefs moment in what was a wild first day of the three-day 2012 NFL Draft that saw a whirlwind of traded draft picks.

Here’s our coverage of the first-round:

• Chiefs grab Memphis nose tackle
• Pioli likes his new nose.
• Column – A Pioli first-round gamble
• Dontari Poe pre-draft profile.
• Here’s the first round, including fun facts about the 32 picks.
• Here’s a recap of the trades in the first round.
• Pre-draft coverage from Thursday night.
• Second/third-round update for Friday night.

Column: Pioli Tosses the Draft Day Dice

From the Truman Sports Complex

Nobody in the Kansas City media horde has campaigned longer and harder than me for the Chiefs to draft a nose tackle. No one willing to express an opinion took more shots at Scott Pioli and Todd Haley for not filling the gaping hole in the center of the 34 defensive universes.

So Thursday night, what do the Chiefs do? They finally go out and do what they should have done in the previous three years – they drafted NT Dontari Poe with the 11th choice in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

And I’m sorry, but the move does not have me convinced that a hole in the club’s roster is now filled. It’s a nice try, but it’s almost impossible to see how this draft choice is going to advance them into the tournament field and challenge for a championship.

The GM that is “risk adverse” as one ESPN commentator said on television Thursday night, decided to gamble on a player generally considered boom or bust. Rather than take a safe choice, Pioli reached for Poe, in much the same manner that he reached for Tyson Jackson three years ago.

It’s déjà vu all over again and it may be an indicator that Pioli is feeling very safe in his spot on top of the Hunt Family franchise. While others speculate on Pioli’s job security being lessened due to a 7-9 season and his troubles with Todd Haley that led to a coaching change, the man himself is making picks that may not pay off for years. It was only during the 2011 season that Jackson became a confident and regular contributor to the Chiefs defense. Although he remained only a part-time player working on early downs against the run, Jackson then came off the field when the sub-defense was sent in to play the pass.

Get ready Chiefs fans, because it may take even longer for Poe to advance to a point where he can contribute in the middle of the K.C. defense.

Pioli is counting on Romeo Crennel making sure that development happens much faster than it did with Jackson. And, he’s so sure that Poe has the physical, mental and emotional makeup to become a major contributor that he strongly states that the move is not any more of a risk or gamble than any other draft choice.

“I don’t think this is a risky pick,” Pioli said. “The player fits the mold of the type of player that we’re looking for physically for that position. He fits a need to a degree. He fits everything that we believe in make-up wise in terms of his passion for the game, his love for the game, his work ethic and the way he plays.

“So to me, when you find a guy like this, this is not a risky player in the sense that we know we’ve got a football player that’s going to come in here and be a professional and do a great job and we are going to be able to maximize his abilities.”

In many ways, Dontari Poe is a remarkable person. He’s overcome a tough childhood with a single mother working split shifts to pay for the groceries and an older brother in prison on burglary and cocaine charges. People who worked with him at the University of Memphis have nothing but wonderful things to say about the young man who won’t turn 22 until August. Pioli said he sailed through the team’s psychological testing; showing a personality for overcoming whatever problem is presented to him.

That provides hope. But Poe has a long road to travel. Check his three-year career at Memphis and it’s hard to see the type of production that got Pioli and his scouts excited. In three years at Memphis, those teams finished 5-31, playing against competition that does not compete on the same level of play as the SEC or Big 12. In six of those games he played against SEC teams, producing five tackles total. Over his career, he averaged 3 tackles per game and one sack every seven games. In his 35 career games, there were four times when he didn’t record a single solo tackle or assist. There were another eight games where there was one tackle. That’s more than 33 percent of his games he barely turned up on the stat sheet.

He couldn’t even claim first-team status on the All-Conference USA team in 2011. The DT honors went to Tulsa’s Tyrunn Walker and Cordarro Law of Southern Mississippi; neither is a candidate to be selected in this year’s draft.

