2012 NFL Draft – Seventh Round

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

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.

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 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 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

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!

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.

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!

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.