KC Chiefs find ideal fits in four-round mock draft
By Matt Conner
3rd round – Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
After deciding to bolster the defense with the previous two picks, the Chiefs are admittedly very, very lucky here to find one of the draft’s better wide receivers still somehow hanging on the board when they come up again for the first of their two third-round selections. If Christian Watson is somehow available late in the third, you can bet the Chiefs will rush to submit the draft card with his name on it.
The Chiefs have a loaded offense at this stage with Travis Kelce, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster along with the newly-drafted George Pickens as pass catchers alongside Clyde Edwards-Helaire and company out of the backfield. That might seem like an overload to go with Watson here, however, a look beyond 2022 reveals some potential problems for the Chiefs including Travis Kelce’s age as he hits his mid-thirties and the fact that Hardman and Smith-Schuster are both free agents next spring.
All of this is why investing now in a player like Watson could be so important, to keep the offensive wheels from ever falling off while Patrick Mahomes is under center.
Watson is a nice long target at 6’4-plus who put up sensational numbers at the FCS level at North Dakota State as a two-time All-American. He was electric as a kick returner and receiver who was also utilized in the run game in much the same way you see the Chiefs using Hardman. The primary concerns here are about competition, route-running, and a slight build, but the long-term value is here with plenty of upside.