I’m sorry, but by every criterion available, drafting Dontari Poe was a higher risk than other options and possibilities at No. 11, like DTs Fletcher Cox and Michael Brockers, even DEs like Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram and Chandler Jones. There were a couple of guards in David DeCastro and Kevin Zeitler and OT Riley Reiff. All of those players had multiple seasons of play against quality competition.

Maybe Romeo Crennel and his defensive line coach Anthony Pleasant are miracle workers and will be able to coach up Poe so that he’s a major contributor in 2012. Maybe Scott Pioli’s vision down the road of Poe fitting in with the K.C. defense will actually come into view.

But chances are that hole in the middle of the Chiefs defense will not be productively filled any time soon.

Second/Third Round Friday Night

The 2012 NFL Draft continues on Friday evening with the second and third round selections.

The second round will begin at 6 p.m. Central with coverage again on ESPN and the NFL Network.

Teams will have seven minutes to make their selections in the second round, and then five minutes for the third round.

There are 32 selections set in each of the rounds. St. Louis has the first choice in the second round with Indianapolis owning the first pick in the third round.

The Chiefs have pick No. 44 in the second round, the 12th choice in the round. They also have pick No. 74 in the third round.

2012 NFL Draft First-Round

• Defensive end was the most popular position with 7 DEs drafted, while quarterback and wide receiver had 4 each; No tight end or center selected in Round No. 1.
  
• First five picks were offense, then defense dominated the choices, going 17 for the last 27. Overall it was 17 on defense, 15 on offense.
  
• There were 19 underclassmen selected in the first round.
  
• Alabama had four players drafted in the first round. There were nine schools with two picks each in the first: Stanford, USC, Oklahoma State, LSU, Baylor, South Carolina, Boise State, Notre Dame and Illinois.
  
• The Southeastern Conference led all college leagues with 9 first-round picks. The Big 12 had five choices, with Big Ten and Pac 12 with 4 each.
  
• Interesting teams without a first-round choice – Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Washington, Oregon, California, UCLA.

2012 First-Round Trades

Half of the 32 first-round picks in the 2012 NFL Draft belonged to more than one team before the final pick came off the board Thursday night. That included six of the first seven picks. Four picks were changed hands more than once. Here’s a first-round trade roundup:

No. 2 from St. Louis to Washington for No. 6, No. 39 in the second round and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. This trade went down on March 9.

Redskins drafted Robert Griffin III at No. 2; the Rams traded No. 6 to Dallas.

No. 3 from Minnesota to Cleveland for No. 4 in the first round, No. 118 in the fourth round, No. 139 in the fifth round and No. 211 in the seventh round.

Browns selected RB Trent Richardson at No. 3; the Vikings selected OT Matt Kalil at No. 4.

No. 5 from Tampa Bay to Jacksonville for No. 7 and No. 101 in the fourth round.

Jaguars selected WR Justin Blackmon at No. 5; the Buccaneers selected S Mark Barron at No. 7.

No. 6 from St. Louis to Dallas for No. 14 and No. 45 in the second round.

Cowboys selected CB Morris Clairborne at No. 6; the Rams selected DL Michael Brockers at No. 14.

No. 12 from Seattle to Philadelphia for No. 15, No. 114 in the fourth round and No. 172 in the sixth round.

Eagles selected DE Fletcher Cox at No. 12; the Seahawks selected DE Bruce Irvin at No. 15.

No. 21 from Cincinnati to New England for No. 27 and No. 93 in third round.

Patriots selected DE Chandler Jones at No. 21; Bengals selected G Kevin Zeitler at No. 27.

No. 25 from Denver to New England for No. 31 and No. 126 in the fourth-round.

Patriots selected LB Dont’a Hightower at No. 25; Broncos traded No. 31 to Tampa Bay.

No. 29 from Baltimore to Minnesota for No. 35 in second round and No. 98 in fourth round.

Vikings selected S Harrison Smith at No. 29.

