18. RLB Melvin Ingram B+

I actually had Melvin Ingram 18th on my board so I can’t hate this pick, but I had Whitney Mercilus, Nick Perry, and Courtney Upshaw higher than Ingram at this position, though they filled arguably their biggest need here.

49. 3-4 DE Kendall Reyes B+

They had other needs, but Reyes is a pretty good value here and they do need a young rotational lineman as Antonio Garay and Luis Castillo are aging players on one year deals.

73. S Brandon Taylor A

Safety might have been their 2nd biggest need after rush linebacker. Steve Gregory was awful last season and now even he’s gone. Taylor could start immediately next to Eric Weddle and starting safety were really tough to find this year given how this the class was.

110. TE Ladarius Green A

They need a developmental tight end behind an aging and injury prone Antonio Gates. I had Green rated one round earlier and he could have an immediate impact as a receiver in two-tight end sets.

149. G Johnnie Troutman C-

I had Troutman outside of my top 250 and that was without knowing about his pectoral injury. He could miss the whole season with that injury and the Chargers knew about that. They took him anyway. At least he filled a need, but what’s the point of spending a late round selection on someone who is hurt. Late round selections normally only have a year or so to prove themselves. It’s seems 50/50 that Troutman will ever suit up for them.

226. C David Molk A

Did they need another center? Not really, but Nick Hardwick is getting up there in age and there’s nothing wrong with finding a solid backup in the 7th round, especially when it’s a phenomenal value like this.

250. RB Edwin Baker A

They needed a 2nd back. I don’t know why they didn’t address this earlier. Are Curtis Brinkley or LeRon McClain capable of being the backup to Ryan Mathews, who hasn’t exceeded 222 carries as a pro? Anyway, Baker fits the range in the 7th round. He’ll probably be a 3rd or 4th back at best though.

The Chargers had two solid picks to start their drafts and, with the addition of Brandon Taylor, a very good pick, in the 3rd round, they really helped their defense. Ladarius Green was a great pick in the 4th round as value as a great value. They also drafted really well in the last couple rounds. It wasn’t a perfect draft for several reasons. I think there were better players at the same position available at 18 and I don’t think they filled a pressing need in the 2nd round. I also didn’t get the Troutman selection at all and I don’t think they did enough to address the running back position, but this was a solid draft which should have benefits for them next season and in the future, particularly defensively.

Grade: B+

11. NT Dontari Poe C

Dontari Poe is the definition of a boom or bust prospect. He has phenomenal measurables, but he had minimal production on a crappy team in a small conference in Conference-USA and the tape doesn’t match at to his measurables. He’s also more of a straight line athlete than anything too. I liked him a lot more in the 2^nd round, but I’ll average an A and an F here for him. He does fill a need, but I think they really reached for need.

44. G Jeff Allen C-

Guard was a need for the Chiefs, but I had Allen rated much lower than this. He’s also going to have to make a position change to guard. Peter Konz would have been a much better pick. He was a significantly superior prospect and he could play center for them, his natural position, and allow them to keep Rodney Hudson at guard, his natural position.

74. OT Donald Stephenson B

I had Stephenson as a borderline 3^rd/4^th round prospect. They had other needs, but they could use a 3^rd offensive tackle because Branden Albert is heading into a contract year so I don’t hate this pick.

107. WR Devon Wylie C

I liked Wylie, but in the 5^th round for a team that needed some help at wide receiver and needed a kick returner. The Chiefs have two solid return men in Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas. In fact, those guys were both drafted in the 2^nd round for their kick return abilities. The Chiefs have 3 solid wide receivers in Dwayne Bowe, Jonathan Baldwin, and Steve Breaston. And this is the 4^th round. So while I like Wylie as a player, I don’t like the fit with him on the Chiefs.

146. S DeQuan Menzie A

Menzie fills a need for the Chiefs at either cornerback or safety, depending on where they want to put him (though it sounds like safety). They need depth at safety and Romeo Crennel’s system puts a lot of value on the safety position. In fact, he called it the 2^nd most important position after quarterback recently. Menzie is a good value in the 5^th round.

182. RB Cyrus Gray A

Gray is a good value here in the 6^th round. Peyton Hillis was only signed to a one year deal and he could play some fullback and Jamaal Charles is undersized and coming off a major injury so there was a need for another back.

218. 3-4 DE Jerome Long B

I didn’t have Long in my top 250, but it’s pretty late so you can’t hate. There’s room for a depth defensive lineman like this in the 7^th round.

238. WR Junior Hemingway A

Did they really need another receiver? No, but Hemingway probably deserved to go a round or two before this and teams typically draft straight off their boards in the late round. You aren’t filling needs in the 7^th round.

This wasn’t a very good draft for the Chiefs (disagree with me if you want). I think Dontari Poe is way too big of a risk at 11. He’s a workout wonder whose tape doesn’t match up. He’s also a straight line athlete that didn’t fare nearly as well in agility drills as he did in the 40. In the 2^nd round, Allen was a major reach. He’s a 6^th offensive lineman type (first guy off the bench when there’s an injury, with great versatility), but Peter Konz could have been an immediate starter and allowed Rodney Hudson to stay at his natural spot in guard. Allen doesn’t really seem like he can be a long term starting guard in this league.

Donald Stephenson was a solid pick in the 3^rd, but I don’t like the Devon Wylie fit in the 4^th. They had some solid late round selections, but the early selections are what matter and I think they missed those up. I also didn’t like that they didn’t come out of this draft with a developmental quarterback. Brady Quinn and Tyler Palko aren’t very good and Ricky Stanzi couldn’t even beat out Tyler Palko last year. They had to sign Kyle Orton just to stay afloat. Matt Cassel, meanwhile, is a decent starter, but I don’t think you can go deep into the playoffs with him, which is a shame because the rest of their roster is really good.

Grade: C