The Chiefs have selected RB Dexter McCluster with the 36th overall pick (2nd round) of the NFL Draft.  McCluster is a small dude at 5′7″, 160 pounds but he is shifty and fast.  He can score from anywhere on the field at any time as he reminds me a little bit of Darren Sproles of the Chargers….but he’s a lot tougher than him.  McCluster played in 13 games (all starts) for Mississippi last season and he carried the ball 181 times for 1,169 yards (6.5 ypc) with 8 TD runs.  He also caught 44 passes for 520 yards (11.8 avg) with 3 TD grabs last season.  McCluster will be a weapon for the Chiefs who will move him all around the field to create mis-matches and he will not be asked to carry a heavy load in the running game with Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles ahead of him on the depth chart at RB.  Look for the Chiefs to use McCluster as a return man in 2010 also.  He played in 40 games (29 starts) in his four years at Mississippi as he carried the ball 304 times for 1,955 yards (6.4 ypc) with 15 TD runs and he also caught 130 passes for 1,703 yards (13.1 avg) with 7 TD grabs.  Despite having other more pressing needs I can’t fault the Chiefs for picking the electric Dexter McCluster who is a big time playmaker.

The Chiefs have selected safety Eric Berry out of Tennessee with the 5th pick of the first round of the NFL Draft.  Berry is a tad small at 5′10″ but he has 205 pounds of ripped muscle on that frame.  Berry reminds me a lot of Ronnie Lott as he tries to blowup ballcarriers and receivers.  He is a good coverage safety who could also handle playing CB if the need arose for the Chiefs.  Berry played in 13 games (all starts) for Tennesse last season in which he had 87 tackles, he broke up 7 passes, had 2 interceptions, forced 1 fumble and he recovered 2 fumbles.  Berry gives the Chiefs a intimidating type player in the secondary which they have not had in a long, long time.  Berry played in 39 games (37 starts) in three years at Tennessee and he finished up with 245 tackles, he broke up 7 passes, had 14 interceptions (494 return yards), forced 2 fumbles and he has recovered 4 fumbles.  I love this pick for the Chiefs as new defensive co-ordinator Romeo Crennel now has a player to build around in Berry.

The Chiefs have been strengthening the offense so far this off-season adding C Casey Wiegmann, G Ryan Lilja, RB Thomas Jones and WR Jerheme Urban.  So they will be going defense in the draft right?  Not so fast, my friend.  The Chiefs still have big needs at OT and WR which will likely be addressed in this draft over the weekend.  Defensively the Chiefs need a NT, MLB and a S and I look for them to draft at least one player at each of those positions.  The Chiefs have 4 of the top 68 picks this weekend and they have 8 picks overall.  I think the Chiefs’ first round pick comes down to two players:  S Eric Berry or OT Russell Okung unless someone slides from the projected top three of QB Sam Bradford, DT Gerald McCoy or DT Ndamukong Suh.

PROJECTED FIRST ROUND PICK:  OT, Russell Okung, Oklahoma State

The Chiefs picked 8 players last April and only one of them was what I would call a good player (Ryan Succop) based on how the players looked as rookies.  DE Tyson Jackson (1st round, #3 overall) out of LSU was supposed to help the pass rush of the Chiefs in 2009 but he didn’t.  Jackson played in all 16 games for the Chiefs last season and he made 38 tackles and defensed 2 passes but had zero sacks.  DT Alex Magee (3rd round, #67 overall) out of Purdue played a lot without doing much.  He played in 15 games in which he made 8 tackles and he had 2 sacks.  The Chiefs selected CB Donald Washington in the 4th round (#102 overall) out of Ohio State.  He played in 8 games and he made a whopping 5 tackles last season.  OT Colin Brown was selected in the 5th round (#139 overall) out of Missouri and he spent his rookie season on the Injured Reserve List.  WR Quinten Lawrence (6th round, #175 overall) out of McNeese State showed some potential.  Lawrence played in 6 games for the Chiefs last season and he carried the ball 2 times for 42 yards (21.0 ypc) and he also caught 1 pass for 9 yards.  Lawrence also returned 16 kickoffs for 317 yards (19.8 avg) last season for the Chiefs.  RB Javarris Williams (7th round, #212 overall) out of Tennessee State played in 4 games for the Chiefs last season and he carried the ball 6 times for 6 yards (1.0 ypc).  WR Jake O’Connell (7th round, #237 overall) out of Miami (Ohio) played in 4 games for the Chiefs last season and he caught 2 passes for 7 yards (3.5 avg).  Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL Draft was kicker Ryan Succop (7th round, #256 overall) out of South Carlina.  All he did last season was play in all 16 games for the Chiefs in which he nailed 25 of 29 field goals (86.2%) and all 29 of his extra point attempts good for 104 points.  Succop was the Chiefs’ best rookie last season and that is really saying something about how poor they drafted.

GRADE FOR 2009:  D-

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  D

Ryan Succop was “Mr. Irrelevant” in the NFL Draft last April as the Chiefs picked him in the 7th round, #256 overall out of South Carolina.  He has stepped right into the job for the Chiefs and he has been very effective.  Succop has made 9 of 11 field goals this season and he has made all 10 of his extra points.  This was a excellent pick for the Chiefs who find a starter with the last pick of the NFL Draft.