No. 31 and No. 126 in fourth round from Denver to Tampa Bay for No. 36 in second round and No. 101 in fourth round.

Buccaneers selected RB Doug Martin at No. 31.

Pioli Has No Doubts About Poe

When the announcement was made inside the Chiefs practice facility that the team’s first-round draft choice was NT Dontari Poe, the reaction was muted.

Some of the season ticket holders attending the free party were unhappy. There were others that seemed pleased, but the large majority of folks appeared a bit dazed, with a reaction that said Dontari who?

Or maybe it was Dontari why?

Given the report from GM Scott Pioli out of the Chiefs draft room, there was nothing but happiness there when the opportunity came to select Poe. Going into Thursday night’s first-round, Poe was a player that Pioli, Romeo Crennel and staff identified as one they would be interested in considering with that No. 11 choice in the first round.

As the picks went flying off the board in what turned out to be an unusual first round start, the Chiefs had a group of players they were considering. At the top of that group were two: Poe and LB Luke Kuechly. When Kuechly went at No. 9 to the Carolina Panthers, Pioli and Crennel knew what their choice would be.

“We didn’t feel like we were cornered into picking a certain position,” Pioli said. “We knew there were positions where we wanted to upgrade the competition and have some youth for the future as well. This one (Poe) fell to us and we were really happy about it.

“We think we got a guy that in time can be the best pure nose based on what we look for out of this draft. We are pretty excited about getting this player.” …Read More!

First Round For Chiefs – NT Dontari Poe

From the Truman Sports Complex

After several seasons where they failed to acknowledge the lack of a nose tackle for their 3-4 defense, the Chiefs used their first-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft to fill that major hole.

They selected NT Dontari Poe, a 6-3, 346-pound athletic specimen from the University of Memphis as the fourth first-rounder in the Scott Pioli Era in charge of Chiefs personnel.

Poe gained universal attention around the league after his performance in the NFL Scouting Combine in late February. In physical testing there, he was among the most athletic performers no matter position. At 346 pounds, he was timed in 4.98 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and he bench pressed 225 pounds 44 consecutive times. His vertical jump was 29½ inches, despite his weight and he ran the 20-yard shuttle in under five seconds. All are remarkable results for a man his size.

But head coach Romeo Crennel said it wasn’t Poe’s Combine performance that drew the Chiefs to him; it was the performances he put together in 35 games playing for Memphis.

“Our scouts’ reports talked about how good he was as a player and his ability,” Crennel said. “Those reports came before the Combine. What he did at the Combine perked us up even more.”

A native of Memphis, Poe had limited recruiting interest coming out of Wooddale High School. Recruiting services rated him a 2-star prospect. He took the 2008-09 school year to get his academics in order, and then landed on the Memphis campus where he was recruited by former Tigers head coach Tommy West.

Poe played in 35 games over the next three seasons, starting 30 of those along the defensive line. His production was limited, as he had 101 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. He also forced four fumbles for a Memphis team that went 5-31 in his three seasons.

Crennel said the fact Poe was moved all around the defensive line did not allow him to establish himself at a single position.

“He played the 9 (technique), 7, 5, 3, 2, 1 and he played over the center at nose tackle,” Coach Romeo Crennel said, referring to defensive end and defensive tackle spots in both the 34 and 43 defenses. “He did that every game, not just every once in awhile. We are going to put him at one position, nose tackle, where we’ll let him play and learn the spot.”

That was very good news for the 21-year old Poe, who was in New York at Radio City Music Hall for the Draft when he got the phone call from the Chiefs that he was their man.

“That sounds good to me,” Poe said. “It will be good to play just one spot, nose guard, and learn the ins and outs of the position. I’m eager to get it started. It wasn’t a problem playing (multiple positions), but it’s always better when you play one thing.”

While he played a few snaps in college as a two-gap nose tackle, there is no body of evidence from his college career to evaluate.

