Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson

The news that the Chiefs are working on trading Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen will impact the first round of the April 26-27 draft. It appears the most likely team to land Allen, who is looking for a long-term deal, is Minnesota, which would likely have to give up the No. 17 pick and a third-rounder to get Allen.

Expect Allen to be shipped out of town prior to the draft. Let the intrigue begin. First of all, what does this mean to the Chiefs? It could mean a lot. Will the Chiefs try to package their No. 5 pick and a pick garnered in exchange for Allen so they can move up in the draft and take Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan or Michigan tackle Jake Long, in an attempt to address their biggest needs?

Or if the Chiefs stay at No. 5 and both Long and Ryan are off the board, which is probable, will the Chiefs try to take a defensive end such as Virginia's Chris Long or Ohio State's Vernon Gholston? Assuming Kansas City gets another first-round pick in an Allen deal, maybe it feels like it can add a quarterback, such as Delaware's Joe Flacco, Louisville's Brian Brohm or Michigan's Chad Henne later in the round?

Or maybe the Chiefs add a defensive end, such as Florida's Derrick Harvey, Clemson's Phillip Merling or Miami's Calais Campbell. If Kansas City, though, looks at the offensive line or for a cornerback with a second first-rounder, the run of the mid-first-round defensive lineman could be pushed back. That could affect teams such as Washington and Jacksonville, which are in the market for a defensive end. Thus, each of those teams could get a player it values higher than expected with the insertion of Allen to the mix.

With the draft nine days away, this development is an extremely interesting wrinkle.