2022 NFL Draft crushes for the Kansas City Chiefs

Wide Receivers

George Pickens – Georgia – 6-foot-3 – 195 pounds
Consensus Big Board Ranking: #40 (1st/2nd Round)

It’s starting to feel like most Chiefs fans have George Pickens on their draft crush list and it’s not hard to understand why. He has good height and length, great hands, and moves well for a player his size. Plus, Pickens has a nasty physical demeanor. The clips of him blowing defensive backs up on running plays have made the rounds online and endeared Pickens to fans everywhere. Pickens has the upside to be the best receiver in this draft class.

There are really only two questions in my mind with Pickens. First, is his recovery from an ACL injury going well? Pickens came back from the injury at the end of the season, but was clearly not moving like he did pre-injury. If he has made progress and will be back to his old self by next season, then his big board ranking should be higher. Second, are there attitude or off the field concerns? There are whispers about this being a red flag area for Pickens, but other than a few on-field scuffles, nobody seems to be able to put anything tangible to this.

If the Chiefs don’t have any major health or attitude concerns with Pickens they should absolutely run to the podium and draft him at the end of the first round.

Jahan Dotson – Penn State – 5-foot-11 – 178 pounds
Consensus Big Board Ranking: #30 (1st/2nd Round)

Some Chiefs fans don’t love the idea of taking the smaller framed Jahan Dotson at the end of the first round, but I’m a huge fan of his game and think he’d really pair well with Patrick Mahomes. While Dotson does have a smaller frame than many outside receivers, he thrived on the outside in college and reminds me a lot of Tyler Lockett (but with even better ball skills). I think he’d make a great Z receiver in KC’s offense (the roll Tyreek Hill played) where they would move him around a lot and not have him right up on the line of scrimmage.

The reason I like the idea of putting him and Mahomes together is Dotson has a natural feel for where the space in the defense is and has the ability to create space for himself. We saw last season that when things aren’t going well, Mahomes became hesitant to throw to guys who were covered. I think Dotson could be a guy that creates that space that Mahomes wants, and with his feel for where the holes in the defense are, he’d be a great target when the play breaks down and Mahomes is on the run.

While a lot of KC fans would be upset, I’d be 100% on board with taking him at the back of the first round, especially if George Pickens is already off the board.

Erik Ezukanma – Texas Tech – 6-foot-2 – 209 pounds
Consensus Big Board Ranking: #181 (5th/6th Round)

I think Erik Ezukanma is one of the most underrated receivers in this draft. I’ll admit that I hadn’t watched a single snap of his until the report of the Chiefs hosting him for a visit came out. When I turned on his tape to see what he was like I came away so impressed that I don’t think his consensus board ranking is high enough. If K.C. still needs a receiver in the fourth round (especially a bigger-bodied one), I would have no problem with them taking Ezukanma there.

I actually think he’s a similar type player to Treylon Burks. Burks makes me a little nervous in the first round because I think there is some question as to if his success carries over to the NFL, so the value of taking a similar player like Ezukanma in the fourth round is much more appealing to me. While he doesn’t have elite separation skills, he’s sure handed and uses his big frame to box out defensive backs on contested catches. He’s also a load to bring down when he’s on the move. I actually think pairing Dotson in the first and Ezukanma in the fourth would be a perfect way for the Chiefs to address the wide receiver position.

Now let’s talk about a couple of my favorite blockers in this draft.