Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 22, 2008 0:14:49 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/454733.html
Plenty of offensive linemen for Chiefs to choose from in the upcoming draft
Michigan's Jake Long is considered head of the class
MOBILE, Ala. | Southern California’s Sam Baker spent his Monday dominating his opponents at Senior Bowl practice and playing left tackle like nobody has for the Chiefs since Willie Roaf.
It’s only a slim possibility that Baker will ever play for the Chiefs, but they can be comforted by the fact that this year in the draft, there will be plenty of tackles like him.
The Chiefs need to load up on offensive linemen, and this year’s draft will provide ample opportunity to do so.
“There’s a smorgasbord of offensive linemen out there this year,” said Chuck Cook, the Chiefs’ director of college scouting. “Tackles, guards and centers. We’ve got some holes to fill. We need a few of them.”
The Chiefs have no bigger priority than rebuilding their offensive line, which crumbled last season after years of neglect. They will need three new starters, one at tackle and two at the inside positions.
Damion McIntosh is the incumbent at left tackle, but the Chiefs ideally will draft a replacement and move McIntosh to the right side.
Michigan’s Jake Long is generally considered the best available tackle. He declined an invitation to play in Saturday’s Senior Bowl.
Long would be the Chiefs’ logical choice, but he may get selected before the Chiefs get their chance. The Chiefs will pick either fourth or fifth in the first round.
“I think there’s a pretty good chance he will be there for the Chiefs,” said Matt Miller, who runs a draft scouting service at newerascouting.com. “Players at other positions will go in the top five. (Running back) Darren McFadden will go in the top three. Same with (defensive end) Chris Long. (Defensive tackles) Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis have a chance to go in the top five. That’s great for the Chiefs.”
Long compares with Joe Thomas, the left tackle drafted by Cleveland in the first round last year. Long may be a better run blocker and a lesser pass protector.
Thomas will play in the Pro Bowl next month.
“Look at the impact Joe Thomas had for the Browns,” Miller said. “I think Jake Long can have that kind of impact because I think he is the better player. There are not questions about him as long as he checks out well at the combine.”
The Chiefs may have a dilemma if Jake Long has been drafted by the time the Chiefs select and they can’t find a suitable trade to a lower spot. If the draft were held today, there wouldn’t be another tackle worthy of a top-five selection.
“We might not take one if Jake Long is gone,” Cook said. “We may have to go to another position. Maybe we’ll just take the best football player.
“The value has to be there. We’re not going to just take a tackle because we’ve got to have a tackle. We might want to move back and acquire another pick. If we’re good scouts, we can get those two, and hopefully those two are just as good as the one we would have gotten higher.”
Boise State’s Ryan Clady, a junior who declared for the draft, is an interesting prospect who may eventually develop into a better player than Long. But he is considered more of a risk, though the risk will diminish some as the draft nears.
“I’m not sure he’s upper-echelon,” Cook said. “That could change between now and the draft because of how he does at the combine.”
If the Chiefs don’t get a tackle in the first round, several worthy prospects such as Baker, Nebraska’s Carl Nicks, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah and Texas’ Tony Hills could be available when they make their next selection.
Those players are projected as right tackles.
“You’d love to get a left tackle, but the list of left tackles is shorter than the list of right tackles,” Cook said.
The Chiefs will need two new starters at guard if they shift former Pro Bowler Brian Waters to center.
“Guard is not a top-heavy position this year, but it’s very solid,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of depth at guard. There are a lot of guys that could step in and play right away. For the Chiefs, guys like Roy Schuening of Oregon State and Robert Felton of Arkansas could help them reestablish the run game.”
The Chiefs could find guards in free agency or on their roster. Rudy Niswanger could wind up winning a job.
They must draft at least one tackle, which is why they were tantalized by the prospect of getting someone such as Baker. He played left tackle for the Trojans and will again this week at the Senior Bowl, but will probably move to the right side in the NFL.
He isn’t quite packed for a move to Kansas City just yet, but he’s well aware the Chiefs have a desperate need for a tackle.
“I’ll go to whatever team wants me,” he said. “I don’t have any preference. If the Chiefs want me, they can have me.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some top lineman in the draft
JAKE LONG
Michigan
6-7, 315
RYAN CLADY
Boise State
6-6, 317
ROBERT FELTON
Arkansas
6-4, 310
TONY HILLS
Texas
6-6, 305
JEFF OTAH
Pittsburgh
6-6, 340
SAM BAKER
USC
6-5, 314
BRANDEN ALBERT
Virginia
6-7, 315
CARL NICKS
Nebraska
6-5, 345
JOHN SULLIVAN
Notre Dame
6-3, 305
Plenty of offensive linemen for Chiefs to choose from in the upcoming draft
Michigan's Jake Long is considered head of the class
MOBILE, Ala. | Southern California’s Sam Baker spent his Monday dominating his opponents at Senior Bowl practice and playing left tackle like nobody has for the Chiefs since Willie Roaf.
