5 Players the Kansas City Chiefs Could Regret Passing on in the 2012 NFL Draft

Every year, teams pass on players that could potentially help their team in the NFL draft.

This was no different for the Kansas City Chiefs in this year's draft.

It all started in the first round when they passed up an impact guard for a defensive tackle out of Memphis.

Here are five players that KC could regret passing on in April's draft.

G David DeCastro

When KC's turn came up in the first round of the draft, many expected that they would go with former Stanford guard David DeCastro.

However, they decided to go with massive NT Dontari Poe, since it was easily their biggest position of need heading into this season.

Even though the Chiefs might have gotten a steal with G Jeff Allen in the next round, DeCastro would have been a much safer pick at No. 11 overall, considering that he was regarded by many draft experts as the best interior lineman in this entire draft class.

Kansas City could get a glimpse of what they are missing out on when they take on DeCastro and the Steelers in Week 10 of the '12 regular season.

ILB Dont'a Hightower

Going into this draft, Boston College's Luke Kuechly and Alabama's Dont'a Hightower were widely regarded as the top two inside linebackers in this draft class.

Kuechly was off the board when the Chiefs were on the clock in the first round, but Hightower was still available.

Even though you could make the argument that it would have been a reach to select the former first-team All-American that high in the draft, Poe was considered a reach at that spot as well.

The hard-hitting linebacker was one of the leaders of the top defense in college football last season and would have made the Chiefs' linebacking corps an elite unit in the future.

S George Iloka

Heading into this draft, the Chiefs sorely needed to add depth at the safety position.

Behind starters Eric Berry and Kendrick Lewis, the cupboard is pretty bare on this roster.

They could have had former Boise State S George Iloka in the fifth round, but opted to go with CB De'Quan Menzie instead.

Although Menzie has the ability to play both the cornerback and safety positions, Iloka would have been an excellent third safety for this team, due to his 6'4" frame for defending tight ends at the next level and what he could provide in run support as well.

DE/OLB Jonathan Massaquoi

Another team need that the Chiefs failed to address in this draft was their pass rush.

KC's defense only possesses two legitimate pass-rushing threats in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, and there were several players that KC could have added in this draft to upgrade that area of their defense.

Former Troy defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi is a very underrated OLB prospect who was passed over by the Chiefs until he was finally taken near the end of the fifth round by Atlanta.

After averaging nine sacks a season in his two years at Troy, Massaquoi could have been a steal for KC with their fifth pick.

Instead, they might end up regretting not selecting him in the end.

ILB Audie Cole

On paper, ILB Audie Cole seemed to have everything that the Chiefs are looking for in a football player.

He plays hard on every down, has a great work ethic, a high football IQ and solid character as well.

But for some reason, the Chiefs brass was never very interested in drafting him.

He fell all the way to the seventh round of the draft, before being selected by the Minnesota Vikings toward the beginning of that round.

Cole would have been a good developmental prospect to groom at inside linebacker for this team in the future, and would have been a great value pick this late in the draft.