Instead of Going After Maclin, Chiefs Should Improve Receivers Through the Draft

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Wearing a life-long “game-manager” tag on his sleeve, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith overachieved this season without the help of a dominant wide receiving corps.

Smith, in his first year with Kansas City, dominated the touchdown-to-turnover ratio. He tossed 23 touchdowns while only throwing 7 interceptions. His leading receiver, Jamaal Charles, was a running back and Dwayne Bowe struggled to make the impact many fans expected when Smith was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers last off season.

With this in mind, and the possibility of slot receiver Dexter McCluster departing in free agency, many people are clamoring for the Chiefs to go out and make a flashy free agent signing. Apparently, the rumors are already flying.

According to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star, the Chiefs could be interested in signing Missouri alumnus Jeremy Maclin this off season. Maclin, a former first round pick, has been successful when healthy, but that seems to be few and far between. The Philadelphia Eagles receiver missed the entire 2013 season and has only played in a full 16-game season once, that coming in 2010.

While going out and signing a receiver of this caliber would be a nice addition of the Chiefs, they should avoid it.

Instead, general manager John Dorsey should target a talented receiver to line up opposite of Bowe through the draft. There are plenty in the crop this year.

The best teams in the NFL build through the draft, using free agency to pick and pluck players at the right time to compliment a product polished with draft pick after draft pick. The Chiefs, and Dorsey, should do the same.

At the No. 23 selection, the Chiefs are in a spot where they could select a receiver that could come in and make an impact from the first day of organized team activities. Guys like Mike Evans from Texas A&M, Marqise Lee from USC and Odell Beckham Jr. from LSU would compliment Bowe in the passing game perfectly.