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Should the Kansas City Chiefs draft a first round wide receiver?

By Lyle Graversen

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 27: Garrett Wilson #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates his touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines with teammate Chris Olave #2 during the second quarter at Michigan Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - NOVEMBER 27: Garrett Wilson #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates his touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines with teammate Chris Olave #2 during the second quarter at Michigan Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) /
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TUCSON, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 14: Wide receiver Drake London #15 of the USC Trojans during the second half of the PAC-12 football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on November 14, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona. The Trojans defeated the Wildcats 34-30. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 14: Wide receiver Drake London #15 of the USC Trojans during the second half of the PAC-12 football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on November 14, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona. The Trojans defeated the Wildcats 34-30. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Drake London – USC – 6’5″ 210 pounds

If you want a true big bodied wideout to play the starting X receiver in KC’s offense then Drake London is the receiver for you. In fact, his natural fit as an X receiver has made him a popular name when discussing targets for the Chiefs in the first round. The 6-foot-5 and 210 pound London was a highly reliable target for USC this past season and has set himself up to be a first round pick this year. If he runs well at the combine I think it might be really difficult for him to make it all the way to the Chiefs at the back of the first round.

If teams are looking for big play receivers with more speed upside they have their choice of guys like Burks, Williams, and Garrett Wilson, but if they want a bigger target that can win 50/50 jump balls and be a great red-zone threat, London is the clear top choice. I’m guessing there will be at least one team ahead of KC that is looking for that type of target.

I’ve seen player comps for London ranging from Brandon Marshall to Mike Evans to Tee Higgins. I probably like the Higgins comparison the best. He’s not an electric playmaker or a physical bully, but he definitely uses his height and wingspan to his advantage. His route running is fine, but he lacks the change of direction skills to consistently create space. Thankfully his ability to box out corners and make contested catches means he doesn’t have to.

While London looks like a perfect fit for KC as a true X receiver, I actually think someone with more run after the catch upside would be nice. I’d still be happy with London as their pick and think the Chiefs could get a lot out of him. I actually think he could also fill Kelce’s role in the offense long term if they used him as a big slot receiver as he got older. He could offer that same mismatch problem where he’s too big for DBs, but too quick for linebackers.

Finally, let’s look at the guy that is currently the highest ranked wideout when averaging most rankings.

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