But GM Scott Pioli says Poe has shown enough attributes on the field at Memphis that the Chiefs feel he can transition to the position full-time.

“I’m not comparing players but Vince Wilfork never did a snap in the two –gap when he was down at the University of Miami,” Pioli said of the Patriots long-time nose tackle with three Super Bowl rings. “You see certain things in the players that you believe they have a chance to play the two-gap techniques.”

2012 NFL Draft Headed For Kickoff

Sometime after 7 o’clock Thursday night, after ESPN and the NFL Network get through their introductions at the top of the hour, the draft pick clock will kick off for the first choice.

Seconds later, the Indianapolis Colts will announce their selection of QB Andrew Luck.

That will trip the clock for the second choice, and seconds later the Washington Redskins will announce their selection of QB Robert Griffin III.

Then, the clock starts for pick No. 3 and the Minnesota Vikings are on the clock. What happens from this point is why football fans will tune in to watch the 2012 NFL Draft.

It’s Luck and Griffin and then various possibilities after that with the choices belonging to Minnesota, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Carolina and Buffalo.

After those 10 spots are filled, the Chiefs will get their chance to draft at No. 11. Or, trade down and out of the pick. …Read More!

2012 NFL Draft Profiles

Here’s the complete list of NFL draft profiles that have been running for the last month-plus. They are in alphabetical order and then by position.

…Read More!

Remembering Jack Palace & Draft Day Diet

It has been 42 years since the Chiefs appeared in the Super Bowl and 19 years since their last victory in the playoffs. The Chiefs are now entering the fourth year of the Pioli regime and the sixth year since the organization decided to clean house and start with their youth movement.

Kansas City isn’t Green Bay. There isn’t a waiting list of 78,000 for season tickets. Fair or not, even dedicated fans that have supported the franchise for years have lost or are losing their patience. The Chiefs haven’t been a Super Bowl contender since Dick Vermeil left, and by his own admission they weren’t going to get there if he stayed.

During that time the AFC West has evolved from the NFL doormat to one of the most competitive divisions. It boasts two of the top rated quarterbacks in the game in Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers and at least on paper Denver has improved dramatically from last year, when it won the division.

Every AFC West team was one key victory away from the divisional title last year. All of the front offices are staffed by experienced professionals who have the ability to move their teams in the right direction. The Chiefs, Denver and San Diego all have experienced NFL coaches who have won, although none of them consistently. San Diego has the most consistent system, as Norv Turner has been there for several years. All of the other head coaches are either in their first or second years. …Read More!

Top 100 Prospects – G David DeCastro

David DeCastro is a serious guy. Although his friends acknowledge that he has a wicked sense of humor, he seldom smiles. Satisfied is not a word that goes with his life on the football field.

As one of the best offensive lineman in this year’s class for the NFL Draft, he brings with him to the league an attitude that he just didn’t play well enough, no matter how well he may have played.

“He is so serious he sometimes thinks a high five after a touchdown is too frivolous because it might break concentration,” said Stanford QB Andrew Luck, who also happened to share a house with DeCastro. “The person he is hardest on is himself.”

Asked at the NFL Scouting Combine in February for his No. 1 memory of three seasons playing at Stanford and he answered quickly. “Brian Price of UCLA,” DeCastro said. “I set outside and he came back and countered inside. He sacked Andrew.”

That was the only sack DeCastro allowed during his college career, and came during his first season on the field. He’s had hundreds of successful blocks and plays since, but his memory is of failure.

“That’s just the way he is,” teammate OT Jonathan Martin said of DeCastro. “He’s seldom satisfied. That’s why he’s so driven.”

There’s a lot to the story of three D: Driven David DeCastro. Here are some of the details.

Draft Profile – G David DeCastro

DAVID DECASTRO/GUARD

Personal

David DeCastro

College – Stanford University.

Born – January 11, 1990 in Bellevue, Washington.

