The Kansas City Chiefs have the number one pick in the NFL draft after going 2-14 last season and after making the trade to acquire quarterback Alex Smith from San Francisco the team has a wide range of options at the top of the draft, including Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner.
The team was expected to draft a quarterback like Geno Smith from West Virginia or Matt Barkley from USC, but now that the team as acquired Alex Smith, head coach Andy Reid has a chance to do something risky or surprising at the top of the draft.
According to ESPN.com, there is a chance that Reid could use the pick on cornerback Dee Milliner from Alabama, who is considered to be the top defensive back prospect. The news came from draft expert Gil Brandt, who said that there are five players who should be the number one pick, with Milliner coming in on the list.
SI.com writer Peter King wrote on Twitter about the idea, saying: "RT @Gil_Brandt: Milliner now has shot at being first CB ever taken No. 1 overall. Not saying it will happen, but pieces falling into place."
Brandt wrote about the rest of the players, including left tackles Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher, pass-rushers Barkevious Mingo and Bjoern Werner. The Chiefs could make the pick of Milliner and pair him with Brandon Flowers to have one of the best cornerback tandems in the NFL and although he possess a great set of skills, taking the defensive back as the number one pick would be a mistake for the Chiefs.
Although defense can be greatly improved through coverage, the Chiefs have holes all over the field and one of the biggest places they need to shore up is the offensive line. Luckily for Reid, this draft has a number of highly-regarded offensive linemen, including two players who have the chance to have long, successful careers, with Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher.
While Milliner is an appealing pick, the Chiefs would greatly benefit from grabbing a player and putting him on the line for five solid years. The 49ers struck gold with Joe Staley and the Browns with Joe Thomas, as both players have been playing at an All-Pro level since being drafted.
The Chiefs just tagged their biggest lineman in Branden Albert and adding a name like Fisher or Joeckel could give the team a foundation to work with for years to come. Alex Smith will need time in the pocket to throw and Jamaal Charles will need big bodies to block and both those names fit the bill.
There are even more linemen in the draft past those two that are highly-regarded as well, including Lane Johnson, D.J. Fluker from Alabama and Kyle Long from Oregon. The Chiefs can use later draft picks on cornerbacks and if they pass up on one of the top linemen, there is a chance they will be passing up one of the top prospects to come out of college football in years.
Joeckel blocked for Heisman winner Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M and he is considered to be the best prospect at his position in the draft. He has ideal size at 6-foot-6 and 306 pounds and he had a solid combine that should not hurt his draft stock.
The Chiefs could also go after a defensive back in free agency, where there are a number of players out there that are more attractive than the offensive linemen that are, including Charles Woodson and Quentin Jammer among other names.
