The Kansas City Chiefs should draft a receiver, but in the second round

After releasing Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery and A.J. Jenkins, Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey made it clear he was not pleased with the receivers. This came as a shock to absolutely nobody after the group posted exactly zero touchdowns in 2014.

Dorsey then re-signed Jason Avant and most importantly, inked Jeremy Maclin to a five-year, $55 million deal. With Albert Wilson and De’Anthony Thomas marinating on the vine and a wild card in Da’Rick Rogers coming to training camp, the Chiefs have some options. Still, they would be wise to draft a reinforcement or two.

Personally, I’m not a huge fan of taking a receiver in the first round. It is highly unlikely that Kevin White, Amari Cooper or DeVante Parker will be available when Kansas City picks at No. 18, and none of the other guys get me particularly excited. Would you really be jumping for joy if you hear NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announce Jaelen Strong, Breshad Perriman or Dorial Green-Beckham in connection with the Chiefs? I’d be excited about their potential, but skeptical.

However, the group expected to go in the second round has a good chance to provide more bang for their buck. One player of real interest from this standpoint is USC’s Nelson Agholor. Agholor ran a 4.42 40-yard dash and tore up the Pac-12 last year, catching 104 passes for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns. When you watch the former Trojans star, he plays much like a young Reggie Wayne.

Then there is the local guy in Tyler Lockett. The record-setting Kansas State receiver is a dynamo both on offense and special teams, bringing terrific route-running and speed. Lockett caught 106 balls for 1,515 yards and 11 scores in 2014, showcasing his immense talent.

Finally, we get to Phillip Dorsett of Miami (FL). Dorsett is a blazer and showed it at the NFL Combine, running a receiver-best 4.33 40-yard dash. Dorsett did not put up the numbers of Lockett or Agholor, but did show the ability to earn ample yards after the catch with 36 receptions for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Any of these players are terrific fits not only for Andy Reid but for Alex Smith’s skill set.