Chiefs Draft

[SB Shock]

1st round - DT Poe

[SB Shock]

from espn

• What he brings: Poe is the definition of a boom-or-bust prospect. Few prospects have his kind of upside. At 346 pounds, he has above-average lateral ability and range. However, he doesn't make nearly as much plays on film, especially when you consider the level of competition he faced on a weekly basis. If the light comes on for him, he'll be a steal at this pick. But he can easily turn into a bust.
  How he fits: The key to this 3-4 defense is being very physical on the interior and that means a big, dominating nose tackle. They have lived with undersized Kelly Gregg in the past and young Jerrell Powe is unproven and Poe, now, potentially, gives them the penetrating, inside run-stuffer they have been looking for. They will tinker with some 43-and-under looks and they will use some pre-snap movement for Poe to get him in some one-on-one penetrating situations. Obviously, the huge question here is -- which player is hethe guy we saw him at the combine or the guy who can be inconsistent on film.

[The Mad Hatter]

If Poe reaches his potential, it is an excellent pick, but it is undoubtedly riskier than other guys they could have taken (DeCastro for instance). While I have concerns about the pick, the thing that does assuge some of those concerns is that Romeo Crennel knows what he is doing in evaluating and developing defensive players. He certainly could be a bust, but I think Crennel's coaching gives him as good a shot as you can hope that he will meet his potential.

The Chiefs have been burned on boom-or-bust guys in the past so I think all Chiefs fans cringe at a pick like this, but hopefully we finally get one of these to work out.

[small tyme baller]

If I eat my words so be it ... but this pick was TERRIBLE. I'd take Brockers (LSU) and Cox (Miss St) over this guy. Cox doesnt really fit the team need cuz he's a tweener on the D-Line, but come on. Poe was 2nd team ALL CONF USA ... which isnt a great league.

[jazztrane]

If this was their first DL pick I'd say I put my trust in Pioli & Crennel, but in light of Dorsey & Jackson I'm concerned. I hope it works out cause this does fill a big need so I can see why they went this way. DeCastro would have been nice but it sounds like they had their eye on Poe for a long time.

[SubGod22]

I'm not surprised that I, and many other Chiefs fans, are underwhelmed...

[SB Shock]

Idk, it seems like drafting sucktutude runs in the water in the Kansas city area.

[The Mad Hatter]

If this was their first DL pick I'd say I put my trust in Pioli & Crennel, but in light of Dorsey & Jackson I'm concerned. I hope it works out cause this does fill a big need so I can see why they went this way. DeCastro would have been nice but it sounds like they had their eye on Poe for a long time.

First of all, Dorsey has developed nicely and has played very well the last couple of years. 3-4 linemen don't always get the stats, but over the last couple years it seems that every game that Dorsey has been out with injury, the running game of the opposing team has been noticeably better than the games he has been in.

Second, Jackson and Poe are virtually opposite type picks. Jackson was a guy that everyone graded out as a safe pick, but considered him a reach on talent where KC drafted him. No one questions Poe having huge talent, but he isn't the safe guy because of the inconsistency.

Third, Crennel and Pioli's track record extends beyond KC. They were responsible for drafting and developing Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork in NE.

Don't get me wrong, this pick could go very bad, but Crennel's track record on evaluating and drafting d-line is good. No one will avoid every bust, but he has a well earned reputation.

[SubGod22]

Dorsey has finally come around to a good player. Not sure he's developed to support his draft position tough. Jackson was a stupid choice from the beginning. I don't know of anybody that liked that one. Just about everyone agreed on Dorsey though. If Poe follows the Dorsey trail, he'll be serviceable in 3-5 years. But he has a lot more questions than Dorsey ever did.

[The Mad Hatter]

Some interesting stuff on the Chiefs website about the pick:

• Apparently they had rated Poe as the #1 DT even before he put up the big combine numbers.
• Poe had 3 different defensive coordinators in 3 years at Memphis, so he never had an opportunity to get consistent coaching.
• Poe played every d-line position at Memphis, which Crennel thought hurt his production because he was playing so many different techniques that he couldn't truly learn any of them.

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/article-2/Chiefs-believe-Crennel-can-tap-Poes-potential/d6a024cd-a8a5-4aa7-9bb4-a5794ba36c8e

[jazztrane]

I hear what you all are saying about Dorsey, and I agree he's come around, I'm just saying when I hear the brass talking about how great Poe looks its kind of "well I've heard that before" if you know what I mean. I hope they got it right this time and we're not waiting 3-4 years, if Poe's as good as they think then the D should be really fun to watch.

[pinstripers]

Albert Haynesworth II.

[shockmonster]

Dorsey was a high pick from a underwhelming draft. He's been ok. Jackson was a bad #3 pick (rated 18-24). DeCastro has been compared to Will Shields, a safe pick but at #11, he would have been an underwhelming (Shields was an All Pro taken in the middle of the 3rd round and they've had several guards/centers that have been Pro Bowl players who weren't taken until 2nd and 3rd rounds, so I while DeCastro may have been a safe choice, they may still get a Pro Bowl Guard/Center.

The juries out on Poe. He is a risk (ranked 18ish) in the early first round but at #11, it wasn't a big reach but how many 350lb. 4.88 40 NT do you see. If he pans out, he could be dominating. He began high school as a drummer, and he's only played football a short time so who knows.

If they put him in situations to succeed (shooting gaps with his size and speed) by penetrating gaps and getting into the backfield quickly, they may have found something. Poe definitely wouldn't have been there the next time the Chiefs had a pick, and the NT is their biggest need. We'll see how it turns out.

[The Mad Hatter]

I hear what you all are saying about Dorsey, and I agree he's come around, I'm just saying when I hear the brass talking about how great Poe looks its kind of "well I've heard that before" if you know what I mean. I hope they got it right this time and we're not waiting 3-4 years, if Poe's as good as they think then the D should be really fun to watch.

I sympathize with what you are saying. In fact, my reaction to hearing the announcement was to groan. I'm not generally a fan of picks made on potential and combine numbers. While there is huge upside, it is really risky. The fact that Crennel is known for d-line development and that they thought highly of him before he blew up at the combine mitigate the worries about the pick, but don't eliminate them.

[SB Shock]

1st round (11): Memphis DT Dontari Poe
2nd round (44): Illinois OT/G Jeff Allen
3rd round (74): Oklahoma OT Donald Stephenson
4th round (107): Fresno State WR Devon Wylie
5th round (146): Alabama CB DeQuan Menzie
6th round (182): Texas A&M RB Cyrus Gray
7th round (218): San Diego St. DT Jerome Long
7th round (238): Michigan WR Junior Hemingway