PFW: Who should the Chiefs draft 1st overall?

[RamBill]

Who should the Kansas City Chiefs draft 1st overall? Texas A&M OT Luke Joeckel may be the top prospect, but slim pickings among QBs mean the decision in K.C. is far from clear-cut. Would another team want to trade into that spot? Will a QB ultimately be the #1 pick?

Watch PFW's Who Should Go #1 Discussion

[TekeRam]

Unless a team really wants Joeckel, I don't see a trade up to #1. This is far from as star studded a class than last year where the Rams made a killing.

With Branden Albert a free agent, I think that Andy Reid stays with his roots and builds his new team from the inside out and goes with the best player on the board, Joeckel. The new CBA allows teams to select the best player without regard to what the salary impact is. The days of grabbing the best QB simply because you have to justify the contract is done. Expect more Mario Williams and Jake Longs in years like this.

[Nick]

With Branden Albert a free agent

That's going to be the wild card.

With the last two drafts and the wage scale in place, we've seen a number of examples of teams in the high first round reaching for quarterbacks who weren't commonly valued there because of the position's importance.

If the Chiefs get their ducks in a row in free agency, which includes retaining Albert, I expect them to take the best passer on their board. If Albert leaves, then Joeckel likely becomes the pick.