Breaking down the Chiefs first-round wide receiver options
Tyler Brown
With the recent news of Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown currently under contract for just 2024 and the rest of the wide receiver room seemingly not living up to their hype, it is just about a given the Chiefs will take a pass catcher with one of their top two picks.
It should be noted that Andy Reid has only taken two first-round wide receivers since being a head coach in 1999. The last time he did was in 2009 with Jeremy Maclin, which worked out well for him.
Brett Veach has never taken a wide receiver in the first round but has in the second three times. It is more likely Reid adds to the trenches, but I would not put it past him and Veach to snag a receiver if the value falls in the lap. The two of them broke tendency back in 2022 when they took cornerback Trent McDuffie in the first round, who turned into an all-pro. 12 out of 20 Reid first-rounders have been linemen so it would take a special talent.
With the status of Rice and the potential discipline that is coming his way, wide receiver perhaps makes a big need an even bigger one. Not that a rookie will make a high impact in the first games of the season that Rice may or may not miss, but Kansas City would be wise to invest in the position in the case this is not just a one-time mishap from Rice.
Let’s hope the Rice situation is a one-off for multiple reasons, but if it is and the Chiefs draft a receiver in the first round, Patrick Mahomes could have a solid receiving core for a long time. Today we’re going to talk about three of the most common wide receivers that are mocked to the Chiefs and break it down using PFF’s analysis and grades.
As frequently as these three are mocked to the Chiefs, they could not be more different from each other in their body types and playing styles. The fits are going to be interesting, but I think the Chiefs trust their board so they will pick the best value of the receivers available, no matter what they look like. Let’s dive in.
Adonai Mitchell, Texas
At this point in the process, this one feels like the most commonly mocked wide receiver selection for the Chiefs. Adonai Mitchell is unlike any other Chiefs receiver on their current roster and would give them a prototypical “X” receiver that they have not had in quite some time. He stands at six-foot-four, 196 pounds, but is a blazer. PFF compares him to Tee Higgins but tests out way faster and could potentially be more of the A.J. Brown or D.K. Metcalf type.
My heart has longed for this type of receiver in a Mahomes offense for a long time, but the brain in me tells me that Mahomes and Reid do not put wide receivers in jump ball situations anyway, so it may be wiser to draft speedsters they can easily scheme open. Well, Mitchell may be the best of both worlds because he has the size and speed.
Some say the testing speed, which was a 4.34 40 does not exactly translate on tape, but that could be because he tempos his routes so well, not fully utilizing his speed all the time. What excites me most about Mitchell is he played 417 snaps out wide compared to 94 in the slot last season. This would allow Rice to continue to thrive in the slot, Travis Kelce to roam the middle of the field and put Brown in motion a lot scheming him up on all levels of the field. There would be no redundancy whatsoever with the addition of Mitchell.
Here is what PFF has to say about him.
“Mitchell began his career at Georgia, where he won back-to-back national championships. In 2023, he transferred to Texas to be closer to his daughter. He is an alluring outside receiver. At 6-foot-4, he has more finesse than most bigger-bodied receivers — his releases are quick, his change of direction is fluid and his acceleration is smooth. His skill set puts a ton of stress on cornerbacks. He could attack the ball with more intensity, and his presence can be inconsistent, but he brings starting NFL ability to the table. He was a touchdown machine for Texas and Georgia, reaching the end zone 14 times across 18 starts over the past two seasons.”
The red zone threat that Mitchell is would be a welcomed addition to the Chiefs' undersized wide receiver unit. There may be some bust potential with Mitchell but with his speed, I would think Reid could have a use for him even if he cannot play up to his size at the NFL level.
Xavier Worthy, Texas
Here is yet another Texas wide receiver that the Chiefs will likely have some interest in. Either one of them may or may not be available, especially after the Stefon Diggs trade that went down yesterday. The Bills pick four spots ahead of them and sure seem primed to take a receiver at this point.
