Why it makes sense for the Chiefs to wait until the second to draft a wide receiver

A lot of the sentiment toward the Kansas City Chiefs' first-round selection is that it has to be used on a wide receiver. There are a lot of intriguing wide receiver prospects in this year's NFL Draft. It's a good time to need a wide receiver and we all know that Kansas City does.

When you combine the need for a wide receiver with the fact that this is a deep class, people want to see that first-round pick on a wide receiver. However, it should actually be the opposite for Kansas Cit

There are numerous reasons why a Day 2 target might be best strategy for the Chiefs at wide receiver.

It's been established plenty of times this offseason that wide receiver is probably the No. 1 need for the Chiefs. While that remains the case following the Hollywood Brown signing, Kansas City needs a lot more especially because of the uncertainty surrounding Rashee Rice's availability and the reality that Brown is only on a one-year deal.

But what if the Chiefs waited until later in the draft to address wide receiver? It's not out of the question. There are still some pretty big needs in other areas such as offensive tackle and on the defensive line. Plenty of scenarios could present themselves with a tackle or defensive lineman the Chiefs like instead at the same time that there are wide receiver fits in the next round. That's what happens when it's a deep wide receiver class. You have the luxury of waiting to address a certain position to focus on other needs first.

The Chiefs are going to reach on a receiver in the first if they don't have a first-round grade on any of the available ones. There's no good reason to do that with the sheer amount of talent in this class. Brett Veach has said for a few years now that the drop in talent in the trenches happens pretty quickly, so don't be surprised if the Chiefs capitalize on an offensive or defensive lineman in the first round to try and get ahead of the curve.

Something else to consider is that the Chiefs have a history of taking wide receivers in the second round now. Brett Veach considers the second round to be a sweet spot for needs like wide receiver. Rashee Rice, Skyy Moore, and Mecole Hardman were all second-round picks for Kansas City. You can argue whether or not those guys were the right picks, but if you can remember their draft classes, other big-name NFL receivers went around the same time, and those classes were not considered as deep at the time.

When you start to break down the prospects in this draft, there are plenty of quality receivers that are not going to be first-rounders that could fall to Kansas City on day two. Players like Devontez Walker, Jermaine Burton, Ja'Lynn Polk, Xavier Legette, etc. all come to mind as receivers that would suffice in rounds two or three.

Just remember that waiting until the second round doesn't mean that Kansas City has to wait until pick 64 either. They can always trade up and they have multiple times in the past for both Rashee Rice and Mecole Hardman. In fact, the wide receiver position is so deep in this draft that Kansas City could also double up on receiver if they decide not to take one with their first selection.

Despite the fact that many of us likely want the Chiefs to take a receiver with their first-round pick next week, it might be smarter if Kansas City were to wait a little bit later in order to make sure they effectively address all of their needs in this year's NFL Draft.