Chiefs: 3 Draft Solutions at WR

Chiefs: 3 Draft Solutions at WR – James S. McGregor – The 2021 NFL Draft looms just over three weeks away! Chiefs fans across the Kingdom are almost certainly inching closer to the edges of their respective seats in anticipation, and probably at least partially as an emotional/mental response to the Chiefs’ rather lackluster performance in the free agency period to this point… I’ve personally seen and heard more complaints than praise, with many fans and podcasters giving anywhere between C- right down to F grades on the Chiefs’ various signings and failed attempts at signings.

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As early as February, there was already an abundance of discussion surrounding opinions on positions of need for the Chiefs – and which positions they would be expected to address either in free agency or in the draft, or both? Clearly a majority of this discussion has been centered around positions like offensive tackle and defensive edge (ironic that we’re talking about the outer edges of both sides of the trenches, isn’t it?), with many other positions having also been discussed to varying degrees. One of those positions that has seemed to not manifest the same “urgent, must address this yesterday” level of discussion, but which has certainly been a topic of discussion, has been the wide receiver position.

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As Chiefs fans, we are certainly hyperaware of the team’s desire to surround quarterback Patrick Mahomes and build an elite offense with dynamic, high quality receivers. Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins (when healthy), Mecole Hardman (when he can run a route or simply get the ball in his hands in the open field), Demarcus Robinson (when he can get open after a play breaks down, and when he can AVOID dropping a ball that hits him on the hands), and Byron Pringle (when he can get an opportunity, and has a clue what he’s doing on the field)… have at times shown big-play ability.

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I am not mentioning Travis Kelce here, because while he is basically a large, and truly elite, receiver, he is technically not a WR. However, for essentially all but Hill, with the big play ability also has come inconsistencies and non-reliability (as mentioned next to most of their names). We can make arguments on how each of these players could potentially step into a WR#2 role next to Tyreek, but realistically… I don’t see any of them being able to fill that role. I see each of them as being a WR#3, at best. Additionally, the loss of Sammy Watkins, who recently signed with the Baltimore Ravens, opens up a need for a solid WR#2, who can fill the X role. What the Chiefs are, or should be, looking for in this X role, is:

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• a somewhat big-bodied, over 6’ and over 200 pounds
• physical player who can beat press-man coverage at the line of scrimmage
• who runs quality intermediate routes and gets open over the middle of the field
• who can take a hard hit and maintain ball control
• who can high-point and win contested catches, and
• who can be an effective target in the red zone

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In this article, I’ll take a look at three players in the draft who could fill this role. As much fun as it is to talk about the very best players in the draft, the three best WRs in this draft will be long gone before the Chiefs pick at 31. Additionally, I do not want to see the Chiefs give up a haul of draft capitol in order to move up to get those WRs. With this in mind, I’ll look at players projected somewhere around the Chiefs current selections; and I would like to spread it out so that we are not looking only at three players who might be available at #31 (I don’t necessarily see the Chiefs taking a WR at 31 anyway), so by “spread it out” I’m thinking something like a guy at the end of round 1, a guy in round 2 or 3, and a guy in round 4 or 5… but first, let’s take a quick snapshot of who is currently on the Chiefs roster at the WR position.

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Current Chiefs WR Room

According to ESPN.com, the Chiefs currently (as of April 4, 2021) have nine WRs on their roster. They include the following:

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One interesting mention from the list has to be Tajae Sharpe, whom the Chiefs just recently signed to a 1-year deal, and who had been briefly on the practice squad near the end of last season. Sharpe was drafted by Tennessee in the 5^th round of the 2016 draft. He also played in four games last season as a Minnesota Viking, where he was targeted three times for zero catches. His career stat line over four seasons (apparently did not play in 2017) looks like this: 51 games, 92 receptions, 168 targets, 1,167 receiving yards, 12.7 yards-per-catch, and 8 TDs. Listed at 6’4” and 194 pounds, he has the body type; question is, can he prove himself worthy of a roster spot? Personally, I’m not banking on him just now (at least not before training camp), so let’s see who might come up as a potential fit in the draft.

