NFL Draft Analysts Predict Chiefs Will Trade Down Or Select Texas A&M Tackle Luke Joekel

With the end of the NFL season only a few weeks away, draft talk is starting to heat up. Holding the top selection in the draft, the Chiefs have been the center of a lot of speculation regarding who they may pick. While many fans think the team should draft its quarterback of the future with the top pick, several draft experts are now predicting that Kansas City will trade down or select Texas A&M left tackle Luke Joekel.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper believes only four players are worthy of the top overall selection: Georgia OLB Jarvis Jones, Texas A&M OLB Damontre Moore, Utah DT Star Lotulelei and Joekel. Kansas City already Tamba Hali and Justin Houston as pass rushers in the team’s 3-4 defense, and has drafted a defensive lineman in the first round three of the past five years.

It is also unknown at this time if the team plans on resigning left tackle Branden Albert. If the Chiefs draft Joekel, they could release Albert or resign him and move him to right tackle or guard.

The biggest question new Chiefs GM John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid will have to make is whether the top two quarterbacks available – Matt Barkley and Geno Smith – are worth the top overall pick. Most draft analysts think the two quarterbacks are top ten material, but not worth the top pick in the draft. This presents the Chiefs with an interesting option - the team could potentially trade down a few spots in the first round and still get either Barkley or Smith. While they wouldn’t get a ransom mirroring what Washington gave up to move up and select Robert Griffin III, the team could end up with its quarterback of the future and an extra draft pick or two. The Chiefs would have to find another team desperate for a pass rusher or left tackle to make a deal.

There will also be several veteran quarterbacks looking for a starting opportunity this offseason and the Chiefs may opt to go with one for the next couple of years and wait to see if it can find a quarterback in a future draft.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

2013 NFL Draft - What If The Chiefs Don't Take A Quarterback With Their Top Pick?

With only two games remaining in the 2012 NFL season, Kansas City is guaranteed to have one of the top two picks in the 2013 NFL draft and is a heavy favorite to land the top overall pick. Many draft experts feel the Chiefs will take a quarterback with their first-round pick, as the team desperately needs an upgrade over Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn.

While the Chiefs will certainly address the QB position this off-season, they may not do it via their top draft pick. Geno Smith and Matt Barkley are the consensus top two QBs in the draft, however many feel that both are not worthy of being the top pick in the draft. The combination of Smith and Barkley doesn’t appear to be in the same league of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, the quarterbacks who went one-two last year and are both enjoying fantastic rookie seasons.

So what are the Chiefs’ choices? For starters, they could bring in a veteran QB for this season and take a shot on a QB later in the draft or wait until next year. Seattle used this strategy last off-season, signing veteran backup Matt Flynn from the Green Bay Packers and drafting Russell Wilson in the third round. Several veteran quarterbacks such as Alex Smith or Michael Vick will be looking for a new starting opportunity this off-season, and the Chiefs might feel better about grabbing one on a bargain deal and finding a QB later in the draft or taking a chance on one next season.

If the Chiefs do elect not to take Smith or Barkley at number one, they would have several options. First, they could attempt to trade down and a quire more picks, however it might be hard to find a suitor. The team could massively upgrade both its offensive or defensive line with Texas A&M OT Luke Joeckel, Utah DT Star Lotulelei, Ohio State DT Johnathan Hankins or Florida State DE Bjoern Werner. The team could also acquire a pass rusher, although this may be a lower priority with former pro bowler Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on the team (the latter has developed into a good NFL starter).

The question for the next Chiefs General Manager will be this: Is Smith or Barkley worth taking with the top pick in the draft? Chiefs fans will have to wait until the end of the season to see which direction the team is leaning.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.