So the NFL wrapped the longest first day in draft history (6-1/2 hours!). The NFL Draft is up there with with my favorite non-sports sports events of the year (perhaps coming a close second to the World Series of Poker, just ahead of the post-NCAA tournament coaching shuffle and So You Think You Can Dance). The Chiefs were in a similar position as they’ve been in years past, with late-in-the-round picks and lots of needs, which they more or less filled.

Need #1: Wide Reciever – First Round Pick (#23 Overall) – Dwayne Bowe, LSU

Look, Eddie Kennison is getting old and Samie Parker is…well…Samie Parker. If Brodie Croyle is going to have any chance to succeed (or Damon Huard if that’s who starts), he needs somewhere to throw the ball. Tony Gonzalez is still the best tight end in the NFL (don’t go there with Antonio Gates or that punk Shockey…Tony is still the best), but he’s getting double-teamed and covered by every team’s best corner. We can’t hand the ball to Larry Johnson 400 times again next year (as much as Herm Edwards would like to), so a receiver was important.

Bowe was ranked anywhere from 2nd-4th on the list of receivers after the obvious #1, Calvin Johnson. After the Dolphins took Ted Ginn, Jr., (at #9! – what the heck?), Bowe seemed to be the best available and he seems like a great pick – tall guy, good hands, strength to beat bump-and-run coverage, decent speed (but not acceleration). A great pick in my opinion. The only other option here was either Joe Staley or Ben Grubbs, players who would have filled our offensive line needs.

Need #2: Defensive End – Second Round Pick (#54 Overall) – Turk McBride, Tennessee

With the four-game suspension of one of our best pass rushers, the Chiefs needed some more depth at defensive end. McBride is a tackle/end hybrid who will likely see playing time this year while Jared Allen serves his time. McBride played tackle while at Tennessee, but he’ll likely play end for the Chiefs. At Tennessee, coaches trusted him enough as an athlete to plug him in where he was needed and he still earned All-SEC honors.

This was a situation of “best athlete available”, I think and I hope the Chiefs are able to use him. I am hoping that the defensive-minded Edwards has plans for him and…

Need #3: Defensive Tackle – Third Round Pick (#82 Overall) – Demarcus “Tank” Tyler, NC State

With the bust that our recent first round and second round defensive tackles of years past (Ryan Sims, Junior Siavii, Eddie Freeman), the Chiefs tried again, this time with a guy whose nickname is “Tank”. Why wouldn’t you take a chance on a guy nicknamed “Tank”?

Tyler is a space-filler (which is what we hoped Siavii would be, too), but he seems to have a better resume and is not a “project”. He was a good value in the third round (some people had him going as early as the second round) and we desperately need depth at defensive tackle. I look for him to get significant playing time even in his first year. As a first round pick, there won’t be much expected of him, but I’m looking for him to be a contributor.

As for tomorrow…

We still have a lot of needs left to fill. The Chiefs will almost certainly look to get an offensive lineman. With the loss of Willie Roaf last year and Will Shields’ retirement, our line is no longer the dominant force it once was. We’ve got some people who are poised to step up, but we need more depth. I look for the Chiefs to draft at least two offensive linemen and possibly another defensive lineman on Sunday. The other place they’ll be looking to draft is cornerback. We have some great corners, but they are getting older…it’s time to infuse some new talent back there. Hopefully Herm Edwards (who played the position during his NFL years) will be a better judge of talent than in the past (William Bartee, hello?).

There’s also the issue of Trent Green. I think that with the Dolphins passing on Quinn, we all but solidified that Green will be in the Teal and Orange next year. I think we’ll probably get a 5th rounder for him this year and perhaps a conditional pick in next year’s draft. The Dolphins took a QB in the 2nd round, but he is a project that will need a guy like Green to learn from. I’m sad to see Green go – he’s a class act, but I understand that it makes sense for him and the Chiefs to part ways.

As far as Larry Johnson goes…he didn’t get traded (if the Packers were offering their 1st and 3rd round picks, I would take that offer in a heartbeat), so we are going to have to extend his contract somehow. I think he’ll get paid by the Chiefs, but we’ll see if he’s worth it.

Overall, I’ll give the Chiefs’ first day of the draft a solid ‘B’ grade. There certainly is potential there. We’ll see how these players pan out next year and we’ll see how the front office does tomorrow. Until then, I’m hopeful.