
Wide Receiver Draft Crushes
In this draft class, I actually like the “day two” guys better than the first-round options. While I won’t be upset if the Chiefs land one of the top prospects in this class early, my approach would be to take another position in the first round and then land one of these three guys in the second or third rounds.
Marvin Mims Jr. – Oklahoma – 5’11” – 183 lbs – 4.38 forty
While Zay Flowers is the trendy undersized big-play weapon that should go in the first round, I like the value of getting Marvin Mims Jr. in the second round even better. Mims doesn’t have Flowers’s freaky change of direction skills, but his deep speed is fantastic. He’s a couple of inches taller than Flowers and his build/speed has brought a lot of Tyler Lockett comparisons as someone that can potentially play as an outside deep threat despite not having prototypical size. Mims tracks the ball really well and is a better hands catcher than Flowers, which helps with contested catches.
I think Mims can be an absolute home run pick when you put him in Andy Reid’s offense with Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball. He could be an immediate deep threat and could also be used in the same way that Mecole Hardman was early on to manufacture touches. If Mims can improve his route tree he could become a legit star in KC’s offense.
Jonathan Mingo – Ole Miss – 6’2″ – 220 lbs – 4.46 forty
In a class of smaller receivers, it’s hard not to fall in love with the physical prowess of Jonathan Mingo. Not only does he have the size, but he’s also both powerful and athletic to boot. If you watch one of his highlight tapes you would think this guy is in the running to be wide receiver #1 in this class. The problem is that Mingo is really raw and really inconsistent.
The Chiefs are the type of team that is good enough to gamble on Mingo’s upside. If it hits he’ll be an absolute force that everyone will kick themselves for not drafting. If he doesn’t figure it out he’ll bounce around the league for a few years and then disappear. Am I willing to stake my reputation that he hits? No, but the possibility is just too tempting to pass up if he’s still on the board in the late second or third round.
Xavier Hutchinson – Iowa State – 6’2″ – 203 lbs – 4.53 forty
Xavier Hutchinson may actually be my biggest draft crush of these three. I think he’s hugely underrated and is going to be a better pro than half the receivers that get picked before him. Hutchinson isn’t flashy like Mims or Mingo, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be just as good or better. Hutchinson is a great possession receiver with the size and just enough speed to play on the outside, but also gives you someone that can be a reliable target out of the slot on short and intermediate routes.
I actually think Hutchinson might be the best fit in this entire draft class to fill Juju Smith-Schuster’s role in the offense from last season. He runs good routes. He’s a reliable hands catcher. He’s good at contested catches and uses his big frame to block out defenders. If the Chiefs don’t take a wideout in the first two rounds I would love to see them take Hutchinson in the third.
Iowa State WR Xavier Hutchinson is one of the best route-runners in this class. Uses sudden, quick movements to consistently uncover and beat press coverage. Pretty rare fluidity for a WR listed at 6-3. pic.twitter.com/z4WcvKJxpb
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) January 23, 2023
Now let’s look at some tight ends.