From The Bottom Up … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs
What a difference for GM Scott Pioli and head coach Todd Haley as they prepare for this year’s NFL Draft.
In their first season, they had the third pick of the 2009 Draft. In that second season, it was the fifth selection of the 2010 Draft. Now, after the big turnaround on the field, they prepare for the 2011 Draft with pick No. 21.
It’s not just falling into the bottom half of the first round, but the bottom half of the other six rounds as well. That’s part of the NFL plan for parity, drafting in reverse order based on last year’s won-lost record.
But the good teams always find a way to get players, and they do it in the draft and they do it by drafting in the bottom of the rounds. Players like Baltimore RB Ray Rice (above right) and Chicago WR Johnny Knox (below right).
That’s something that Pioli/Haley will have a chance to show in this year’s draft.
In six of the seven rounds, they are in the second half of the order. Only in the fifth round are they out of the bottom slots. That’s due to their deal with Tampa Bay last year for DE Alex Magee and the swap of positions with Detroit based on the grievance filed against the Lions by the NFL over the Jarrad Page situation.
The Chiefs picked up a compensatory choice last week, a selection in the sixth round, overall pick No. 199. That spot in the Draft has become legendary due to the Patriots selection in 2000 of QB Tom Brady in the same position.
While nobody – including those in charge of the Patriots – expected a payback on the 199th player like New England has gotten from Brady. It’s proof that players can be found everywhere.
We’ve taken a look at the Chiefs eight draft picks in 2011 and who was selected in those same spots in the 2000-10 Drafts. They provide us with a bit of a road map to just what type of players and production can be expected from those picks. Plus, we give our opinion on the best three selections (good, better, best) and the one bust. Players highlighted have been to the Pro Bowl.
Chiefs Choice #1/Pick No. 21
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010 | CIN | Jermaine Gresham | TE |  |
| 2009Â | CLVÂ | Alex Mack | CÂ | Good |
| 2008 | ATL | Sam Baker | OT |  |
| 2007 | JAX | Reggie Nelson | S |  |
| 2006 | NE | Laurence Maroney | RB |  |
| 2005 | JAX | Matt Jones | WR | Bust |
| 2004Â | NEÂ | Vince Wilfork | DTÂ | Best |
| 2003Â | CLVÂ | Jeff Faine | CÂ | Better |
| 2002 | NE | Daniel Graham | TE |  |
| 2001Â | BUFÂ | Nate Clements | CBÂ | Â |
| 2000 | KC | Sylvester Morris | WR |  |
Chiefs Choice #2/Pick No. 55
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010 | DAL | Sean Lee | LB |  |
| 2009 | ATL | William Moore | S |  |
| 2008 | BAL | Ray Rice | RB | Best |
| 2007 | SEA | Josh Wilson | CB | Good |
| 2006Â | CINÂ | Andrew Whitworth | OT | Â |
| 2005 | BUF | Roscoe Parrish | WR |  |
| 2004 | JAX | Greg Jones | FB |  |
| 2003 | ATL | Bryan Scott | S |  |
| 2002 | OAK | Doug Jolley | TE |  |
| 2001 | PHL | Quinton Caver | LB | Bust |
| 2000 | MIN | Fred Robbins | DT | Better |
Chiefs Choice #3/Pick No. 86
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010 | PHL | Daniel Teo-Hesheim | DE |  |
| 2009Â | MINÂ | Asher Allen | CBÂ | Â |
| 2008 | BAL | Tom Zbikowski | S | Better |
| 2007 | BAL | Marshal Yanda | OT | Good |
| 2006 | NE | David Thomas | TE |  |
| 2005 | BUF | Kevin Everett | TE |  |
| 2004 | JAX | Jorge Cordova | LB |  |
| 2003 | NO | Cie Grant | LB |  |
| 2002 | TB | Marquise Walker | WR | Bust |
| 2001 | NE | Brock Williams | CB |  |
| 2000 | SF | Jeff Ulbrich | ILB | Best |
Chiefs Choice #4/Pick No. 118
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010 | HOU | Garrett Graham | TE |  |
