The Kansas City Chiefs are in a prime position heading into April's NFL draft, as they already have their quarterback after trading for Alex Smith and now can decide what player they want to take without having to deal with thinking about Geno Smith or Matt Barkley.
The Chiefs can trade out of the spot if they want, but Andy Reid likes finding talent and despite the fact that they no longer need a quarterback in that spot, there are plenty of players that are deserving of the pick, with the top options being Texas A&M left tackle Luke Joeckel, Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner and offensive guard Eric Fisher from Central Michigan.
Joeckel is the likely pick, as he has been rumored to be the top offensive lineman in the draft and Reid loves big, athletic guys that can block. Joeckel had his pro day at Texas A&M over the weekend, and according to ESPN.com, he had a great performance that should not hurt his draft stock.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound lineman spent the season blocking for Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel and he now will get the chance to block from some NFL players when he makes it to the pros. The move to the SEC has given him the chance to play against some of the best teams in the nation and his pro day was attended by names such as New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and Oakland Raiders coach Dennis Allen, as well as a number of other scouts.
"Going against the best competition is going to get me ready for the next step," Joeckel said. "This year I went against probably five guys that could be going in the first round ... and I think that definitely improved my game."
Joeckel started every game during his Aggies career and also won the Outland Trophy as the top lineman in college football last season. Joeckel had a solid day at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and he was able to show off some more skills over the weekend, as he worked drills and worked with his teammates from college.
The Chiefs could also decide to make a move with quarterback Matt Cassel who is now expendable in Kansas City, including trading him to the Jets for Tim Tebow. It is a wild prospect, but Reid could use Tebow in the right way to give the team a surprise element against opponents and he could prove to be a great decoy for Jamaal Charles. The team could take a risk since it has the top pick and now that they have Smith, Cassel is likely a goner.
Joeckel will later meet with the Kansas City Chiefs and possibly the Raiders, who could take him with the third pick if the Chiefs decide to take Fisher or Milliner. At the combine he did a time of 5.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash as well as 27 repetitions on the bench press at 225 pounds and a 7.4-second mark in the three-cone drill.
"I think he was impressive on the tape, and just watching him out here and getting a chance to visit with him, I think not only is he a good football player, he's an impressive young man," Allen said. "I think that's the thing ... when you look at him, that's the thing that says this guy is going to make it in the National Football League."
When asked about being the number one pick, Joeckel said:
"Man, it's just hard to swallow," Joeckel said. "What an opportunity. (I'm) just trying to work every single day to earn that. I've got a long process until that. I've knocked out two things with the combine and now my pro day. Now I have a much longer process with team meetings and stuff like that. April 25 draft day is going to be a big day. It's going to be a lot of fun."
