Draft Grades: Chiefs

Bill Belichick disciples have struggled without him, and early indications are that Scott Pioli is next. This draft displayed the typical arrogance that occasionally has gotten the Patriots in trouble over the years by reaching for players that they felt fit their system. Occasionally the strategy works, it frequently does in the 1st round. However, Pioli had the same problem identifying late-round talent that he did in New England.

The Chiefs reached for Tyson Jackson. No matter what becomes of him in the NFL, there's no denying that fact. He would have been available later in the first round. The Chiefs should have traded down, even if it meant essentially giving away the 3rd pick as the Browns did with the 5th selection. He's a good fit for their system, but 3-4 defensive ends simply aren't the worth the 3rd overall selection and the money that he will receive as a result.

Alex Magee was a great catch in the 3rd round. He's a good athlete and should play defensive end in their 3-4 system. The addition of Magee likely means the end of the road in Kansas City for either Glenn Dorsey or Turk McBride (Dorsey isn't a good fit in the 3-4 defense).

I feel as though they reached for Donald Washington, but there were some that felt he could have come off the board as early as the 3rd round. He certainly has some potential, but should have stayed in school for his senior year.

They also reached for Colin Brown. He has impressive size, but is very raw and doesn't have a clear position in the NFL. He's too slow to get a good fit at tackle, but may be too tall to play guard.

The Chiefs needed a receiver, so I understand the selection of Quinten Lawrence. However, he's a developmental prospect and doesn't figure to make an impact in 2009. They should have gone the safer route and targeted a more NFL-ready receiver.

Javarris Williams is another developmental prospect that wasn't worth the risk by a team needing as much immediate help as the Chiefs. There isn't much room for him at running back, which could mean they're planning on trying him out at fullback. It could work out in the long run, but he doesn't add any immediate help.

Jake O'Connell is an excellent athlete, but he wasn't very productive at Miami OH. He could provide some depth, but he's a third-string tight end at best.

Mr. Irrelevant Ryan Succop will be given the chance to win the stating job from Connor Barth. I thought there were better kickers available, but he's certainly capable of playing the NFL.

Overall the Chiefs got very little help for the immediate future. Jackson and Magee are capable of starting, but its concerning that the Chiefs spent both of their top picks on the same position despite having so many other needs. They have a few developmental prospects which could make this a solid draft class down the road, but this is a win-now league. The Chiefs took too many risks and only addressed one position of need early in the draft.

Grade: C-

Draft Visit Tracker: Andre Brown

One of the hottest prospects in recent weeks has been N.C. State's Andre Brown. Despite a disappointing career with the Wolfpack, he's impressed teams in his workouts and now looks like a 2nd-round lock.

He's a big back (6'0", 224) and has the ability to be a workhorse at the next level. Its rare to find a guy with his size and athleticism, which is why so many teams are showing an interest despite his very mediocre collegiate numbers.

At least 12 teams have reportedly met with Brown, so here's the list:

Ravens, Titans, 49ers, Cardinals, Chargers, Texans, Jaguars, Bengals, Panthers, Dolphins, Patriots and Chiefs.

I currently have Brown going to the Cleveland with the 50th pick in the draft. He would the ideal running back for the Browns to groom behind Jamal Lewis for the next year before he takes over the starting job.

Chiefs Trade for Cassel, Vrabel

The Chiefs made the biggest splash of offseason thus far by landing Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel from the Patriots for just a second round pick (34th overall). It would seem as though Vrabel is just a throw-in, considering that the Pats were looking for a 2nd-round pick for Cassel originally. But if he's really only throw-in material at this point in his career, wouldn't Scott Pioli be aware of this?

There were originally reports supporting the Patriots basically giving away Vrabel due to the fact that there was no market for Cassel. But if recent reports that the Broncos were interested are true, then what's the Pats excuse?

My guess: the Pats are ready to start a new era on defense and Vrabel's starting job was in jeopardy. Belichick was willing to part with him and figured why not do both Vrabel and Pioli a favor by sending him to KC where he can still be an impact player and help the Chiefs transition into a 3-4 defense.