Family – Parents are Jennifer and Colin DeCastro, who are natives of South Africa. Mom has three college degrees including a Ph.D. in audiology from the University of Florida. Dad and his grandfather were both rugby stars back in South Africa. His parents did not allow him to play football until the ninth grade.

Physical

• Height – 6-foot, 4 5/8 inches.
• Weight – 316 pounds.
• Arm – 32½ inches.
• Hand – 10 inches.
• Wing span – 79 1/8 inches.

NFL Scouting Combine

• 40-yard dash – 5.43 seconds.
• Bench press – 34 reps at 225 pounds.
• Vertical jump – 29½ inches.
• Broad jump – 8-feet, 2 inches.
• 3-cone drill – 7.30 seconds.
• 20-yard shuttle – 4.56 seconds.

Hometown

DeCastro grew up in Bellevue Washington, a city of nearly 123,000 on the eastern side of Lake Washington. Seattle is on the west side of the Lake. It’s a suburb of Seattle that was settled in 1869, but not officially incorporated until 1953. Prior to the Lake Washington Floating Bridge and it’s opening in 1940, Bellevue was largely a rural area. The first bridge and then atoner with the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in 1963 turned Bellevue into a bedroom community for Seattle. Those who once called or still call Bellevue home include Ann and Nancy Wilson of the classic rock group Heart, baseball players John Olerud and Tim Lincecum and Layne Staley, the lead singer of Alice in Chains.

High School

DeCastro was part of the graduating class of 2008 at Bellevue High School where there are 1,338 students enrolled in grades nine through 12.

Football

The Wolverines under head coach Butch Goncharoff had one of the most successful high school football programs in the Northwest. DeCastro was part of the state 3A football championship in 2006, and that was the schools fifth title in six years.

2007 – Bellevue finished 11-2 on the season with DeCastro earning all-state honors, as well as all-King County honors.

2006 – The Wolverines went 14-0 and won the Class 3A state championship game. In four post-season games, Bellevue outscored their opponents 124-27.

2005 – Getting his first chance to play on varsity, DeCastro was part of a 9-2 Wolverines team.

Track

DeCastro was the 2008 Washington 3A champion in the shot put, with a winning throw of 59-feeet, 3 inches. He also won district (58-feet, 4 inches) and county (58 feet, 1 ½ inches) titles.

Recruiting

Rivals.com listed DeCastro as a 3-star prospect and he was listed as the No. 11 center in the country. Scout.com rated him as the No. 3 center in the country and the No. 6 recruit in the state of Washington.

DeCastro got offers from Washington, Washington State and Oregon State, and was recruited by Southern Cal and Oregon. He committed to Stanford on May 16, 2007.

College

DeCastro accepted a scholarship to Stanford University, majoring in management, science and engineering. He will earn his bachelor’s degree in June.

He started all 39 games that Stanford played in the last three seasons, all those starts at right guard. He was a unanimous All-America selection in 2011, and twice was an all-conference pick for his play. In three seasons, he allowed one sack. That came in 2009 against Brian Price of UCLA

2011 – A consensus All-America at guard, as well as first-team pick for the All-Pac 12 Conference offense.,

2010 – DeCastro was named first-team All Pac-10 Conference, as he started all 13 games for the Cardinal.

2009 – Getting his first chance to play, DeCastro started all 13 games at right guard and was an honorable mention All-Pac 10 Conference selection.

2008 – A redshirt season where he did not play in any games.

Video

DeCastro vs. Notre Dame 2011 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inNKcHBhtT4&feature=player_embedded

DeCastro highlights 2010 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8I56-rnbZ8&feature=related

(DeCastro is wearing #52 and plays all snaps at RG.)

Evaluation

Strengths – Physically big, intelligently huge, DeCastro also carries a very large nasty streak when he plays. What else could a coach ask for from an offensive lineman. From the ground up he’s solid to exceptional in every avenue. He has good balance and footwork. He is good on the run, and can pull and locate secondary players to block. DeCastro is very good at reacting in pass protection, keeping his feet moving and He finishes blocks, has that nasty temperament to push the action right up to the whistle. He’s played in a pro-style offense and has shown top-level personal and football character. His football intelligence is off the board, combined with a non-stop work ethic.

