The Chiefs addressed their needs on the defensive line by taking DE Tamba Hali of Penn St. with their first-round pick of the NFL Draft on Saturday. Hali terrorized Big 10 quarterbacks as a senior, with a conference-leading 11 sacks. He was sixth nationally in sacks. He recorded 65 sacks, 17 for losses.
Hali came to the U.S. at the age of 10, fleeing his native Liberia to join his father. His dad came to the U.S. in hopes of raising enough money to bring his kids over. Hali’s mother is still there.
Many thought the Chiefs might address their secondary with the first pick, by taking a cornerback. Two top CB’s were taken earlier in the draft. The Rams selected Tye Hill (Clemson) with the 11th pick and the Chargers went with Antonio Cromartie (Florida St.) 18th.
In the second round, the Chiefs decided to focus on their secondary, but to the surprise of many, they didn’t draft a cornerback. Instead, the Chiefs chose Purdue safety Bernard Pollard, who skipped his senior season to go pro.
He was a second-team All-Big 10 selection last season, leading the Boilermakers with 92 tackles. Pollard picked off three passes and deflected three more. He was also a force on special teams with five blocked punts in his career.
He was suspended for two days before his junior season after getting into a verbal disagreement with a coach.
In the third round the Chiefs went with offense, taking Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle. He threw for 2,499 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions last season for the Tide. He missed of his junior season with a knee injury