Chiefs vs.Vikings drafts: the safe pick vs. the wild card

Well, the 2009 NFL Draft is over. No, I did not watch the 30-plus hour, wall-to-wall television coverage (I had some more important stuff to do, like stocking up on surgical masks in advance of swine flu and staring off into space). No, I have not read the bios of all 300-plus players. But if, for whatever silly reason, you want to know what I think about how the Chiefs and Vikings did, read on:

Chiefs

I would grade the Chiefs a “B.” In his first draft with the team GM Scott Pioli appears to have gone for big, solid linemen who will probably remain anonymous to all but the most ardent Chiefs fans, but should be able to do their jobs. Not a lot of flash, but some substance. It worked for him in New England, so it’s hard to second-guess him.

But Pioli’s first choice, taking LSU defensive Tyson Jackson with the third overall pick, is still a bit of a head-scratcher. Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, considered by many talking heads to be the top overall player in the draft, was still available, as was Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree, who was voted the best wide receiver in college football the last two years running.

Curry has perfect size for his position and was the fastest linebacker at the combine (4.56-second forty-yard dash). He’s considered incredibly versatile, which would seem to make him a natural fit for the Chiefs’ upcoming four-linebacker defensive scheme. Crabtree’s numbers were over-inflated in Texas Tech’s “pass-first-and-ask-questions-later” offense, and he’s not super fast or super big for a receiver, but he’s still a stud. He has freakishly long arms, and vacuum-seal hands that don’t let anything escape. Plus, he runs great routes. He may not be the next Jerry Rice, but he could be the next Isaac Bruce, and that ain’t bad.

It’s hard for me to see passing on either of those guys for Jackson. Jackson is a big dude who may turn out to be a great run-stuffer, but he’s relatively slow for a D-lineman (5.00 forty). He’s probably not going to make a lot of plays unless they’re run right at him. Rest assured, if Carl Peterson had made that pick Chiefs fans would be storming Arrowhead Stadium with torches and pitchforks. Pioli’s gets a pass because of his track record, but he’s risking his honeymoon period. Even if he knew Jackson was the guy he wanted most, he should have traded down to get something else in addition to him. Jackson was between 15 and 20 on most draft boards, so Pioli could have dealt down eight or nine picks and still been pretty confident he’d be there. On the plus side, Jackson is by all accounts a high-character guy who attends church religiously (pun intended). And that’s an underrated strength in the NFL.

Kansas City’s other picks are similar – not flashy, but solid. Alex Magee from Purdue is another run-stuffing D-lineman, just a little bit smaller and even slower than Jackson. Donald Washington (Ohio State) looks like a possible steal in the third round – a cornerback who never made many interceptions but has good size and speed for his position. Colin Brown (Missouri) is gigantic, provides much-needed depth on the O-line and some local flavor. Quentin Lawrence (WR, McNeese State) and Javarris Williams (RB, Tennessee State) are reportedly crazy fast, and I like the idea of taking skill players from small colleges late in the draft. They’re often overlooked and underappreciated. If KC gets anything out of Jake O’Connell (TE, Miami of Ohio) or Mr. Irrelevant, Ryan Succop (K, South Carolina), it’s a bonus.

Vikings

I would grade the Vikings a “C,” with the potential to go up or down, depending on Percy Harvin’s urine tests.

Harvin, of course, is the ultra-talented receiver of questionable character who slipped to the Vikes in the late first round. Sound familiar, Vikings fans? Highly-touted wide receiver with crazy stats, a taste for pot and a history of arrogance and poor sportsmanship? Yes, it is a little reminiscent of Randy Moss, except that Moss is 6-foot-4 and Harvin is 5-foot-11. Harvin is undoubtedly a special athlete, but the Vikings should be a little concerned that they might be getting Ted Ginn, Jr. with a bad attitude.

Another fun fact on Harvin, who somehow got into the U of Florida: he scored a 12 on the Wonderlic test, one of the worst marks of any of this year’s draftees. That roughly corresponds to an IQ of 84, which is troubling, but might explain why Harvin smoked pot a few weeks before the combine, at which he knew there would be mandatory drug testing. Genius, Percy, sheer genius. He was also suspended multiple times in high school, once for bumping a football official and once for fighting a basketball opponent. Promising. Harvin might turn out to be an explosive playmaker who keeps his nose clean, or he might turn out to be a cancer. This is the opposite of a nice, safe, Pioli pick.

Harvin’s talent will also afford him a honeymoon period. At his first Vikings’ press conference, the local media seemed charmed by his gaudy, white Miami Vice-style suit and its accessories (“Oh, he wore gator-skin shoes and he was a Florida Gator in college! How cute!”). To me, it seemed like another repulsive “Look at me!” moment from a guy who has a history of them. With no proven, veteran quarterback to keep him in line, Harvin could be trouble. But maybe Adrian Peterson will rub off on him.

Minnesota’s second-round pick, Oklahoma O-lineman Phil Loadholt, looks safer off the field, and should be solid, if unspectacular on it. He’s a giant: 6-foot-8, 340 pounds, and he faced some pretty good D-lineman, like Brian Orakpo of Texas, in his college days. He’s also slower than molasses going up a hill in January (as my friend Greg used to say), but you kind of expect that from a guy his size. With him, Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson, the Vikes’ O-line should terrorize most defenses with their run-blocking, and terrorize most Old Country Buffetts, as well. Their slowness afoot will leave them vulnerable to pass rushes off the edge, but with Peterson at RB and the two-headed turnover machine of Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson at QB, the Vikes are going to want to keep it on the ground as much as possible anyway.

The Vikings’ other three picks were: Asher Allen (Georgia), an undersized cornerback who says he idolizes Antoine Winfield, which can only be a good thing; Jasper Brinkley (South Carolina), a hard-hitting linebacker with good size and decent speed who seems like a pretty good value for a fifth-rounder and Jamarca Sanford (Ole Miss) a safety who will be lucky to make the team. The Vikes went heavy on the SEC guys, which is a good idea in the early rounds, but you’re probably not going to find many hidden gems from that well-publicized conference in the late rounds.

Allen and Brinkley have potential, though, and Loadholt could end up being a 10-year starter (though probably never a Pro Bowler). But this draft will be remembered for Harvin. That could be a good thing or a really bad thing for Minnesota.