NFL Draft 2011 Grades: Kansas City Chiefs Day 3 Analysis

With the arrival of the third day of the 2011 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs had several major team needs to address. General manager Scott Pioli had five draft picks to work with, and he made the most of all of them.

The Chiefs were on the clock for the first time Saturday late in the fourth round. With the 21st pick in the fourth round (118th overall), Pioli added to the Kansas City defense, picking up Jalil Brown, a defensive back out of the University of Colorado.

Brown will be put into a Chiefs pass defense that was far from stellar at many points last season. While he may not have the anticipation of many NFL backs, Brown has shown an amazing work ethic in his college career.

Brown will provide the Chiefs with a fast defensive back that is willing to go at the ball hard. If the coaching is there, Brown will be able to make a significant contribution quickly. At his present ability, though, Brown will not play a huge roll in stopping opposing passing games. His potential does make him a B-minus pick in the fourth, though.

In the fifth round, the Chiefs had an early choice with the fourth pick in the round, a spot received in an earlier trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As evidenced by last season’s performance against the San Diego Chargers, if Matt Cassel is out, Kansas City is out of luck. With this pick, Pioli grabbed Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

While there is definitely no need for Cassel to worry about his starting position, Stanzi is a project quarterback that, for now, will make a great backup. Stanzi has the ability to move around in the pocket and make plays happen as well as a great short passing ability, playing right into the Chiefs offensive style.

While Stanzi’s decision making is a major weakness right now, this should improve over time. Gaining more insurance at the quarterback position was a good move, making Stanzi a B-minus.

With defense clearly on the mind of the Chiefs front office, Pioli made another defensive choice five picks later, grabbing defensive end Gabe Miller with the 140th pick overall.

After choosing pass rushers yesterday, this pick made very little sense. Another defensive rookie seems far from necessary, and Miller most likely lacks the size to be an effective defensive end, weighing in below 260. His speed does make him a plus, however, potentially giving him a spot in the Chiefs defense.

Miller will be plugged into the special teams quickly. His speed and tackling ability will get him some playing time on defense, but Miller is definitely one of the more questionable picks of the Chiefs’ draft, earning a C-minus.

With a compensatory pick in the sixth round, the Chiefs selected another defensive lineman, getting Jerrell Powell out of Mississippi 199th overall.

Powell is, quite simply, a big, quick tackler. He is able to break through double-teams and stop the running game. While he is not quite polished yet, Powell is a good pickup for a team that needs a more aggressive defensive presence, earning a C-plus.

The final pick of the Kansas City Chiefs 2011 draft brought in fullback Shane Bannon out of Yale. The Chiefs have not had a true fullback in several seasons, and Bannon will look to fill this role.

He is a strong runner who has the ability to go up the middle. He was also a proven receiver at Yale. Overall, the Chiefs could have done a lot worse with their last pick, grabbing a solid B.

Day three was full of highs and lows for the Chiefs. While many great picks were made, the day could be considered a C-plus. Not the best day ever, but it will do.