It’s only a slim possibility that Baker will ever play for the Chiefs, but they can be comforted by the fact that this year in the draft, there will be plenty of tackles like him.
The Chiefs need to load up on offensive linemen, and this year’s draft will provide ample opportunity to do so.
“There’s a smorgasbord of offensive linemen out there this year,” said Chuck Cook, the Chiefs’ director of college scouting. “Tackles, guards and centers. We’ve got some holes to fill. We need a few of them.”
The Chiefs have no bigger priority than rebuilding their offensive line, which crumbled last season after years of neglect. They will need three new starters, one at tackle and two at the inside positions.
Damion McIntosh is the incumbent at left tackle, but the Chiefs ideally will draft a replacement and move McIntosh to the right side.
Michigan’s Jake Long is generally considered the best available tackle. He declined an invitation to play in Saturday’s Senior Bowl.
Long would be the Chiefs’ logical choice, but he may get selected before the Chiefs get their chance. The Chiefs will pick either fourth or fifth in the first round.
“I think there’s a pretty good chance he will be there for the Chiefs,” said Matt Miller, who runs a draft scouting service at newerascouting.com. “Players at other positions will go in the top five. (Running back) Darren McFadden will go in the top three. Same with (defensive end) Chris Long. (Defensive tackles) Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis have a chance to go in the top five. That’s great for the Chiefs.”
Long compares with Joe Thomas, the left tackle drafted by Cleveland in the first round last year. Long may be a better run blocker and a lesser pass protector.
Thomas will play in the Pro Bowl next month.
“Look at the impact Joe Thomas had for the Browns,” Miller said. “I think Jake Long can have that kind of impact because I think he is the better player. There are not questions about him as long as he checks out well at the combine.”
The Chiefs may have a dilemma if Jake Long has been drafted by the time the Chiefs select and they can’t find a suitable trade to a lower spot. If the draft were held today, there wouldn’t be another tackle worthy of a top-five selection.
“We might not take one if Jake Long is gone,” Cook said. “We may have to go to another position. Maybe we’ll just take the best football player.
“The value has to be there. We’re not going to just take a tackle because we’ve got to have a tackle. We might want to move back and acquire another pick. If we’re good scouts, we can get those two, and hopefully those two are just as good as the one we would have gotten higher.”
Boise State’s Ryan Clady, a junior who declared for the draft, is an interesting prospect who may eventually develop into a better player than Long. But he is considered more of a risk, though the risk will diminish some as the draft nears.
“I’m not sure he’s upper-echelon,” Cook said. “That could change between now and the draft because of how he does at the combine.”
If the Chiefs don’t get a tackle in the first round, several worthy prospects such as Baker, Nebraska’s Carl Nicks, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah and Texas’ Tony Hills could be available when they make their next selection.
Those players are projected as right tackles.
“You’d love to get a left tackle, but the list of left tackles is shorter than the list of right tackles,” Cook said.
The Chiefs will need two new starters at guard if they shift former Pro Bowler Brian Waters to center.
“Guard is not a top-heavy position this year, but it’s very solid,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of depth at guard. There are a lot of guys that could step in and play right away. For the Chiefs, guys like Roy Schuening of Oregon State and Robert Felton of Arkansas could help them reestablish the run game.”
The Chiefs could find guards in free agency or on their roster. Rudy Niswanger could wind up winning a job.
They must draft at least one tackle, which is why they were tantalized by the prospect of getting someone such as Baker. He played left tackle for the Trojans and will again this week at the Senior Bowl, but will probably move to the right side in the NFL.
He isn’t quite packed for a move to Kansas City just yet, but he’s well aware the Chiefs have a desperate need for a tackle.
“I’ll go to whatever team wants me,” he said. “I don’t have any preference. If the Chiefs want me, they can have me.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some top lineman in the draft
JAKE LONG
Michigan
6-7, 315
RYAN CLADY
Boise State
6-6, 317
ROBERT FELTON
Arkansas
6-4, 310
TONY HILLS
Texas
6-6, 305
JEFF OTAH
Pittsburgh
6-6, 340
SAM BAKER
USC
6-5, 314
BRANDEN ALBERT
Virginia
6-7, 315
CARL NICKS
Nebraska
6-5, 345
JOHN SULLIVAN
Notre Dame
6-3, 305