2020 NFL Draft crushes for the Kansas City Chiefs

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 26: A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes tackles Drake Anderson #6 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 26, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 26: A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes tackles Drake Anderson #6 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 26, 2019 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 12
Next
ORLANDO, FL – AUGUST 24: Van Jefferson #12 of the Florida Gators in action against the Miami Hurricanes in the Camping World Kickoff at Camping World Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Orlando, Florida.(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – AUGUST 24: Van Jefferson #12 of the Florida Gators in action against the Miami Hurricanes in the Camping World Kickoff at Camping World Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Orlando, Florida.(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Wide Receiver – Van Jefferson – Florida

Many Chiefs fans are drooling over some of the dynamic wideouts in this draft class that could potentially add another member to the “Legion of Zoom”. While that may be tempting, I actually think it might be even more effective to give Patrick Mahomes a reliable possession receiver to line up opposite of Tyreek Hill. While defenses have to focus all their attention on protecting against Hill deep and Travis Kelce over the middle, having one of the very best route runners in this draft class in Van Jefferson added to the mix would give KC a valuable weapon in a different kind of way.

Jefferson isn’t a speedster, but the quick cuts in his routes create the separation he needs. Jefferson’s dad is the New York Jets wide receiver coach and he plays like he has a dad that taught him the art of route running. He also has fantastic hands and continually snags the ball out of the air. If Jefferson was given the chance to develop familiarity and timing with Patrick Mahomes, I believe he could thrive in K.C.’s offense. If defenses are more worried about K.C.’s more dynamic weapons, and Mahomes knows he can count on Jefferson to run the right route and create just enough separation, imagine what a useful weapon he would be on third downs.

Watch the clips in the tweet below and imagine what he could do given time working with Mahomes.

Adding more speed to KC’s stable of wideouts sounds like fun, but I actually think adding a wideout that brings a different skill set to the Chiefs receiving group is the better way to go. If Travis Kelce is Mahomes’ version of Rob Gronkowski and Tyreek Hill is his Randy Moss, I think Van Jefferson could be his Julian Edelman.

Honorable Mention: Michael Pittman – USC

I originally thought Michael Pittman might make a great pick for the Chiefs at the end of the second round, but the closer we get to the draft, the less likely it seems that he’ll last that long. While Pittman definitely has a much different skill set than Van Jefferson, I also like him because of what elements he could add to the KC wideout group. While Pittman doesn’t create as much separation with his routes as Jefferson, his massive size and wingspan make him a great possession receiver. At 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds he would definitely be a physical presence on the outside.

While Pittman doesn’t have the speed to take the top off a defense, his size and leaping ability would still make him a weapon for Patrick Mahomes down the field. We know Mahomes isn’t shy about taking a shot down the field and if Pittman was one on one with a much smaller defensive back, I would like KC’s odds in a jump ball situation.

Next up, a tight end that would be perfect for what KC needs right now.