Kansas City Chiefs Draft Picks: NFL Draft Results, Report Card

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Kansas City Chiefs Draft Picks Reveal An Outstanding Class

1st: Jonathan Baldwin (WR) Pittsburgh

2nd: Rodney Hudson (C) Florida St

3rd: Justin Houston (DE) Georgia

3rd: Allen Bailey (DE) Miami

4th: Jalil Brown (CB) Colorado

5th: Ricky Stanzi (QB) Iowa

5th: Gabe Miller (OLB) Oregon St

6th: Jerrell Powe (DT) Ole Miss

7th: Shane Bannon (RB) Yale

GRADE: A+

There's been a lot of complaining about the Chiefs draft choices: they rolled the dice a great deal more than they did a year ago. I just don't agree.

Any concern about Jon Baldwin becoming a trouble in the locker room is valid: he wasn't much of a team player at Pitt. But I would expect that to change at the NFL stage when he has veterans like Thomas Jones, Casey Weigmann (who now has an awesome heir apparent in Rodney Hudson) and Brian Waters there to keep him in line.

And as far as those issues about him being a long-strider, with Dexter McCluster and Dwayne Bowe, he doesn't have to stretch the field so much as be a big target over the middle.

Still, the other side of the ball saw the most improvement via this draft. Justin Houston might be better suited in a 4-3 as a defensive end, but he does have experience in the 3-4 and in Romeo Crennel's defense I like his odds of fitting in. The same goes for Allen Bailey who has major promise as another pass rusher on the edge. (And if Bailey can't fill in as a nose tackle, maybe Ole Miss's Jerrell Powe can).

I also like Jalil Brown, who received plenty of practice with Jimmy Smith on the opposite side of him in all those games against pass happy Big XII teams.

And while Ricky Stanzi doesn't figure to take Matt Cassel's job anytime soon, he should eventually be an upgrade over Brodie Croyle and Tyler Palko.

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