Round 7 – Pick 233 – Da’Ron Brown – Wide Receiver – Northern Illinois
I’ll admit, Da’Ron Brown was not a prospect that I was familiar with before the Chiefs drafted him. However, unlike D.J. Alexander, there is actually some scouting info out there on Brown. If NFL.com’s profile is to be believed, it appears that Brown is a possession receiver with great hands. He’s not a burner, but his 4.54, 40 time shows that he’s not slow either. While he may be sure handed his profile indicates that he has some work to do on his route running.
I don’t really have a problem with Brown as a seventh-round pick, the thing that I question is the other wide receivers on the board that appear to have higher upside. When the Chiefs took Brown both Tre McBride and Dez Lewis were still there for the taking. Obviously, John Dorsey and his scouting department had some information that made them shy away from those prospects, but personally I like for my late-round picks to have some upside. They may not turn out, but at that point, it’s worth the gamble.
Some draft boards had McBride as a top-10 wide receiver in this draft and Dez Lewis was seen as a big bodied “X” receiver with potential to develop into a good NFL player. Even with KC’s perceived lack of talent at wide receiver, I think Brown is probably more likely to end up on the practice squad than the active roster and I’m just not sure how much long-term upside there is here. I don’t hate this pick. The Chiefs clearly saw something in Brown they like and didn’t want to risk not being able to sign him as an undrafted free agent. It just feels like they could have taken a shot on someone with a little more upside.
Pick Grade: C+
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