On the first day of the NFL draft, AFC West teams seemed to be faced with the question of intriguing potential versus a sure thing.
The Oakland Raiders, seemingly in need of a quarterback, passed on the inherent possibilities of Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler, instead focusing on the best defensive back available, Texas’ Michael Huff, with the seventh overall pick.
Elsewhere, things weren’t as cut and dried. The San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, picking back to back at Nos. 19 and 20, decided to take a chance. San Diego selected Florida State defensive back Antonio Cromartie, who missed the entire 2005 season with a knee injury. The Chiefs then opted for Penn State defensive end Tamba Hali, who moved to the United States from Liberia as a 10-year-old.
While poor workout numbers caused some to drop Hali to the second round, Kansas City officials said they were thrilled to have him.
“When you watch him, you will appreciate the type of player we drafted,” coach Herman Edwards told media in Kansas City. “We drafted a guy, in my estimation, who will come in and set the tempo for our defensive line.”
When Hali left Africa to join his father in New Jersey, Liberia was in the midst of a civil war. His mother, Rachel Keita, stayed behind; she was shot in the leg two years ago and recently recovered from malaria. Now an NFL player, Hali plans to reunite the family in America.
“You cannot say enough about his character,” Edwards said. “I think what he is going to bring for all of us at times, if we feel like having a pity party for ourselves and feel like you have it tough, all you’ve got to do is look at this guy and understand what he has gone through as a young person and that he has persevered in his life.”
Many draft observers thought the Raiders would opt for a player from Texas, but the thinking was it would be quarterback Vince Young. However, Young went to Tennessee with the third pick. Instead of taking one of the other available quarterbacks, Oakland decided on Huff. A four-year starter for the Longhorns, Huff excelled at cornerback and safety during his career.
“He is a very versatile player that can play any one of those positions in the secondary,” Raiders coach Art Shell said. “He has the ability to play any one of those positions because he has done it in the past. There are a lot of things that he can do, and he brings a lot to our football team.”
Oakland took Texas-El Paso linebacker Thomas Howard in the second round. San Diego took mammoth 6-foot-7, 337-pound offensive lineman Marcus McNeill of Auburn with the 50th overall pick. Four slots later, the Chiefs opted for Purdue safety Bernard Pollard.
Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
