When Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe first announced that he would enter the 2012 NFL draft, he was rated by most as a second-round pick. When Poe lit up the Scouting Combine, he was regarded by some as a Top 5 pick.
As it turned out, Poe landed at No. 11, where the Kansas City Chiefs took him with their first-round choice.
Poe is a physical freak, an enormous defensive tackle in the 350-pound range who was the strongest player at the Combine on the bench press and had a 40-yard dash and a vertical jump that far exceed what 350-pounders are supposed to be able to do. The problem is that his performance on the field at Memphis didn’t always measure up to his measureables.
We knew heading into the draft that defensive line was the Chiefs’ biggest need, and now they’ve addressed it with the man who may be the most talented physical specimen in the entire draft. We’ll see whether they can coach him up and turn him into the dominant player he has the talent to become.