Kansas City Chiefs - AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs - AFC West, 2009 Draft Selections & Prospects

Kansas City Chiefs

- 2009 NFL Draft Breakdown and Analysis
1st Round | 2nd Round | 3rd Round | 4th Round | 5th Round | 6th Rd | 7th Rd
- CFN 2009 Draft Central & Team-by-Team Picks and Analysis

The Draft Was ... No big whoop. For a team as bad as Kansas City was last year, there's little to get all that excited about. The defense got a boost early, but there's not enough here to assume things will get better right away.
Best Value Pick: None. There were too many reaches and Alex Magee and Donald Washington went when they were supposed to.
Biggest Reach: Tyson Jackson, 1st round, 3rd pick. The No. 3 pick overall has to be far more dynamic than Jackson, who should be a solid pro, but he's not going to be a difference maker who'll change the franchise. Colin Brown could've been had in free agency.
They Should've ... Drafted Aaron Curry. Jackson fits the 3-4, but he's not a pass rusher of any sort. Curry would've secured the linebacking corps, and going after a Brian Orakpo or Aaron Maybin to be a hybrid edge rusher would've done more good than taking Jackson.

#	Pick
3	3	1st Round  Tyson Jackson, DE LSU  6-4, 295 More of a tackle playing end, Jackson is a dream of a 3-4 end and he could end up seeing time at tackle in the right situations. He’s not a pass rusher and if he gets to the quarterback it’ll be a fluke. His worth is as a strong run-stopper who won’t let anything get by him on the outside while getting just enough push into the backfield to warrant a second blocker. Despite playing on a great line for the last few years, he didn’t stand out as much as he should’ve despite being the second or third best player on the front four and not getting as much attention. There’s nothing special about him outside of his size, and he doesn’t have a full-tilt motor, but he’ll be around for a long time and be a great cog in the system because of his versatility. CFN Value Rank: First Round    CFN Position Rank: 7

3	67	3rd Round   Alex Magee, DT Purdue  6-3, 295 Strong enough to play tackle and quick enough to play on the outside, he could have a very long, very productive career as a 3-4 end or as a versatile backup in any alignment. Extremely quick, as evidenced by a good showing at the Combine, he moves well and doesn’t miss many plays when he gets to the ball. The down side is that he’ll be erased when double-teamed, but he’s not going to be anyone’s No. 1 lineman. He’ll be a strong cog who could explode at times if he’s next to a talented tackle and isn’t forced to carry the defensive front. There’s a high ceiling on what he can do with a little time. CFN Value Rank: Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 7
2	102	3rd Round Donald Washington, CB Ohio State  6-0, 195 (Jr.) A disappointment at Ohio State, he was suspended from the team for an early stretch and he lost his starting corner job. In a bit of a shock, he chose to leave early rather than come back to try to boost his stock by establishing himself as a No. 1 corner, and then came the Combine. With excellent size, he ran a respectable 4.5 and was lightning quick in the agility drills, but he opened up everyone’s eyes by leaping 45” in the vertical jump (tops for the Combine) and 11’ 3” in the broad jump. However, his reputation for a lack of physical play on the field was hurt more by only coming up with seven reps on the bench. There are huge, screaming red flags about his character and his ability to work to be a starter, but the raw skills are too great to not take a flier on. CFN Value Rank: Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 15
3	139	5th Round Colin Brown, Missouri 6-7, 340  A massive, massive blocker who has just enough athleticism to get by. Productive, and the star lineman on the high-powered Tiger offense, he was good in pass protection when he was able to lock on to pass rushers, but he'll beaten by the quicker ones. Even at his size, he's strictly a developmental prospect. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: NR
2	175	6th Round Quenten Lawrence, WR McNeese State 6-0 185 A speed receiver with an impressive Louisiana high school track star résumé, Lawrence will fall because he suffered a broken ankle early on last year. He can move, is quick on his routs, and will be physical when he needs to be. He's not all that big and doesn't have good hands, but he could grow as a home run hitter if he's not guarded by a physical defender. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: NR
3	212	7th Round Javarris Williams, RB Tennessee State  5-10, 225 “Boobie” is a true power runner with both weight room and functional strength. While he’s not going to blaze by anyone, he has surprising speed once he gets into the open and can burst through the hole when he has the opening. He’ll have a role as a big runner, but he could end up sticking on a roster because of his blocking ability. Forget about getting to the outside and he’s not laterally quick, but he could become a goal line, short yardage runner. CFN Value Rank: Fifth Round    CFN Position Rank: 20
28	237	7th Round (from Miami through Carolina) Jake O'Connell, TE Miami Univ. 6-4, 255 A terrific athlete with good speed and stunning quickness. He has all the tools and all the basics, but he wasn't all that productive making 25 catches for 258 yards. The upside is there to at least give him a look as a possible developmental prospect, and he could grow as a special teamer with his size and wheels. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: NR
47	256	7th Round Ryan Succop, PK South Carolina 6-2, 220 A good all-around kicker who can be a kickoff specialist, handle punting if need be, and be a reliable placekicker, Succop, if all goes well could handle a variety or roles and could save a roster spot. While he has a big leg on field goals, it's not accurate from deep with his range wavering around 45 yards before he starts to spray the ball a bit. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent    CFN Position Rank: 8

