Kansas City Chiefs 2012 NFL Draft Recap

The 2012 NFL Draft is over, and the Kansas City Chiefs have added eight new players to its roster. Most draft experts have pegged the Chiefs draft as below-average, and ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. gave Kansas City a C+ grade overall. Despite the pessimism, the Chiefs have added several players who could start as early as next season and addressed several areas of need.

Most of the criticism Kansas City is facing revolves around the Chiefs first round selection of DT Dontari Poe. While he was a workout freak at the combine, Poe did not have much of a career at Memphis, which plays in Conference USA. The Chiefs needed help at NT, but many feel that Poe was a reach and that the Chiefs may have once again whiffed on a defensive line draft pick. Poe certainly has all the physical tools to succeed in the NFL, and the criticism leveled at Scott Pioli may be a bit premature.

The Chiefs needed to add depth to the offensive line, which is precisely what Kansas City did with its second and third round picks. Jeff Allen appears to be a very strong candidate to start next season, and could hold down a guard spot on the Chiefs’ offensive line for the next decade. Kansas City nabbed Oklahoma’s Donald Stephenson in the third, who could develop into a starting tackle in the future while providing some much-needed depth and youth at the position in the meantime.

Allen and Stephenson were not the only additions the Chiefs made to their offense via the draft. Kansas City added WR Devon Wylie in the fourth round, RB Cyrus Gray in the sixth round, and WR Junior Hemingway in the seventh. Wylie projects to be a useful slot WR, while Gray will add depth to a RB rotation that has seen its share of injuries over the past couple of seasons.

Apart from Poe, the Chiefs also added some depth to its defense in the later rounds of the draft. Alabama CB De’Quan Menzie was drafted in the fifth round, while San Diego State DT Jerome Long was drafted in the seventh. Menzie may be a step too slow to play CB at the NFL level, but has great instincts, and could be a candidate to move to safety. Long should push Poe and the rest of Kansas City’s underachieving defensive line.

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Looking Back on Last Year's Draft

With the 2011 NFL draft a day away, the Chiefs could benefit from taking a look at its 2010 draft class. Many experts deemed Kansas City's 2010 draft a success before the rookies strapped on shoulder pads, and the group lived up to the hype. If the Chiefs hope to repeat the success the team enjoyed in 2010 and continue to build a winning foundation, another strong draft is critical.

A team's draft is dictated on who they grab with their first pick, and the Chiefs finally got a game changever with its top selection last year. Eric Berry made an immediate impact for Kansas City, blossiming into a pro bowl safety in his first season. Just imagine if the Chiefs had found two other pro bowlers with its first round picks rather than take Glenn Dorsey or Tyson Jackson. The Chiefs now find themselves without a top five pick, meaning they could take the best player available rather than address a specific need. Hopefully Kansas City finds another player who is ready to make an impact with its top pick, and former first round picks Dorsey and Jackson start to live up to their draft selection.

A team can get good in a hurry if it finds starters in the middle rounds of the draft, and the Chiefs did that last year. Kansas City injected its team with much needed speed by drafting Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas. McCluster added a playmaking spark to the offense while giving the return game a much needed boost, while Arenas showed the potential to be a solid defensive back and showed flashes of being a dangerous returner as well. Tight end Tony Moeaki also had a successful rookie season and appears to be the Chiefs tight end of the future.

Last year, the Chiefs were able to find quality starters while adding depth, the two ingredients for any successful draft. After years of bad drafts, Kansas City now finds themselves one good draft away from having a talented core of young players mixed with capable veterans. Hopefully the Chiefs will keep the momentum going from last year's draft and hit another home run tomorrow.

What the Chiefs Need in the 2011 Draft

The Chiefs had a very successful 2010 draft, putting the organization in a strong position to contend for the next several years. Many of Kansas City's picks ended up contributing to the team right away; Eric Berry lived up to his high draft status, Tony Moeaki was productive at tight end and Dexter McCluster added some explosiveness to the return game.

A successful 2011 draft would give Kansas City a young nucleus as good as any team in the league. The Green Bay Packers have proved that teams can win championships by stockpiling and developing young talent through the draft, and Chiefs GM Scott Pioli would like to follow the same blueprint. Despite taking a huge step forward last year, Kansas City still has some holes to fill before it is ready to compete for a title. The following are areas the Chiefs must address in the draft:

Wide Receiver

Dwayne Bowe finally broke out last season and put up Pro Bowl numbers. However, it is crucial that Kansas City find another big time wideout to open up the offense and take some pressure of Bowe. Some of the top wideouts in the draft like Julio Jones will likely be gone by the time Kansas City is up, and drafting a WR in the first round is always a risk. Kansas City may elect to grab a WR through free agency or a trade, and grab a wideout in the later rounds it can develop.

Outside Linebacker

Tamba Hali is as good as they come, but the Chiefs could use another playmaker outside in the team's 3-4 defense. There seems to be a lot of options here in the draft, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is where the Chiefs go in the first round. An outside linebacker likely provides Kansas City an opportunity to get the most bang for its buck in round one.

Nose Tackle

A good nose tackle is essential for a 3-4 defense, and the Chiefs could use a playmaker at this position. I would be surprised if Kansas City didn't take a nose tackle at some point in the draft.

Offensive Line

While the Chiefs have done addressing this area recently, there is still room to improve. The line got beat soundly towards the end of the last season, and giving Matt Cassel more time must be a priority. In the past, teams have found steals in the later rounds with offensive lineman, and the Chiefs may be able to do the same this year. At the very least, this is an area that Kansas City could use more depth.