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I would like to start this discussion with the one player I could see the Chiefs go after at the end of the first round. Bateman is currently projected at 34 by the CBS draft board, although Pro Football Focus has him at 18 overall, so don’t hold your breath that he’ll even be available. At 6’2” and 210, he certainly has the size to fill the X role. He also has demonstrated the ability to fill the role, and he has padded his resume with impressive stats at the college level: 13 games, 60 receptions, 1,210 yards, 20.3 YPC and 11 TDs in 2019; along with 5 games, 36 receptions, 472 yards, 13.1 YPC and 2 TDs in 2020. Again, I don’t know if the Chiefs will look to spend their 1^st pick on WR, but if they do this could be the guy. Here’s what PFF had to say about Bateman in their “2021 NFL Draft wide receiver rankings”:

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“In a class full of jitterbugs, Bateman has a decidedly different skill set. His speed and quicks won’t be his calling card, but he gets open just the same. His ability to get off the line of scrimmage and play through contact at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds is as good as it gets in the draft class after Ja’Marr Chase. It’s why he led the country in yards per route run as a sophomore in 2019 from a wide alignment.”

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“He kicked inside to the slot this past season and remained productive, although many of those vertical targets evaporated. His shake doesn’t only translate along his routes, as he’s broken 36 tackles on 147 receptions in his career. It’s worth noting that focus drops have been a bit of an issue. Even though I’ve got no problems with how he tracks the ball, Bateman has dropped 19 of his 166 catchable targets in his career.”

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Again, there is a noticeable discrepancy between CBS and PFF prospect rankings, as Surratt’s grades are wildly different between the two; CBS has him projected at 93 (lining up nicely with the Chiefs’ pick at 94 in the 3^rd round), and PFF has him projected at 160. Listed at 6’3” and 215, he is not only physically imposing and talented, but he is also said to be highly intelligent. He also put together a solid stat line in his last active year on the field, 2019: 9 games, 66 receptions, 1,001 yards, 15.2 YPC, and 11 TDs. He also returned punts that year, accumulating 11 returns for 91 yards. He might not leap right into a starting WR2 role, but he’s likely smart enough that if given an opportunity he could develop and pick up the offense potentially faster than most at his level. The biggest question mark on Surratt right now appears to be his speed, as he recently posted a modest 4.66 40-yard dash time during the Wake Forest pro day; however, we also know that the Chiefs already have plenty of speed at WR. Here’s what Damond Talbot, owner of NFL Draft Diamonds had to say about him in a July 2020 article:

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“Sage Surratt is a gifted wide out who stands at 6020 and 215 pounds. He is a natural athlete like his brother Chazz from UNC. Sage Surratt is a smart cookie, the kid was planning on attending Harvard, but decided to play at Wake Forest after comparing the schools business programs. Surratt is a competitor and has been dominating the Power 5 conference, and I feel he is one of the better wideouts in the 2021 NFL Draft if he was to come out early. I think with a huge year he would be crazy not to make the jump.”

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Listed at 6’4” and 210, Terry is projected by PFF at pick 185, which sits just after the Chiefs 2^nd round 5 pick of 181. In three seasons at FSU, he played in 30 games and accumulated 118 receptions, 2,221 yards, 19 YPC and 18 TDs. He is said to have a rare size and speed combination, especially for his projection in the later rounds. He is also weak as a route runner, but if he is still available at the end of the 5^th round we shouldn’t expect him to join the Chiefs roster as a plug-in starter anyway. In that situation he would probably be a developmental player, maybe spend the coming season on the practice squad, and perhaps pick up some special teams snaps if added to the active roster at all. Here’s what Athlon Sports had to say about Terry in their recent draft profile on him:

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“Terry is a power forward-type with deceptive speed downfield. His size/speed combination is among the best in this year’s WR class. His arms are absolute vines, and he’s a long-strider who flashes the necessary second gear when it comes to chasing down the deep ball. He tracks the ball well downfield and is competitive at the catch point, with the ability to adjust to the off-target throw. He’s excellent when it comes to high-pointing the ball. He shows some potential as a catch-and-run threat, when his play strength and competitiveness can take over.”

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Final Thoughts, What to Look For

Honestly, right now I’m trying not to get too terribly excited about the WR position in the draft – especially for the Chiefs. Again, the “Legion of Zoom” talk is always fun, but I’m one of those realist/pessimist Chiefs fans who right now believes the Chiefs have bigger fish to fry at the moment. That being said, if General Manager Brett Veach and Head Coach Andy Reid can find a diamond in one of these big and physical receivers to come to training camp, pick up the offense relatively quickly, develop their route tree and all other associated skills, I’d be satisfied to see that player eventually earn a roster spot and hopefully contribute in what we all know is already the most potent offense in the league.

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James S. McGregor — ArrowheadOne

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