The Kansas City Chiefs have the number one overall pick in the draft and as the event approaches in April the team has a big decision to make, including whether to draft offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, tackle Eric Fisher quarterback Geno Smith or cornerback Dee Milliner from Alabama.
According to NFL.com, the Chiefs favor Joeckel, but the team hosted both Smith and Milliner for private visits and workouts. The Chiefs have been doing their due diligence on all the top prospects in the draft, including on Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson, Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan, BYU defensive end Ziggy Ansah and Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher, who all were worked out on-campus by the team.
The Chiefs are likely not going to take Smith since they just traded two draft picks (including this year's second round pick) for Alex Smith from the San Francisco 49ers, but head coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey have kept all options on the table. Smith and Milliner will be their final two prospect visits before the draft and despite the fact that they have Alex Smith, the report says Chiefs officials are very intrigued by the West Virginia product.
The Chiefs have loved the way Smith throws the ball in his workouts and he impressed many over last season by throwing over 40 touchdowns with just six interceptions, including 25 touchdown passes before throwing his first interceptions. Reid is the type of coach who could handle keeping a young star behind Alex Smith for a year or two and if they are impressed enough by him they likely will draft him.
Dorsey spent time with the Green Bay Packers and the team pulled a similar move when they drafted Aaron Rodgers, who sat behind Brett Favre for three years before becoming the starter, which worked out to fantastic results as the team won the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs have a number of decisions to make regarding they draft, as they also are rumored to be looking at trading franchise tackle Branden Albert. If the team decides to trade Albert, possibly to the Miami Dolphins since they have multiple second round picks, they likely would use the number one overall pick on Joeckel or Fisher to help keep the offensive line intact. The two sides have been talking but no deal is in place yet.
The cornerback position could also be interesting, as the team lost Brandon Carr last year and has Brandon Flowers already along with newly-signed Sean Smith and Dunta Robinson. Milliner could join and work behind the starters while learning the NFL game and he could be a star for the Chiefs in the future.
The team has needs on both sides of the ball and they have loved what Milliner and Smith have done in workouts, especially the cornerback, who showed off a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine that proved he has top notch speed. The Chiefs went just 2-14 last season and ranked 12th in passing yards allowed per game and 27th in rushing yards allowed.
Reid has proven he can work with young quarterbacks, like he did with Donovan McNabb, but he also easily could go after Joeckel or Milliner if he feels they are the best prospect.
