Draft Profile: Luke Joeckel

In the next few weeks this blog will analyze the upcoming draft. We will look at the players the Chiefs might take with their number one overall pick. Obviously, a team like the Chiefs (that goes 2-14) has many holes, and with those holes come many possibilities. We will start with Luke Joeckel, who has been a standout lineman with Texas A&M, and has already declared for the 2013 NFL Draft.

Luke Joeckel:

(Image from www.BleacherReport.com)

Luke Joeckel was the star left tackle for Texas A&M in the previous season, and he will look to take his talents to the NFL. There is a very strong possibility that the Chiefs draft Joeckel, and there are numerous reasons why that decision would be a good one. None of those reasons are greater than the success of Johnny Manziel (pictured below). Manziel, who is known by the nicknames of "Johnny Football" and "Johnny Heisman", had an incredibly successful season that included a win over Alabama, who went on to win the BCS National Championship. Manziel had numerous achievements, including setting the NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback, setting the NCAA freshman record for total yards in a season, and becoming the first player in SEC history to throw for 3,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in a season. Manziel got the glamor and the Heisman, but most of his success was due to the spectacular offensive line play, led by Joeckel.

(Image from www.BleacherReport.com)

Joeckel has not missed a game since his freshman season, and he has a ton of experience blocking against NFL prospects coming out of the SEC. Joeckel has had major success every year. As a freshman, he led a rushing attack that gained over 165 yards per game. As a sophomore, he was picked to the "All-Big 12 Team", and since then he has not looked back. As a junior Joeckel is projected to go first in the draft to Kansas City, and the reason is because he is one of the most "polished linemen" to come out of college in a long time. He also racked up some trophies of his own, as he received the Outland Trophy (best offensive lineman in the nation) and was a consensus All-American.

(Image from www.SBNation.com)

The Chiefs have a serious need for offensive lineman, and Luke Joeckel could be the player they have been waiting for. Last year the Chiefs struggled with depth on the offensive line, as they saw players such as Rodney Hudson, Ryan Lilja (pictured above), and Brandon Albert fall to injury. Now that Lilja has moved on, the Chiefs need to find a guard, and should they draft Joeckel, the Chiefs will likely slide either Winston of Albert over to guard to make room for the rookie out of Texas A&M. Joeckel could really help, especially if the Chiefs find a quarterback in free-agency, because he could be the key piece of the offense for both running and passing plays this season. It'll be interesting to see who the Chiefs look at, but they will not study any player more than Joeckel.