The Kansas City Chiefs need to give quarterback Patrick Mahomes some more help. Sure, that includes making the offensive line better, but the team hopefully did that in the first round when they chose Josh Simmons. Now, KC needs to give Mahomes more weapons at the skill positions.
Travis Kelce is excellent, of course, but he's no longer as explosive. That aspect is something the Chiefs lacked in 2024 when the offense turned more predictable. Thankfully, there is still a lot of upside talent left for the Chiefs to choose from on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL draft.
One of these players is a local product and was good enough to go in the first round. He didn't. Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III, who hails from St. Louis, is miffed about still being available as well. He didn't just sit and sulk; he went for a midnight workout to release some angst.
Luther Burden III has the drive to help the Chiefs' offense get back to being explosive
The issue for the Chiefs in adding a receiver who can help overcome the recent problems of Rashee Rice, who is facing a potential suspension for an off-field incident, and Hollywood Brown, who was injured in 2024, is that KC would likely have to trade up to select him. Expecting the sliding Burden to end up at pick 63 is probably expecting too much.
The Chiefs do have some draft capital they can play with, though. Trading pick 63 is not going to be enough for a team potentially drafting currently in the 30s. KC also holds the number 66 selection, which is at the beginning of the third round. Packing those two choices together could entice a team like the Cleveland Browns or Jacksonville Jaguars to trade back.
Luther Burden’s response to being left out of the first round of the NFL draft?
— Joey Van Zummeren (@JoeyVZ_) April 25, 2025
A midnight workout at #Mizzou’s practice facility pic.twitter.com/GD0X2AEIUK
Burden is 6 feet and 206 pounds, and he ran a 4.41 at the NFL Combine. In other words, he has good size and plenty of speed to stretch opposing defenses, a weapon the Chiefs lacked consistently last season. The receiver needs to work on getting better separation, but he can be coached to be more successful with it in the NFL.
He is obviously motivated to learn, too, based on his midnight workout after the first round on Thursday. Why not keep him in his home state and have him help the Chiefs win? It would simply take a little bit of draft maneuvering, but the Chiefs have the capital to make that work.