KC Chiefs will bring in WR Darrius Shepherd to minicamp

The K.C. Chiefs are bringing in a bit more competition at wide receiver as mandatory minicamp gets underway this week with the addition of Darrius Shepherd, a source told Arrowhead Addict.

Shepherd will be a familiar name as a local product of Blue Springs High School who went on to play at North Dakota State. There are NDSU, Shepherd excelled personally as a wide receiver and returner while helping his team win three FCS championships in four seasons.

From there, he was invited to sign with the Green Bay Packers and stay up north to start his professional career, and Shepherd made the team in each of the last two seasons as a special teams performer who earned the occasional target on offense (a la Byron Pringle). However, he was released last December to make room for Tavon Austin.

Last season, Shepherd caught 5 passes for 46 yards in eight games for the Packers. He also returned 11 kicks for 27 yards, good for an average of 20.6 yards/return. By comparison, Mecole Hardman averaged 20.4 yards/return, while Byron Pringle averaged nearly 10 yards more thanks to his mammoth 102-yard touchdown return and a small sample size (for all involved).

Shepherd brings some local competition to a very competitive mix of young player all hoping to turn heads as the Chiefs consider their pecking order at wide receiver for the short-term and long-term both. Sammy Watkins left this offseason and Demarcus Robinson and Pringle are slated to hit free agency next season. There’s significant room for someone to stand out and bolster the coaching staff’s confidence in the youth gathered on the roster.

Shepherd has plenty of competition, however, as the Chiefs aren’t looking at keeping a lot of those faces around. They’re a Super Bowl contender built to win now, so Shepherd is likely looking at a practice squad spot as a best-case scenario. Still that’s gainful employment in the NFL with a chance to make a lasting impression over time.