| 2009 | NO | Stanley Arnoux | LB |  |
| 2008 | HOU | Xavier Adibi | LB |  |
| 2007 | CAR | Ryne Robinson | WR |  |
| 2006Â | NE | Stephen Gostkowski | KÂ | Best |
| 2005 | NO | Chase Lyman | WR | Bust |
| 2004 | JAX | Anthony Maddox | DT |  |
| 2003 | CIN | Jeremi Johnson | FB |  |
| 2002 | JAX | Chris Luzar | TE |  |
| 2001 | IND | Ryan Diem | OT | Better |
| 2000 | MIN | Tyrone Carter | S | Good |
Chiefs Choice #5/Pick No. 135
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010 | ATL | Dominque Franks | CB |  |
| 2009 | TEN | Troy Kropog | OT |  |
| 2008 | GB | Josh Sitton | OT | Best |
| 2007 | SF | Joe Cohen | DE |  |
| 2006 | NO | Rob Ninkovich | DE |  |
| 2005Â | IND | Matt Giordano | S | Good |
| 2004 | ARZ | Antonio Smith | DE | Better |
| 2003 | SEA | Solomon Bates | LB | Bust |
| 2002 | GB | Najeh Davenport | RB |  |
| 2001Â | CIN | Victor Leyva | OT | Â |
| 2000Â | TEN | Aric Morris | SS | Â |
Chiefs Choice #6/Pick No. 140
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010 | BUF | Ed Wang | OT |  |
| 2009 | CHI | Johnny Knox | WR | Best |
| 2008 | KC | Brandon Carr | CB | Better |
| 2007 | CLV | Brandon McDonald | CB | Good |
| 2006 | SF | Parys Haralson | DE |  |
| 2005 | CHI | Airese Currie | WR |  |
| 2004 | DET | Alex Lewis | LB |  |
| 2003 | NYJ | Derek Pagel | S | Bust |
| 2002 | CHI | Bobby Gray | S |  |
| 2001Â | SEA | Alex Bannister | WR | Â |
| 2000 | NYG | Ralph Brown | CB |  |
Chiefs Choice #7/Pick No. 199
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010Â | MINÂ | Joe Webb | QBÂ | Â |
| 2009 | OAK | Stryker Sulak | DE | Bust |
| 2008 | NYG | Robert Henderson | DE |  |
| 2007 | MIA | Drew Mormino | C |  |
| 2006 | IND | Charlie Johnson | OT | Good |
| 2005 | KC | Khari Long | DE |  |
| 2004 | BAL | Clarence Moore | WR |  |
| 2003 | NYG | Willie Ponder | WR |  |
| 2002 | CHI | Adrian Peterson | RB | Better |
| 2001Â | TEN | Adam Haayer | OT | Â |
| 2000Â | NEÂ | Tom Brady | QBÂ | Best |
Chiefs Choice #8/Pick No. 222
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Results |
| 2010Â | TEN | Marc Mariani | WR | Better |
| 2009Â | IND | Pat McAfee | P | Good |
| 2008Â | CHI | Chester Adams | G | Â |
| 2007Â | BUF | Derek Schouman | TE | Â |
| 2006Â | CLV | Justin Hamilton | S | Â |
| 2005Â | WAS | Nehemiah Broughton | FB | Â |
| 2004Â | MIA | Derrick Pope | LB | Â |
| 2003Â | SEA | Josh Brown | K | Best |
| 2002Â | JAX | Kendall Newson | WR | Bust |
| 2001Â | SEA | Dennis Norman | C | Â |
| 2000Â | SD | Jason Thomas | G | Â |
Interesting charts that prove a team can boom or bust in ANY round with the chances for success being critical in the first round. In other words, if you’re going to reach for a player, because of team needs, it’s best not to do it then.
It should be noted also that injuries and character issues, real and imagined, cause a player’s stock to fall and therein lies hidden value if the team has done their due diligence on medical exams and/or background checks.
That all said, the Chiefs need to be better than they’ve been in recent years in picking guys during the 2011 draft. It may well come down to having more faith in the data they’ll be poring over as opposed to their feelings, or buying the steak instead of the sizzle.
Bob, think the unthinkable. If there is no union, can the players play in 2011? With contracts, honored or null and viod? Will the fans stand for “replacement teams”? Will the tv networks pay 8 Billion for replacement games? What happens to the non millionaire players? At what point do we say it is over if the babies cannot divide 8 billion and go hard line?
The Chiefs have 6 picks in the first 140 players taken. I expect them to do very well.