Deficient – Because of his average arm length, he sometimes has troubles getting the edge on hand-to-hand combat. He’s a self-made athlete, so he’s lacking a bit in some athletic skills and comes across as too tight and not flexible enough. If it sounds like nitpicking then welcome to the club – there’s not much negative to report on DeCastro.

Analysis – He’s often compared to Steve Hutchinson of the Seahawks, Vikings and Titans who was the No. 17 pick in 2001. There is no obvious problem with his game or potential. Draft him, put him in the lineup, re-sign him in five years and then 10 or 12 years down the road sign him to another career finishing contract.

What the scout said about David DeCastro

A scout for an AFC team said of David DeCastro – “It’s hard to poke a lot of holes in this guy’s game. He’s not perfect, but he’s got what everybody is looking for physically, mentally, emotionally. It’s hard to see how you could go wrong drafting him.”

Another scout for an AFC team said – “It’s his attitude that sets him above everyone else. He’s got the physical package and he’s smart, but he’s just got this outlook on football that wins you over. The game is important to him, he takes it seriously, he works harder than most to get better. He needs to improve on some of his fundamentals, but I would take 22 of him right now and go to the Super Bowl.”

What David DeCastro said

“There’s a lot to work on — just technique in general. Football is something where you’re always chasing perfection. There’s a lot I can get better at … using my hands, being more balanced … I mean, the list goes on.”

“It’s football at its finest. I think it’s the greatest feeling when you can hit a guy on your left shoulder and then with your right eye see the running back going through the hole. It’s pretty cool.”

What others said about David DeCastro

“He’s probably the smartest offensive lineman I’ve been around at the college level. He’s got incredible balance. He finds a way to get power generated to run through people. When he gets his hands on you it’s over. His hand strength and his ability to drive people off the ball, it’s something you don’t see a lot in modern college football. … Double-D will come off the football and drive his knees, his hands and his head into you and move you off the football.” Stanford offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren.

Does David DeCastro fit with the Chiefs?

Yes. A very big yes. Draft him and plug him in and he’ll be the best guard the Chiefs have had since Will Shields retired.

Chiefs Five Worst Trades With A Draft Choice

dC

No matter the evaluator or the person pulling the trigger on trades in pro football there are going to be great deals, and there are going to be stinkers. We provided the great deals in Chiefs history that involved a draft choice right here.

On the flip side, here are the five worst deals involving a draft choice that the Chiefs consummated over the last 53 years where the franchise has taken part in the AFL and NFL Drafts.

Ironically, defensive linemen dominate the list of the bad draft pick deals for the Chiefs over the years, topped by John Matuszak, Ryan Sims and George Seals.

Here are the five worst trades with picks, in ascending order: …Read More!

Top 100 Prospects – DT Dontari Poe

Tom Miller was the head football coach at Wooddale High School in Memphis and he was headed out to practice one day, but getting a late start because of some paper work to take care of in the school office.

“Normally, I would have been on the field by the time the band passed, but that day I was late coming out of the locker room and the band happened to be marching past,” Miller said.

He immediately noticed the guy carrying the bass drum. How could he not – he was huge. Miller chased after the band so he could talk to the young man carrying the big drum, a freshman named Dontari Poe.

“I told Don, ‘I don’t know if you’re interested or not in playing, but I can teach you if you’re interested’,” Miller told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal newspaper. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’m interested.’ He bought right into it. Nobody had ever seriously approached him hard enough to get him to play. When I got Don on the field for drills, and saw how quick he moved, I knew he had something special.”

That special guy will be selected in Thursday’s 2012 NFL Draft, most likely in the first round. It’s a remarkable story of the guy with the big drum, becoming a remarkable athlete and he now sits and waits to write his story in pro football. Here are the details.

