It’s a tough year to have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. There’s no consensus best player at most of the premier positions, and there’s little difference in talent between the No. 1 player and the No. 25 player.
That’s why the Chiefs have a tough decision to make at No. 1. Kansas City has narrowed its choices down to West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner, Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel, Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson and Central Michigan tackle Eric Fisher, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Chiefs have already worked out Joeckel, Floyd, Johnson and Fisher, and they plan on working out Smith and Milliner, according to Rapoport.
Many assume the Chiefs’ interest in Smith is a smokescreen to try to get another team interested in the former Mountaineer to trade up. Kansas City is “fascinated by Geno Smith, comparing him to a young [Donovan] McNabb. They love how he throws. Need to study deeper,” according to Rapoport.
The Chiefs traded their second-round pick in 2013 and a conditional third-round pick in 2014 for former 49er Alex Smith. It would seem odd to use the No. 1 and No. 34 overall picks on quarterbacks, when neither one is expected to reach “elite” status.
Kansas City has bigger holes on its offensive line, at cornerback and on the defensive line. The Eagles, Bills, Jets, Raiders and Jaguars have all shown interest in Geno Smith.
While it’s rough for Kansas City to not have an obvious player to choose No. 1 overall in late April, it will be fun for fans to head into a draft not knowing what will happen to kick off the festivities. It will also make it more difficult for teams choosing behind Kansas City, because there’s no Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III to automatically take off their board.
