The Kansas City Chiefs are a team that is on the lookout for some wide receiver help. They lost JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency to the New England Patriots and New York Jets, while Justin Watson remains a free agent. Thus far, Richie James Jr. who spent 2022 with the New York Giants, is the only addition that was made at the position.
That is something Kansas City will look to change during the 2023 NFL Draft. With 11 draft picks at their disposal, the Chiefs are a team that many people believe could look to make a trade up the board to target a pass catcher or edge rusher.
It would make sense for the Chiefs to be aggressive as 11 rookies aren’t making their roster. Packing some of those picks together to move up and be in a position to select a prospect that fits their needs is a good way to operate.
While Kansas City has been mentioned as a suitor for veteran free agents, such as DeAndre Hopkins, they aren’t leaving any stone unturned. They are looking high and low for wide receiver prospects and another intriguing name has popped up.
According to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network, the Chiefs are one of the teams who have expressed interest in Utah State wide receiver Justin McGriff. The Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers have also shown interest in him.
At first glance, there is a lot to like about McGriff. He has a humongous catch radius standing 6’6” as his length really stands out. Despite his size, he moves quite well, getting into his routes with the fluidity that isn’t normally found with people his size.
He plays to his size, which also makes him a devastating blocker in the running game as he can maul smaller cornerbacks. At times, his length is a hindrance as it can lead to slow get-offs from the line of scrimmage.
It would have also been nice to see more dominant performances, as he caught only 30 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns last season despite a massive opportunity to put up numbers with the Aggies’ three pass catchers from 2021 not returning.
Part of that certainly stems from a philosophy change as Utah State ran the ball 42.3 times per game and attempted only 30.6 passes. Despite the underwhelming production, a team such as the Chiefs will take a chance on him based on his size and potential alone.
