Two outstanding wide receiver prospects named as possible Kansas City Chiefs draft picks, ESPN analyst

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With the news breaking yesterday that Marquez Valdes-Scantling will be released by the Chiefs, what will be the next move for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

MVS departing has now saved the Kansas City Chiefs $12 million in cap space to play with during the off season.

As acknowledged by themselves, the Chiefs struggled surprisingly in the early stages of the season with multiple dropped passes from the wide receiver department.

Early season struggles

MVS was one of the repeatable offenders when failing to haul in the ball.

Now, the franchise will need to make decisions to bolster up their talent prior to the 2024 season, in hope of not seeing the same mistakes.

According to NFL stats, the Chiefs wide receivers dropped the ball 25 times in the regular season – 7 more than any other team throughout the league.

Valdes-Scantling had a desirable wide receiver profile for Patrick Mahomes to utilize. The two-time Super Bowl winner had an impressive vertical catch alongside speed which made him a deep-ball threat.

Any defense would give MVS the respect to holdback and cover the deep ball, however, this would provide the opportunity for the 29-year-old to exploit the space and receive underneath.

Kansas City have been one of, if not the best scouting and drafting department within the NFL since Andy Reid joined in 2013.

The drafting department now have a task of finding the perfect replacement for the Chiefs. A player who offers the same down-field threat and playmaking ability of MVS.

On ESPN, the crew discussed the possibilities that the franchise could look at to bolster the position:

Analyst, Tim Hasselbeck, predicts the Chiefs to make use of the draft: “We know it is a deep receiver class in this year’s draft, so I would expect them to draft a wide receiver.

“Just look what’s happened there it didn’t really work out with MVS.

“I think it will be most certainly addressed in the draft and beyond that… the free agent market.”

Intriguing draft prospects

Booger McFarland addressed what the Chiefs have been lacking in the receiver department: “I fully expect them [Chiefs] to get somebody that can open up deep downfield.

“If you want to pinpoint a guy, or pinpoint a school, look no further than the University of Texas. AD Mitchell, Xavier Worthy, two very big deep threats at the University of Texas.

“Could you imagine those two guys with Patrick Mahomes throwing the football down the field? I have no doubt that whatever Brett Veach and Andy Reid want to do, it’s going to be successful because of one guy and that guy wears one five.”

Adonai ‘AD’ Mitchell caught 11 touchdowns in 14 games in 2023 and was compared by Yahoo Sports to DeAndre Hopkins.

Xavier Worthy scored five touchdowns last year and has been likened to Devonta Smith. Either player would add an exciting new weapon to any team who drafts them, especially the Chiefs.

And McFarland is right, Patrick Mahomes has been able to win two Super Bowl crowns without a top-tier wide receiving core.

Rashee Rice is looking set to become the Chiefs number one wide receiver, but he can’t do it alone.

If Mahomes can receive greater talent on the other end of the ball – the three-peat could well and truly be on.