2021 NFL mock draft: Todd McShay projects Jahan Dotson to Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of a mini-bye of sorts this weekend after teeing off the NFL’s 15th week of play in the ’21 regular season. That gives them an extra three days off or so to heal up after playing two tough rivalry games in the course of five days. It also gives fans a chance to breathe and watch plenty of football without having such a vested interest in the outcome.

Because we’re a bit more relaxed this weekend, we thought it’d be a great time to take a look at some mock draft activity to see how the Chiefs are faring. Specifically, Todd McShay recently posted a mock draft ($) and we wanted to take a look at how such a high-profile projection might turn out for the Chiefs once we’re given time.

Remember it really wasn’t that long ago that Chiefs fans were already knee-deep in mock draft scenarios when it came to mid-December. The Chiefs held the first overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft and in the Todd Haley years (and before), it was common to start looking ahead to offseason acquisitions and draft hopes in the second half of the regular season.

The latest mock draft from Todd McShay gives a wide receiver to the Chiefs.

These days, that’s not the case, but the draft is still as important as ever. For Chiefs Kingdom, we are fortunate enough to have real football being played with actual consequences for the next few weeks at least—if not much longer.

Onto McShay’s draft.

Released earlier this week, McShay’s most recent draft gives the Chiefs a drafting position of No. 29 overall and the choice is an offensive acquisition to help balance out the skill position players. Even the positional choice alone is going to be a popular one with many Chiefs fans. For the actual player, McShay has Jahan Dotson of Penn State as the projected wide receiver of choice. He writes:

"Dotson is undersized at 5-foot-11 and 184 pounds, but he is fast, crafty and sure-handed. Sound like anyone in the NFL? Kansas City has had plenty of success with 5-foot-10, 185-pound burner Tyreek Hill. The only Chiefs receivers currently signed past this season are Hill and Mecole Hardman, and considering the offensive drop-off this year, they could certainly look to replenish Patrick Mahomes’ arsenal. Dotson caught 91 passes for 1,182 yards and 12 scores this season."

As for the player, it always comes down to an individual scenario. The CHiefs themselves have two players who already are that exact same size and yet their ability to make plays in Andy Reid’s offense is quite different. Hill has emerged as a do-anything target whose shoulders can handle the load of an offensive leader. The other requires more manufactured touches to really make an impact, although Hardman’s certainly improved since he entered the league with his route-running.

That said, for a first-round pick, it’s frustrating to see someone under 6’0″ picked here when the Chiefs have lacked a dependable physical receiver in the mold of Sammy Watkins all season long. They even chased some potential replacements in free agency and even signed Josh Gordon but nothing of significance has surfaced from the move and the draft would be a perfect place to apply a long-term salve here.

This season, Dotson had 91 catches for 1,182 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns for the Nittany Lions. He’s generated significant production against good to great competition and scouts love his athleticism and believe he could overcome his size limitations at the next level. He might not be Tyreek Hill, but who is? Remember Hill was himself a fifth-round gamble. The cherry on top here is that Dotson is also a punt return candidate at the next level which would give him added special teams value.

What do you think of McShay’s selection here? Would you go for Dotson? Another wideout? Another position entirely? Let us know in the comments.