As fast as Mitchell is, Xavier Worthy one-upped him and then some, posting an NFL combine record with a 40-yard dash of 4.21. A selection of Worthy would be the best player available type of play if the Chiefs’ selection because, with his slight six-foot-one, 172-pound frame, he may not be able to play on the outside as much as he did in college.
If that is the case, he would be forced to play in the slot, which is the area Rice occupied for much of the season last year. With that being said, Rice was not touted as a slot-only receiver coming out of SMU and Reid likes all of his receivers to play all positions anyway.
Worthy would give the Chiefs something they have not had since Tyreek Hill. Much like Hill, he is not just a burner. Unlike someone like Mecole Hardman, Worthy is a solid route runner and had spectacular production in college. It can be tough to decide who helped each other out more in terms of drawing coverage between Mitchell and Worthy but I believe Mitchell benefited from Worthy’s presence more than vice versa.
Anytime you are dealing with a receiver this small, there is bust potential, but the hope is that he can make it work the same way Devonta Smith with the Philadelphia Eagles has. Smith is an inch shorter and a couple of pounds lighter than Worthy, for comparison. What the Chiefs should take solace in is he racked up 196 catches, 2,752 yards and 25 touchdowns in his three years at Texas and is still just 20 years old. That is all in 39 games which breaks down to 70 yards per game and nearly 1,200 yards over a 17-game season like he would have in the NFL.
Here is what PFF has to say about him.
“Worthy has difference-making NFL speed. He got off to a hot start at Texas, owning about every freshman receiving record in the Longhorns’ record book. He’s not just a straight-line sprinter — his footwork, acceleration, one-cut burst and vertical speed must be accounted for on every play. However, his play strength is a concern, as he does not fight off contact well and can get locked up against press coverage.”
This is a loaded wide receiver class, but he is the 15th-ranked wide receiver on PFF’s big board, so not everybody is high on him. Before his combine, he seemed like a second-round pick or a slam dunk for him to be available at 32. Like I said, his frame is a worry but with the way Reid gets his receivers in open space, that should be less of a concern in an offense like Kansas City’s.
Ladd McConkey, Georgia
Sixth on PFF's big board, Geogia’s Ladd McConkey is one of those guys who would fit in every offense in the NFL. He puts on a masterclass in route running, has legitimate breakaway speed and is sure-handed. While he did play the majority of his snaps on the outside, he is viewed as a slot receiver headed into the NFL with concerns about his six-foot, 180-pound frame.
This again would kick Rice into a spot where he has to play on the outside on the line of scrimmage more often. With McConkey’s experience playing on the outside, Reid could mix and match, though. While McConkey is a speedster, posting a 4.39 40, he does not rely on his speed to make his game work.
He just flat-out gets open. With McConkey, my mind just goes straight to envisioning third downs where he does whatever he has to do to get past the sticks to extend drives for Mahomes over and over again. He is not just a one-trick pony, however. He gets open down the field as well and can stretch a defense to allow Rice, Kelce and even Brown to work the intermediate areas of the field. Last year he averaged 16.1 yards per catch. In his three years at Georgia, he racked up over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns in a more pro-style offense.
Here is what PFF has to say about him.
“A three-star recruit with plenty of athletic versatility, McConkey played quarterback, running back, defensive back, punter and return specialist in high school. From his Georgia tape, McConkey is a highly nuanced receiver who has the athletic ability and football intelligence to be a difference-maker in the slot at the NFL level. His footwork and release variation give him the advantage against press coverage in the slot or on the outside. He also has good enough long speed to remain a threat vertically. He’s on the smaller side, but that does not curb his willingness to be an impact blocker.”
McConkey is the type that can make the Chiefs better from day one and has the football character the Chiefs are after. In an offense that struggled to find wide receivers who knew to be where Mahomes needed them to be, McConkey would be a welcomed addition as a day-one contributor. He may not give the production of a wide receiver one, but the Chiefs just proved that reliability is the only bar that they have to clear.
