If the Chiefs are looking to add an offensive piece other than quarterback, Christian McCaffrey could be the perfect first round addition.
For the last few years, the Stanford offense has enjoyed Christian McCaffrey’s ability to be a workhorse running back, a pass catcher out of the backfield, a slot receiver and a dynamic offensive weapon who must be accounted for at all times.
At the 2017 NFL Combine, teams who had question marks about McCaffrey’s potential or even stamina after being used so much in college got a look at an incredible athlete who turned heads of scouts as he finished at or near the top of every single running back drill. Instead of talking about Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook as expected, McCaffrey was the talk of Indianapolis and he cemented his first round standing in the midst of so much positional competition with his workouts.
Now on the verge of the 2017 NFL Draft, McCaffrey is mentioned all over the first round as a possible get for many teams — from the Carolina Panthers in the top 10 to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 27 overall. If McCaffrey lasts that long, Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report says the Chiefs are the perfect landing spot for his talents based on the personnel already in place as well as Andy Reid’s offensive system. He writes:
"Kansas City’s offense is based largely on gimmickry with quarterback Alex Smith under center, and McCaffrey would make it even harder to defend. Add in the possibility of McCaffrey establishing himself as a three-down back, and there is plenty of incentive for the Chiefs to nab him if he is still there at No. 27."
Imagine an offensive system where opposing defenses had to account for Tyreek Hill, Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce and McCaffrey on every single play. Reid would enjoy being able to create mismatches for nearly any defense while still having a large red zone target like Demetrius Harris or a speedy receiver like Chris Conley available as another option.
McCaffrey had 1,913 yards from scrimmage last season for Stanford with a total of 19 touchdowns.