Draft Profile – DT Dontari Poe

DONTARI POE/DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Personal

Dontari Poe

College – University of Memphis.

Born – August 18, 1990, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Family – Parents are Sandra and Robert Poe Sr. His parents divorced after 17 years of marriage and he was raised by his mother and grandmother, who passed away three years ago. He’s the youngest of three brothers, behind Pierre and Robert Jr., who is serving a prison term for aggravated burglary and cocaine possession. He’s in a federal facility in the Memphis area.

Physical

• Height – 6-feet, 3½ inches.
• Weight – 346 pounds.
• Arm – 32 inches.
• Hand – 9 5/8 inches.
• Wing span – 73 5/8 inches.

NFL Scouting Combine

• 40-yard dash – 4.98 seconds.
• Bench press – 44 reps at 225 pounds.
• Vertical jump – 29 ½ inches.
• Broad jump – 8-feet, 9 inches.
• 3-cone drill – 7.9 seconds.
• 20-yard shuttle – 4.56 seconds.

Hometown

Poe grew up in Memphis, Tennessee.

High School

Poe was a member of the graduating class of 2009 at Wooddale High School in Memphis.

He participated in football and track at Wooddale, playing football for head coach Jesse Allen.

2007 – He received honorable mention status on the All-State team after his junior season when Poe had 63 tackles and eight sacks.

Track & Field

In the shot put, Poe earned the Tennessee Class 3A state title with a heave of 56-feet, 3 ¼ inches as a junior. He defended that title as a senior with a throw of 54-feet, 1 ¼ inches throw. That 2008 spring he also won the 3A state discus title with a personal best throw of 156-feet, 1 inch. In that senior season, he won city, district and regional track titles, as well as the two state championships.

Recruiting

Rivals.com rated Poe as a 2-star prospect, and the No. 19 Tennessee product. Scout.com rated him a 2-star prospect and No. 92 among defensive tackles in that recruiting class.

Schools that showed an interest in Poe were Memphis, Mississippi, southern Mississippi and Tennessee. He committed to his hometown Tigers on February 6, 2008.

College

Poe accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Memphis and he enrolled in the child and family studies curriculum.

In 35 games with 30 starts for Memphis, Poe had 101 tackles, 5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles.

2011 – Honored as a second-team member of the Conference USA all-conference defense. He started all 12 games on the defensive line, with a tackle in each game, 33 in all. Against Marshall, he had a career high total of eight tackles. Poe was named one of the team’s MVP as well as the Defensive Player of the Year.

2010 – Poe received honorable mention status on the All-Conference USA defense, starting 12 games. He was fifth on the team with 41 total tackles. Against UTEP, he had a season high seven tackles.

2009 – In his freshman-redshirt season, Poe was named to the Conference USA all-freshman team. He played in 11 of 12 games, missing one game due to a death in his family. He started six times at nose tackle.

2008 – Redshirt season, did not play.

Statistics

Video

Poe vs. Tulane 2011 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AZxD_uV5kyk

Poe vs. Arkansas State 2011 – http://www.cars-interest.com/video/video/-EUpHwf4LfI/Dontari-Poe-Vs-Arkansas-State.html

(Poe is wearing No. 74. The Arkansas State tape is not of good quality.)

Evaluation

Strengths – Incredible athlete for his size, with speed, quickness and strength – rare hat trick of physical gifts alone makes him worthy of consideration. He’s almost 350 pounds, but does not look like it and is not heavy sloppy. Poe can squat 700 pounds and if needed, he can anchor his spot on the defensive line and not be moved. However, he has the foot speed to make a move in the pass rush.

Deficient – He has short arms and small hands for a man of his size. Is not skilled in using his hands and that puts him in bad positions; although he’s a good knee bender, sometimes he plays too high and allows blockers to get the leverage advantage under him. Plays too nice and does not appear to have that killer instinct.

