NFL Draft Profiles: Chiefs Need One More Tight End

Oct 5, 2013; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears receiver

(11) is tackled by Washington State Cougars linebacker

(42) at Memorial Stadium. Washington State defeated California 44-22. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

RICHARD RODGERS

HEIGHT: 6-4 WEIGHT: 257 COLLEGE: California

40 TIME: 4.82 3-CONE DRILL: 7.23 BROAD: 9’8″

CAREER STATS: 59 catches, 869 yards, 15.2 ypc, 2 TD

Richard Rodgers is good example of a guy who came out a year too early but made the right decision to do so. Rodgers’ played in a system that was not a good fit for his athletic ability and was not using him in a way that would have improved his NFL stock.

There is little question Rodgers is a good receiving threat. In fact, most scouting reports will argue he is an oversized receiver. In his first two years at Cal Rodgers played at 270 pounds before cutting weight to at the request of the new coaching staff that came in midway through his career.

What drops in on draft boards and makes him a bit of a risky pick for the Chiefs is he is not as developed of a blocker as some of the other players on this list. There are reasons to think he can improve those skills over the next few years but this would cut into the amount of snaps he could see immediately.

On the other side of the coin, Rodgers could be a third-day steal given his athleticism compared to others in the draft. Should the Chiefs be confident they can develop his blocking abilities quickly then he could create the kind of mismatches the offense is trying to create with the tight end position.

Also, his name is easier to spell.

Here’s what Nolan Nawrocki said about Rodgers.

"Good balance and body control. Dependable short-to-intermediate receiver. Can snatch throws off his body and make contested grabs. Has potential as a move blocker. Showed dedication and discipline re-shaping his body as a junior. Coach’s son."

Rodgers is anticipated to be a sixth or seventh round pick.