The Kansas City Chiefs have the number one overall pick after having a terrible season in 2012 and the team is debating on what to do come the end of April when they are on the clock and so far all signs point to them taking an offensive lineman, the question is, which one?
According to the Kansas City Star, the team has been debating for weeks about taking one of the two top left tackle prospects in Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher, but more recently the team is rumored to be thinking about taking Alabama guard Chance Warmack instead. The pick would be historic since no guard has ever been selected number one overall and no guard has been taken in the top 10 since 1997 when Chris Naeole of Colorado was taken with the tenth pick.
The Chiefs have a new regime in general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid and both would like to rebuild the offensive line through the draft. There is a possibility that Warmack is the best player of the three, but since he plays guard, he may not go as high. Reid may forget about the rules when it comes to taking players and he may just go for who he thinks is best and not the best fit.
The draft this year is deep and not top heavy compared to last season, meaning that this could be a year where a guard could go at number one and people wouldn't find it that crazy. The left tackle position is considered sacred in the NFL, but as offenses and quarterbacks change, so does that moniker and as written in ESPN the Magazine this week, the position is not as important as it used to be. Jake Long was taken with the number one overall pick in 2008 and now he is with the Rams after leaving the Dolphins in free agency.
Many in the NFL think this draft does not have a consensus number one, leaving the Chiefs to select who they feel will be best for their team. Warmack has size at 6 foot 2 and 317-pounds and he has national title pedigree coming from Alabama, where he started all 40 games from 2010 until last season, allowing just 3.5 sacks and being named an All-American.
Warmack showed off his skills against Notre Dame in the national title game and the Chiefs could greatly benefit from taking the guard. The team looks to be much improved after the offseason after trading for Alex Smith and signing Dwayne Bowe, Anthony Fasano, Sean Smith and Dunta Robinson.
"I don't care whether it's Warmack or Joeckel," said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock. "People will tell me I'm crazy, that a guard can't go No. 1. I think he's the best player in the draft. Chance Warmack is the best football player I saw on tape this year. And Jonathan Cooper from North Carolina is just a tiny notch behind him. As a matter of fact, Cooper's probably a better athlete."