Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft: Final 7-Round Predictions with Analysis

With the 2012 NFL draft kicking off at 7 p.m. EST Thursday night, it's time to get in my final seven-round predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs.

As you will see, I have made some changes from my past Chiefs mock drafts.

I see KC going defense-heavy in this draft, considering all of the free agents on offense they signed earlier this offseason.

With that being said, here is my final mock for the Chiefs' upcoming draft on Thursday.

1st Round: ILB Luke Kuechly, Boston College

Stanford G David DeCastro would also be a good pick here, but I believe that the Chiefs will go with Kuechly on Thursday night, assuming that they can't trade down.

Kuechly is one of the most NFL-ready defenders in this year's draft class and would be a day-one starter for this defense.

He is very versatile and has no real weakness to his game, which makes him a very safe pick at No. 11 overall.

The former Boston College star should be one of many defensive players Kansas City will take in the draft this year.

2nd Round: DT Alameda Ta'amu, Washington

After the Chiefs snatch up Kuechly in the first, I think they will address an even bigger need at nose tackle when they take Washington's Alameda Ta'amu with their second round selection.

Ta'amu is projected as one of the top 3-4 DTs in this draft class behind Dontari Poe and a few others.

He is also very underrated for his position, considering his ability to be a run stuffing defensive tackle in his college years.

With Kuechly and Ta'amu in the first two rounds, Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel's defense has the potential to be a very scary unit to face in the future.

3rd Round: S Brandon Taylor, LSU

Many would like to think that KC will not draft a safety this early in the draft, considering that they already have two young stars in Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis.

I'm thinking that it will still happen.

Former LSU Tiger Brandon Taylor can play either free or strong safety and would give the Chiefs a viable third option at that position.

He has the ceiling to become a starting safety at the next level, but he could easily see some playing time in the nickel as early as his rookie season.

4th Round: G Brandon Washington, Miami

With the Chiefs not going with All-American guard David DeCastro in the first round, they will need to address this position in a later round in the draft.

I think that former University of Miami guard Brandon Washington would be a good fit in the fourth round.

He is already NFL size for a guard at 6'4" and 320 pounds, and he has the flexibility to play either guard or tackle for KC, since he started at left tackle many times for the Hurricanes last season.

I could see Washington becoming a solid starting left guard for this team in two to three years time.

5th Round: OLB Miles Burris, San Diego State

With the Chiefs needing another pass-rushing OLB to add to their defense, I have them selecting San Diego State's Miles Burris in the fifth round.

Burris had 15.5 sacks in his last two seasons with the Aztecs and could be very effective with getting pressure on the opposing QB if KC uses him in obvious passing situations.

At just 6'3" and 235 pounds, he will need to bulk up some at the next level, but the talent is definitely there with this kid.

The Granite Bay, Calif., native would provide quality depth at outside linebacker for this team in the future.

6th Round: TE George Bryan, NC State

With their sixth-round selection in the draft, I have Kansas City going with tight end George Bryan.

Sure, the Chiefs already have two capable tight ends in Tony Moeaki and Kevin Boss, but there is one problem.

Both of these guys have had a history of injury problems, and having Bryan on the team would provide insurance for that.

The former New Hanover High would be good value this late in the draft, considering he is 6'5", and he has some of the best hands of any of the tight ends that will be available.

7th Round: CB Emanuel Davis, East Carolina

As many have said in the past, NFL teams cannot have enough cover corners on their rosters these days.

That's why the Chiefs will take ex-East Carolina Pirate Emanuel Davis with their first of two seventh round picks.

Davis is an athletic cornerback who was a four-year starter in college, and he excels in man coverage.

He would be a solid developmental pick for KC at this stage of the draft.

7th Round: WR Derek Moye, Penn State

When he was at Penn State, wideout Derek Moye was a huge weapon for the Nittany Lions' passing attack.

He racked up over 2,300 receiving yards and 17 TDs in his last three years at the school.

At 6'4", he could become a solid red-zone threat for the Chiefs' offense in the future.

Moye has the potential to be a solid No. 4 receiver, and he would also add more talent to an already deep WR corps.