WR prospects in each round

Let me preface this by saying I believe the Chiefs will not go receiver in the 1st round. If they did I would be shocked due to the increased emphasis of need on the defensive side and the interior offensive line. However, GM Brett Veach has seemed to go with the best player available approach the past couple of drafts and we must be aware of the idea of a receiver in the 1st. Throughout the article there are different receivers in all 7 rounds for the Chiefs to look at and possibly

Round 1: Denzel Mims (Baylor) 

Mims has all the traits needed to develop into a dominant #1 receiver for any team. His 4.38 speed along with his 6’3 frame and 50/50 catching ability make him an intriguing prospect for the Chiefs to use and develop as more contracts expire. His red zone ability, which he put on a show at the Senior Bowl, is special. He can out jump just about any DB in the NFL along with his reach, strong hands, and ability to shield off the defender is special. Pair that with Mahomes’ accuracy and deep ball ability, this could be a special pairing with Hill, Hardman, and Mims moving forward. 

Round 2: Michael Pittman Jr. (USC)

Pittman Jr. has the bloodlines to play in the NFL as his father played for a decade in the league. He does not have elite speed that Chiefs receivers possess but his size (6’3, 225lbs), catching ability, and NFL veteran savvy play makes him feel like a safe starter for the next 8-10 years. He may not have the physical upside that others on this list do but he is a gamer.

 

Round 3: Chase Claypool (Notre Dame)

Claypool is a height, weight, and speed specimen. He is 6’4 with a 238lbs frame, he is a receiver in a TE’s body. He is still raw with his route running but with the Chiefs recent history of developing guy’s route trees, I’d take the chance if there were no better player in the 3rd round. He has every physical trait that a team could covet from a receiver but he does not win as many contested catches as his size would indicate. He still needs to work out the nuances of being a top level receiver in his game technically. 

Round 4: Devin Duvernay (Texas) 

Tell me if you’ve heard this about a Chiefs receiver, Track Guy. Duvernay is a track guy, posting a 4.38 at the combine with solid size at 5’10, 200lbs he has adequate size to compete on the outside a handful of reps a game but will most likely be limited to a slot role or bunch formations. Duvernay has solid all around traits for a receiver with his speed, strong hands and YAC ability. He shows flashes of each trait but rarely was able to put it together down in Austin.

 

Round 5: Quez Watkins (Southern Miss)

Here is an option from Conference-USA. The Southern Miss standout has the second fastest 40 time for any receiver this year with a 4.35 with explosive measurable. At 6’ he can still add muscle and strength to his frame over time to not take away from his elite speed. He showed an ability despite his smaller size to win a majority of his jump balls. The speed is clearly the main attraction with this selection as his lack of elite competition could be the reason he makes it down this far.  

Round 6: Darnell Mooney (Tulane)

Mooney is an underrated option this late in the draft. He gave several DB prospects the work while they are ranked to go much higher than Mooney is. He is an electric receiver with big YAC ability especially on underneath routes. He did have issues with drops this year that can either be an ongoing issue or something that can be worked out with NFL coaching. With his 4.38 speed and lower level competition he was not required to be the sharpest route runner and that can be an area of improvement from the speedster.

 

Round 7: Joe Reed (Virginia)

Standing at a stout 6’ 220lbs, Reed is built like a RB and that may be an indicator for his role at the next level. He has been asked to play RB at the combine along with his ability to be a receiver. Posting a 4.47 second 40 yard dash and 21 reps on the bench. He may be used in the Deebo Samuel mold of using sweeps, direct snaps, motion runs, over the middle passes, and more. He is not Deebo in terms of talent or NFL readiness but his role could reflect something similar to that as he has positional versatility. With Andy Reid still calling plays, I am sure he could find a way to get the ball in this guy’s hands.