KC Chiefs among teams checking in on WR Christian Watson

The Kansas City Chiefs are likely to make a move for a promising young wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft at month’s end. Perhaps the Kingdom is getting a glimpse of who it might be with the news that the Chiefs are showing interest in North Dakota State prospect Christian Watson before the draft.

Tony Pauline of the Pro Football Network is reporting that Watson has visited with six teams that he knows of, including Kansas City. Other teams reportedly in the mix are the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and Las Vegas Raiders.

Watson is going to face the same questions of competition as anyone else making the leap from a school like NDSU, but there are plenty of recent examples of players who have made a successful transition. Watson certainly looks the part in terms of length and athletic makeup, which is why he made such a strong statement at the NFL Combine.

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of several teams checking on wide receiver Christian Watson before the 2022 NFL Draft.

This past season for the Bison, Watson had 43 catches for 801 yards and 7 touchdowns and comes with a career average of over 20 yards per catch. Watson also brings experience as a kick returner to the pro level, which enhances his value for any team drafting him.

For the Chiefs, Watson would certainly bring a big-play ability to the offensive mix in ’22, but more important would be the seed planted for the next few years. Mecole Hardman is in a contract year and JuJu Smith-Schuster is only on the books for ’22 as it is. Watson would be a prime candidate to develop chemistry with Patrick Mahomes for a year before assuming greater responsibility in 2023 and beyond.

Watson is projected in most mock drafts to land somewhere on Day Two of the draft with a slight chance to surprise and go in the last first round.