2008

The Draft Was ... Almost perfect. All that's missing is a quarterback. Glenn Dorsey should've gone No. 1 overall and was a joke of a steal at the five. Branden Albert was the best guard prospect. CB Brandon Flowers and RB Jamaal Charles are players who can be plugged in right away, S DaJuan Morgan should've gone earlier, and pick after pick after pick seemed to be the right guy at the right time.
Best Value Pick: Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU. 1st round. There were several value picks from beginning to end, but Dorsey is the type of tackle the Chiefs have been looking for over the last few years. He's the one to build a defense around.
Biggest Reach: Brandon Carr, CB Grand Valley State, 5th round. Considering all the ready-made players the Chiefs got, they can be forgiven for taking a project. Carr is a pure athlete, but he needs plenty of work.
They Should've ... Gotten a quarterback. There's no question that Brandon Flowers is a fantastic prospect, but the draft would've looked a whole bunch better if the Chiefs had taken Chad Henne or Brian Brohm instead.

#	Pick
5	5	1st Round  Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU Everyone's trying to poke holes in a near-perfect prospect, but there aren't any. An ultimate warrior who'll play through injury, pain, triple teams, and everything you throw at him, he played over the second half last year when most players who project to be a top five pick would've sat out and not risked his future. Dorsey would've been fully justified to sit out the rest of the year after the nasty chop block on his knee against Auburn, but he ended up battling his way through the national title season as the anchor of fantastic defense. Strong, agile, and as hard a worker and as high a character guy as any in the draft, he's exactly what you want in a leader. For some reason his height, at under 6-2, is a knock, but if anything that helps him with his leverage. Yes, the durability concerns are legitimate, to a point, but it'll take something serious to keep him off the field. He's a player you build a defense around for the next ten years. CFN Value Rank: Top Five Overall   CFN Position Rank: 1

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15

1st Round (from Detroit)  Branden Albert, OG/OT Virginia While he's not D'Brickashaw Ferguson as far as a prospect, he has a lot in common with the former Virginia star. Albert is a great athlete who only cemented himself further as the top guard prospect in the draft with some nice off-season workouts. Even though he has the range and the moves to be a tackle, even on the left side, he could be a superstar if he stays inside. A killer run blocker who started from day one, he can be plugged into any NFL line and be a starter somewhere. It would be nice if he had a little seasoning and he's a bit tall (6-7) for a guard, but he has the potential to be a perennial Pro Bowler. CFN Value Rank: Late First Round to Early Second Round    CFN Position Rank: 1 (OG)

4

35

2nd Round    Brandon Flowers, CB/FS Virginia Tech Flowers grew into a big-time ball-hawker over his last two years at Virginia Tech breaking up 35 passes and picking off eight throws. A great tackler who seems to crave the assignment of facing a top-flight receiver, he has a safety hitting mentality in the body of a brash corner. His problem is his speed; he doesn't have much. In a draft with so many speed corners, running a 4.59 makes him no better than several linebackers. He'll eventually have to be moved to safety. CFN Value Rank: Second Round to Third Round    CFN Position Rank: 5

