Top 3 players KC Chiefs should completely avoid in 2023 NFL Draft
By Matt Conner
C.J. Johnson, WR, East Carolina
C.J. Johnson had a helluva collegiate career at East Carolina where he not only set a single-game record with 283 receiving yards against Cincinnati but also turned in a body of work that ranks in the top five receivers in school history. That sort of production is hard to ignore, including a final year of 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns, but it’s also hard to see him succeeding on that level, or even close to it, in the NFL.
Johnson has a nice build at 6’1, 225 lbs. with large 10-inch-plus hands but he’s also slow off the line, lacks top-end22 speed, and will have a tough time creating any real separation on his own. His 4.66 seconds time in the 40-yard dash is plodding and his 10-yard split of 1.69 was among the worst in his entire class.
The Chiefs are likely to take a wide receiver or two in this year’s class, including one quite early given the lack of overall investments in the position this spring, but even taking a flyer late, the team should focus more on projection and less about college production that will not translate to the pro level.