Should The Kansas City Chiefs’ Corner The Market In The 2012 NFL Draft?

Published: 1^st Mar 12 5:58 pm

by danflaherty
danflaherty

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Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The cornerback positon has already come up for discussion and change in the Kansas City Chiefs’ offseason. The team signed Stanford Routt, formerly of the Oakland Raiders and while the move was praised here, the 28-year-old Routt is also not a long-term solution at the position. Given that, should Kansas City general manager Scott Pioli consider taking a corner if the right one is available with the #11 pick? If so, what are the choices?

There are three corners rated with first-round talent by ESPN’s Scouts Inc. One of them is Alabama’s Dre’ Kirkpatrick, one of the Crimson Five that were reviewed here earlier this week. Kirpatrick also ranks third of the three.

At the top of the board at the corner spot is LSU’s Morris Claiborne. He didn’t get the same level of media attention as teammate Tyrann Matheiu on the other side, but Claiborne is an talent that scouts love. He can press up and play man-to-man coverage, his foot quickness is excellent, and what separates him from your average corner is his ability to play the ball and turn good coverage into turnovers.

The other choice is the risky one on the board and it’s North Alabama’s Janoris Jenkins. He’s got the talent, winning high marks for his footwork, agility and ability close on the ball out of a backpedal. At 5’9” he can be shielded a bit by big receivers, but Jenkins is another one with good instincts around the ball and he can more than hold his own in these spots. The problem lies in that the last two years there’s been an arrest record piling up, and any team drafting him is taking a significant character risk.

When you look at Pioli’s options, it’s impossible to think that Claiborne would slide to #11. On the flip side, I would consider it unthinkable to use a pick that high on someone with the personal issues that Jenkins has. Kirkpatrick might be viable, but it’s another case of drafting a player ahead of where his best value is.

While Claiborne’s talent could justify a trade upward if he slips past the top five, the relative needs of the Kansas City team really don’t justify that. The other two options are best left alone. A lockdown corner is a great commodity in the NFL and the opportunity to get one should never be driven exclusively by short-term need. But the cards don’t seem aligned right for the Chiefs to get one in the 2012 NFL draft.