Kansas City Chiefs: 5 Second-Year Players Who Will Shine in 2012

After what appeared to be a strong draft, the Kansas City Chiefs weren't able to get much production out of their rookies last season.

First-round pick Jonathan Baldwin missed several games due to a locker room fight, and many of the other first-year players barely saw the field.

As the '11 Chiefs' rookie draft class heads into its sophomore campaign, the expectations start to climb.

Here are five second-year players that will make a big impact for KC in 2012.

WR Jonathan Baldwin

Wideout Jonathan Baldwin was a boom-or-bust pick prospect that was selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the '11 NFL draft.

Unfortunately, he was a bust in his first season in the NFL.

Baldwin caught just 21 passes for 254 yards, after missing the first five games of the year due to a fight with teammate Thomas Jones.

This year should be completely different for Baldwin, as he will have QB Matt Cassel to throw him the ball and should also benefit by having arguably the best rushing attack in the league as well.

Once this kid starts figuring some things out as a wide receiver at this level, he is very capable of doing some special things for this offense.

OLB Justin Houston

Justin Houston was easily the most impressive rookie that the Chiefs had last season.

He finished the year with 5.5 sacks, and really showed off his versatility in the final weeks of the season with his ability to help in run defense.

Now with a full offseason at his disposal, expect the ex-Georgia Bulldog to have a monster sophomore season in the league.

I wouldn't be surprised if he collects double-digit sacks for this defense, considering how talented he is at rushing the passer.

DE Allen Bailey

One rookie that really flew under the radar for the Chiefs last season was defensive end Allen Bailey.

Like many of his other fellow first-year players, Bailey didn't see a ton of action during the season.

That being said, he did manage to make the most of his opportunities, as he picked up 10 tackles, a sack and knocked away a couple passes while providing several hurries for KC's pass-rush.

Although he will likely not be a starter on this defense in 2012, look for Bailey to make a solid impact as a situational pass-rusher for this defense.

C Rodney Hudson

Rodney Hudson was taken by KC in the third round of last year's draft to be the Chiefs' center of the future.

After sitting behind veteran Casey Weigmann last season, it's now Hudson's time to step up and take over the center position on Kansas City's offensive line.

The former All-American guard has the potential to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player for this team, due to his quick hands, excellent technique and good strength for a player of his size.

I expect big things out of him in his first full season as a starter on this team.

DT Jerrell Powe

Powe was seldom used in his rookie season for the Chiefs, as he only saw the field in one game during the regular season.

However, the 6'2", 335-pound nose tackle did show some flashes of brilliance in the preseason, including one play where he single-handedly ran 20-plus yards down the field to save a potential touchdown run against the Green Bay Packers.

I expect to see Powe rotating snaps with rookie Dontari Poe at nose tackle this year for KC's defense, now that veteran Kelly Gregg is not with the team anymore.

This season, we should see why some scouts believed that Powe should have been a first-round pick at one point, now that he's had a full season to sit and learn the game from the bench.