Chiefs looking for defensive success in draft

Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In Carl Peterson's first draft as the Kansas City Chiefs' general manager, he picked Derrick Thomas. In the 15 drafts since, just two of his other defensive picks have made the Pro Bowl.

It's a slump that Peterson doesn't have much time to break.

For the past three seasons, the Chiefs' offense has set all sorts of records, sending five players to the Pro Bowl last season. But Trent Green, Priest Holmes, Willie Roaf and Will Shields aren't getting any younger, and playing with a defense that has ranked at the bottom of the league for three straight seasons has kept them from posting a single playoff win.

Should Peterson again fail to find a defensive star in the draft, the Chiefs could end up looking back at the first years of the 21st century as a wasted opportunity.

Peterson won't say who he has on the draft board. But with the 15th pick, cornerbacks Carlos Rogers of Auburn and Adam ''Pacman'' Jones of West Virginia and linebackers Kevin Burnett of Tennessee and Darryl Blackstock of Virginia are all possibilities.

''Corners, safeties and linebackers and defensive linemen all have great merit for the first round,'' Peterson said. ''I just don't like to talk about specifics until after we do it.''

After the 2003 season, the Chiefs chose to stand pat with their defensive personnel, replacing only coordinator Greg Robinson with former coach Gunther Cunningham. The new attitude and new scheme made little difference, as did the play of 2004 top choice Junior Siavii.

This offseason, Peterson has been active in the free agent market. Already signed are inside linebacker Kendrell Bell, safety Sammy Knight and reserve pass-rush specialist Carlos Hall.

Still pending was a possible trade with Miami for three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain, which could affect Kansas City's draft day strategy. The Chiefs had been haggling for weeks with the Dolphins and Surtain's agent, and Peterson cautioned this week that the deal may not get done.

The team has yet to work out a contract agreement with Surtain and they're still arguing about compensation with the Dolphins, who want a second-round pick.

''I do not want to give up our second draft choice, no,'' Peterson said. ''We feel that we can draft a very good football player in the second round with the 46th pick. That's where I've been from the beginning with this thing.''

The Chiefs could also wind up dealing 2006 draft choices to the Dolphins.

''It's not dead, and it really doesn't have to happen before the draft,'' Peterson said. ''We're running out of time to get it done before this particular draft.''

If the Chiefs do draft a quality defensive player, it will be the first in some time. Along with Siavii, the team's recent failures include tackle Ryan Sims, who has yet to show the promise expected of the sixth overall pick of 2002.

But Peterson said it's mostly members of the media who are bothered by the team's draft record.

''We have 72,000 season ticket holders,'' Peterson said. ''We've renewed 95 percent of those people again this year.

''I haven't had a letter or a fax or a phone call from any of those people. And honest to goodness, I haven't had any letters from outside of that, if you want to say, sphere of people who I consider real Kansas City Chiefs fans because they step up each year and put their money down and say, 'I'm here to see the Chiefs.'''