| Carl Setterlund. 25th May, 2006 - 2:58 pm
 Kansas City Chiefs
Picks:
1st Round: Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State (20)
2nd Round: Bernard Pollard, S, Purdue (54)
3rd Round: Brodie Croyle, QB, Alabama (85)
4th Round: none
5th Round: Marcus Maxey, CB, Miami (154)
6th Round: Tre’ Stallings, OG, Mississippi (186); Jeff Webb, WR, San Diego State (190)
7th Round: Jarrad Page, S, UCLA (228)
By making a couple shrewd decisions the Chiefs came out of the 2006 NFL draft all the better. I’ve liked Tamba Hali from the start and before the draft when it looked like he might slip out of the first round I felt someone would be getting quite a steal. I don’t really like comparisons but for some reason I see Terrell Suggs in this guy. There’s just something I see in Hali. His measurables were disappointing but he’s got the work ethic and motor of an absolute warrior. He’s going to be relentless, durable and finally strong both mentally and physically. This defense might not have needed another end desperately, but it needed to add a last piece to the puzzle to bring it fully back to respectability and Hali delivering that.
I personally felt Bernard Pollard was a bit of a reach in the second round, but it was at least in the mid-to-late portion of the round. He’s going to make a nice player and I see him being an intimidator in the secondary in the future. The question is just when, because a nice combo already exists at safety.
I love Brodie Croyle in the third round. Trent Green is no spring chicken and while Croyle is a tad fragile, he’s got everything else you want in a quarterback. Give him some time to add muscle and learn from a consummate veteran like Trent and this pick makes the Kansas City front
office look like geniuses.
Maxey in the fifth round finally addressed cornerback, a position many thought the Chiefs would attend to much earlier. The Miami cornerback is more of a developmental pick, but he’s got a nice, high ceiling. I support the idea that in the second day you go mostly for raw, high talent level players but all the same, I would have liked to see a cornerback earlier. The hole is there now and should have been addressed now.
Jeff Webb is big, fast and athletic and I think if Herm Edwards can get a handle on that character of his, then this could be a steal.
Kansas City is leaving this draft a better team. While I don’t think it was the focus of their offseason, they once again did a good job analyzing and breaking down the draft. Hali is a keeper, a tough, defensive leader for years to come. Then the Chiefs, knowing they’re aging quickly, took a bunch of nice-looking players to develop.
Pollard and Maxey could impact that secondary when age catches up to them. Croyle is the perfect long-term replacement for (almost) 36-year-old Trent Green and lastly, Webb could make a nice offensive weapon with his head screwed on right.
We know this team could use another receiving threat. I don’t necessarily think that this draft shows itself outside of Hali this year, but I think a year or two down the road we’ll be remembering and liking what Kansas City did.
Grade - B |