10

73

3rd Round  Jamaal Charles, RB Texas So which Jamaal Charles will the pros be getting? Will he be the breathtaking speedster who beat Oklahoma State and Nebraska by himself last year, or will be the one who struggled as a sophomore and didn't play up to expectations or his talent level? Probably a little of both, but the upside is too great to pass up. The big issue could be Texas. After the Ricky Williams situation and Cedric Benson turning into a dog of a pro, is there going to be an anti-Longhorn bias? Built like a smaller Darren McFadden, Charles is a sprinter who can be used in a variety of ways. While he showed he could handle a big workload last season, he's not going to be a pounding back who can handle a full-season NFL schedule if he's asked to pound away. He's not a power back by any stretch, but if he's able to keep his touches to around 15-to-20 per game, he'll be a difference maker. CFN Value Rank: Second Round   CFN Position Rank: 5

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76

3rd Round (from Chicago)   Brad Cottam, TE Tennessee At 6-7 and 270 pounds with not-that-bad speed, he has the size and the skills to get offensive coordinators excited about matchup possibilities. A bit of an afterthought after suffering a broken wrist last season, he emerged as an "it" prospect after a good Senior Bowl and excellent Combine. He's still a bit of a project, but receivers his size are rare. CFN Value Rank: Third Round   CFN Position Rank: 7

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82

3rd Round     DaJuan Morgan, FS NC State Considering this is a weak year for safeties, Morgan made a great move leaving early. In most years he would've been better served coming back for his senior season having only started for one year, but he has decent 6-0, 205-pound size, good-enough 4.54 speed, and the versatility to play corner or free safety. He cares about being good and will make himself better. He'll need a little more time, a lot of patience to work through his mistakes, and some serious coaching on consistent technique, but he'll grow into a nice starter. CFN Value Rank: Second Round   CFN Position Rank: 3

6

105

4th Round   William Franklin, WR Missouri Lost a bit in the overall receiver shuffle because he didn't put up huge scoring numbers at Mizzou, that wasn't his role. He was a deep threat while the Tigers liked to throw to the tight ends, and he did his job very well. Wit sub-4.4 wheels and great athleticism, he'll look the part of a star from time to time, but he'll get beaten up by the stronger corners and he needs a lot of work to be anything more than a fly pattern receiver. He is what he is. Send him deep and hope for a big play or two a game. CFN Value Rank: Mid-Third to Fourth Round   CFN Position Rank: 12

5

140

5th Round  Brandon Carr, CB Grand Valley State He'll be a chance on greatness. At 6-1 and 206 pounds, he has the size and good speed, but he played for Grand Valley State. He'll be a project, but he has plenty of production, starting all four years, and was tremendously productive, but he'll be a reach, at best. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent      CFN Position Rank: NR

4

170

6th Round  Barry Richardson, OT Clemson The centerpiece of a good Tiger line for the last three years, he's a good, big blocker who uses his 6-6, 330-pound body well in pass protection and did a good job against the premier ACC linemen. The problem is his consistency and his toughness. He didn't play up to his size all the time and he didn't grow into the first round caliber blocker many thought he'd become. CFN Value Rank: Fourth Round  CFN Position Rank: 11

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182

6th Round   Kevin Robinson, WR Utah State A return man. One of the great returners in the history of college football, Robinson was the lone bright spot on some woeful Utah State teams. At just under six feet and 200 pounds, he has decent size, but he's slowwwwww. Like around 4.8 slow, mainly because he bulked up before the off-season workouts. He can be used as a slot receiver, but he'll have to make it on special teams. CFN Value Rank: Sixth Round to Free Agent  CFN Position Rank: 33

3

210

7th Round  Brian Johnston, DE Gardner-Webb  At 6-5 and 271 pounds he's a big end who was ultra-productive at the lower level earning the Big South Defensive Player of the Year honor two seasons in a row. He's not fast and he needs a lot of developing and polish, and even then he likely won't have NFL skills. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR

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239

7th Round  Mike Merritt, TE UCF Just a blocker, the 6-3, 270-pounder is a developmental project as a potential tackle. He doesn't have much room to get bigger, but he could get up to 285 pounds and be used in jumbo formations and two-tight end sets. CFN Value Rank: Free Agent   CFN Position Rank: NR