Analysis – Poe is a developmental project. He’s got a world of ability, but he’s not been schooled in how best to use all of those talents. He’s got a nice motor and for the most part gives good effort. He works hard on and off the field, giving hope for progress in the future. He’s still learning how to play the game and did not perform against the best of competition. In games Memphis played against SEC competition, he barely showed up on the post-game statistics sheet. It’s quite a package, but because he’s a developmental player, he shouldn’t be drafted in the top half of the first round.

What the scouts had to say about Dontari Poe

A scout for an AFC team said of Dontari Poe – “Workout champion that will always post big numbers in testing his body parts. But he doesn’t show up on the stat sheet after the game. Sometimes he would disappear and be handled by players of far less ability. Too inconsistent.”

A scout for a NFC team said – “I see him as an early second-round choice and I’d talk to my team about trading up there to make sure we got him. First-round picks should be able to step in and make big contributions for at least a quarter of the season. That’s four games. Not sure as a rookie this young man could get that done.”

What Dontari Poe had to say

“I get my toughness from my mom. Whenever there’s a time I think I want to quit, I think, ‘Man, she never quit on you. What would it look like if you quit on her right now?’ That’s why I say no matter how hard it gets, somehow, someway, you fight through it. That’s coming from her, because she always has gotten it done.”

What others said about Dontari Poe

“Don (Dontari’s nickname) worked his butt off for this, he sacrificed a lot of things. The whole time he has been working, he’s said, ‘I don’t want to see my mother struggle anymore.’ I really appreciate that.” His mother Sandra Poe.

“I’ve told NFL scouts that Dontari is so soft-spoken he’s hard to read. But inside, there is a tremendously motivated individual that at a younger age than most could set goals and work towards them. He’s a kid mature beyond his age, physically and mentally.” Former Memphis head coach Tommy West.

“Dontari has more upside than anybody I’ve ever coached. He’s not even close to how good he could be. He will make a lot more money when he signs his second pro contract in a few years.” Memphis defensive line coach Mike DuBose.

Does Dontari Poe fit with the Chiefs?

Other than the developmental factor, yes he does fit with the Chiefs. Poe has many of the necessary intangibles that GM Scott Pioli is looking for to fit in his “right 53.” Taking him at No. 11 is too high. Taking him at No. 44 would be just right, but chances are he’ll be gone when that second-round opportunity comes around.

New Draft Room Chemistry . . . Wednesday Cup O’Chiefs

“I need to do my job better. We need to have a better roster and I feel that we have a good, solid core of players and clearly it’s not good enough and I need to do my job better.”

Those words came from Chiefs GM Scott Pioli on the December day that he and team chairman Clark Hunt fired Todd Haley as head coach. It was an acknowledgement that Haley needed more help last year from the Pioli-led personnel department when injuries and a lack of quality depth made for a losing season.

As the Chiefs are now within 48 hours of kicking off the 2012 NFL Draft with Thursday night’s first round, they face a new dynamic in the draft room.

Gone is Haley, fired with three games to play last season and now in Pittsburgh as the offensive coordinator. Another key figure in the personnel equation for the Chiefs the last two years is gone as well, as director of college scouting Phil Emery left in January to become the general manager of the Chicago Bears.

The absence of Haley and Emery is no small factor in the chemistry of what went on during the NFL draft in 2010 and 2011. …Read More!

Top 100 Players – Draft Week

Here’s our third and last list of the top 100 players in the pool for the 2012 NFL Draft season. There are some changes in the list since March and certainly since February, largely because of various events and the reaction by NFL personnel types to the NFL Combine, private workouts, etc.

After hours of conversation with all levels of personnel executives here’s the top 100. Again, this is not a prediction on when they’ll be drafted, but rather when they should if every team was strictly taking the best player available at the time. The group of 100 breaks down to 53 on defense, 47 on offense. There are 34 underclassmen among the 100 names.

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