Why Xavier Leggette should be on the Chiefs draft wishlist

With a tremendous showing from the Kansas City Chiefs' defense a season ago, the blame for some losses during the season quickly shifted to the wide receiver position. This blame game from Chiefs Kingdom certainly had merit.

For starters, the Chiefs failed to have a 1,000-yard season from any of their receivers. Yes, this includes Travis Kelce, wsho saw his statline dip as well. While Kelce may have reached that milestone if he had played in the final regular season game when the Chiefs chose to rest their starters, it's still notable.

Rashee Rice as a rookie did some really nice things. With 938 yards, he led all Chiefs wide receivers in receiving yards. The next two wide receivers combined did not have his yardage. Justin Watson was next with 460 yards. Then, it was playoff hero and regular season dud Marquez Valdez-Scantling with a mere 315 receiving yards.

The Chiefs could benefit from using the draft to add more talent in the draft. If for nothing else, in the hopes that their third wide receiver could break 500 yards receiving. Xavier Legette would be an incredible option for Kansas City. What is he all about and where could the Chiefs get him? We discuss.

Projected round: Late 1st - Early 2nd

Look, the Chiefs are not going to be in a position to draft Marvin Harrison Jr or Rome Odunze. As much as we would all love to see the Chiefs get a generational talent, we are going to need to be realistic. Legette was a tremendous asset to the Gamecock offense at South Carolina, but there is concern about how his skills might transfer to the NFL.

Xavier Legette's Strengths

Xavier Legette has a rare blend of size and speed that could make him a dangerous option in the NFL. By size, I'm not talking about his 6'1 stature, I am talking about his 221-pound frame. For reference, Marvin Harrison Jr. is two inches taller and weighs almost 20 pounds less. This makes Legette difficult to stop when he gets the ball in his hands.

To pair with Legette's unusual speed (a 4.39 second time in the 40)at that weight (221) he also has a 40-inch vertical. At the NFL level, he will likely become an excellent outside-the-numbers threat. With a great ability to track the ball and a fluid catching motion, he could be a tremendous player someday.

Xavier Legette's Weaknesses

Legette had some clear weaknesses. For all of the nice stuff we can say about him, we can also see where the concern from NFL scouts is coming from. On tape, Legette has done some great things but he has also been completely shut down in press-man situations. While there are some technique issues there, it might be a struggle in his NFL career.

It is also obvious that Legette struggles with finding the soft spots in a defense. Often, it looks like he runs routes the way that a high schooler does. He focuses on the route and not where the defense is playing him or the nuances that he could create by making minor tweaks to what is asked of him. That rigidity could be fixable or it could be a problem going forward.

How Leggette would fit with the Chiefs

I would be through the roof if the Chiefs found a way to snag Xavier Legette. Not only because his ceiling is high and that he would bring a new speedy option to the Mahomes arsenal. The thing that would be most exciting is the pairing of Legette and Rice for the long term. In the West Coast offense that Andy Reid loves, crossers, slants, and screens are crucial. Legette on one side, Rice on the other and a combination of Kelce and Marquise Brown could be lethal.

Of all of the "project" type receivers that the Chiefs could be looking at, Legette makes the most sense in terms of a fit. He is a great weapon with the ball in his hands and is very capable of developing into an exscellent receiver with some NFL coaching. If the Chiefs see him sitting there at pick 32, you can bet that they will have him on a shortlist.