Going into the 2008 NFL Draft, it would have been an understatement to say that the Kansas City Chiefs had big needs on both offense and defense. Considering the Chiefs' hit and miss draft history, many felt anything but optimistic.

Something happened during the week leading up to the draft that at the time seemed controversial, but in the end may have been the very thing that changed the Chiefs' draft fortune. They traded defensive end Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings.

Dealing Allen to the Vikes initially had Chief Nation's collective panties in a bunch. After all, Allen was a fan favorite and arguably the team's best defensive player. The chatter around the halls at Arrowhead Stadium was that Allen did not want to play for Chiefs' President/General Manager Carl Peterson, so he started peddling his services elsewhere.

As compensation for Allen, the Chiefs received Minnesota's first-round pick and two third-round picks in this year's draft. That bold move was what set the foundation for the Chiefs' 2008 draft.

One of the Chiefs' most glaring needs was on the offensive line, so most projections had Kansas City taking an O-lineman with the fifth overall pick. Getting Jake Long out of Michigan was not going to happen because Miami, who had the number one overall pick, had already signed him before draft day. That left four other top prospects available, including the highly-touted defensive tackle out of LSU, Glenn Dorsey.

Most thought Dorsey would no longer be on the board when the Chiefs picked at number five, forcing them to possibly trade their pick or use it on the next best O-lineman. What happened between the second and fourth pick probably had Chiefs' executives, coaches, and fans on the edge of their seats. Dorsey was still on the board and the Chiefs picked him.

Dorsey, a 6' 1", 297 lbs. defensive tackle from Baton Rouge, LA, finished his tenure at LSU as the consensus All-American and Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year and also received the 2007 Nagurski Award, Lombardi Award, Outland Trophy, Lott Award and a Heisman Trophy nomination. That is quite a resume.

As if that was not enough excitement for one round, the Chiefs still had the other first round pick they acquired in the Jared Allen trade. KC set their sights on their much needed offensive lineman. Slated at number seventeen, the Chiefs could not wait. They made a deal to trade positions with Detroit at number 15 and selected tackle Brendan Albert out of Virginia.

Albert was the offensive lineman who most thought the Chiefs would take with their fifth pick. Albert is 6' 5", 316 lbs., and hails from Rochester, NY. He played basketball exclusively until his junior year in high school only to turn around and start all 37 games that he played in at Virginia two years later.

For the Chiefs, it was Christmas morning. They got the guy they thought they would get in the first round in Albert, but only after getting a big unexpected bonus with their first pick in Dorsey. The Chiefs' front office was elated. "I never thought in my wildest dreams that we would have the opportunity to get both of these guys," Vice-President of Personnel Bill Kuharich said at a post first round press conference.

The second round started out with as much excitement as the first. With the 35th overall pick, the Chiefs took cornerback Brandon Flowers out of Virginia Tech. This will give Kansas City some needed youth at the cornerback position. The 5' 9" 187 lbs. Flowers out of Delray Beach, FL, has been compared to the likes of Ronde Barber and Donnie Abraham by the same man that drafted those two - Chiefs' Head Coach, Herm Edwards.

Speaking of Edwards, he likes the way the 2008 draft started for his team. "These guys are going to make a difference," said Edwards, after the first round. "These young men have the ability to compete for starting positions."

The selections of Dorsey, Albert, and Flowers wrapped up the first day of the draft for the Chiefs. The picks taken in rounds three through seven look like this:

3a. RB Jamaal Charles (Texas)
3b. TE Brad Cottam (Tennessee)
3c. S DaJuan Morgan (NC State)
4. WR Will Franklin (Missouri)
5. CB Brandon Carr (Grand Valley State)
6a. T Barry Richardson (Clemson)
6b. WR Kevin Robinson (Utah State)
7a. DE Brian Johnston (Gardner-Webb)
7b. TE Michael Merritt (Central Florida)

After this draft, especially the first round, you might look back on that Jared Allen trade and see that it wasn't so bad after all. If the Chiefs did not need to find a suitable replacement for Allen, they may not have taken Dorsey. And if they didn't have an extra pick in the first round, they may not have gotten Albert to shore up their offense. ESPN draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., gave his only "A" to Kansas City when grading all 32 NFL team's draft performances.

Kansas City Chiefs' fans have seen good times and bad times over the years. The last few seasons have been undoubtedly bad. Here's to the start of some more good. For more information log on to www.kcchiefs.com.

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