The 2022 NFL combine is behind us, and player draft trajectory is no longer hypothetical. The results of the Combine always have to be taken with a grain of salt, as some workouts — the 40-yard dash and bench press are great examples — highlight strengths that don’t always translate directly to success in the league. A speedy receiver obviously has an edge on slower defenders, but it doesn’t guarantee them a shot at instant, impactful, success in the highest realm of football competition.
It’s the workouts paired with the team-hosted interviews that determine the big board on draft night, as every organization is shopping for their best overall fits. It’s a combination of the physical and mental tests from the combine that will lock in some players’ hopes to sign for first-round money, and see others slide clear off the board into undrafted free agency.
Our latest seven-round mock draft sees the Kansas City Chiefs address their biggest needs following the NFL Combine.
The Kansas City Chiefs find their most pressing needs for the 2022 NFL Draft—in subjective order—to be wide receiver, EDGE, cornerback, safety, and linebacker. There is a rich free agency class of wideouts this offseason, led by the likes of Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, and Odell Beckham Jr.
Kansas City is a likely buyer in that market, but this mock is designed in a dimension where they come up short on all available pass catchers and turn to the draft to supplement the three-headed-monster in Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The lack of a legitimate WR2 was a widely discussed point of issue for the Chiefs last season, and here, they find their solution in the first round with pick number 30.