Let’s go ahead and get one thing out of the way before we dive into these WR prospects: I am a Chiefs fan through and through. I’m fascinated to see what the Chiefs are thinking and who they value with all the picks they have at their disposal. This could prove to be a legacy defining draft for general manager Brett Veach. After trading away a franchise WR in Tyreek Hill, he will be tasked with finding the next star wideout in this years NFL draft.

I wanted to find out for myself what these prospects had to offer and what they could bring to the NFL as well as the Chiefs offense. When Tyreek Hill was on the roster, the Chiefs were a big play quick strike offense. Hill was so lethal, he single handedly dictated coverage for opposing defenses. Now with Tyreek Hill gone, the Chiefs will not only have to fill his shoes, but find a player with the potential to make a similar impact in their offense. If the Chiefs expect to make their fifth straight AFC Title game, it’s imperative to find another difference maker to pair with Kelce to keep defenses honest. This years draft is ripe with talent at the wide receiver position and there are five players who I believe can be playmakers at the next level.

A few things I look for in a WR prospect:

• Separation ability- Inital burst off the line of scrimmage, release moves
• Confident hands- Not letting the ball into your body, catching the it out in front of your body and squeezing the football
• Body control- Contorting your body to adjust to throws, staying balanced and in control during the route. Sideline awareness.
• Route running- What type of route tree is the player comfortable running. Understanding how to set up defensive backs with certain route combinations, double moves and subtle hip and head movement. Smooth movement and footwork.
• Speed/quickness/acceleration- The effort it takes to get to a players top speed. How quickly can a player get to and maintain top speed. Ability to run past defensive backs and stack (get on top) for big gains downfield.
• Alignment versatility- Capability of lining up inside or outside. Success rate in the slot, X and Z positions.

5) Treylon Burks (6’3” 220) Pro Comp: Deebo Samuel/ AJ Brown

• Routes: C-
• Hands: A
• Separation: B-
• Body control: B
• Speed: A-
• Versatility: A

Best Skill: RAC skills and strength

Tale of the Tape

Pros: Burks is a tank of a wide receiver. Like Drake London, he has size and instincts you just can’t teach. He broke out this season with over 1000 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. His strength shows up on tape he knows how to position his body and box out smaller defenses for the ball. Has fantastic contested catch ability. He routinely outmuscled opponents in the SEC and dominated at the catch point with his strength and long arms. He’s not a body catcher. He plucks the ball out in front of his body with massive strong hands. Out of 88 targets he only had 3 drops. Where Burks really sets himself apart his YAC ability. It’s not often you see an athlete his size so involved in the jet sweep and bubble screen game. Arkansas manufactured touches for Burks because he was so special with the ball in his hands. He lined up in the slot the majority of his time at Arkansas but has the body and physicality to become an “X” receiver in the NFL. He is a smooth runner with the ball in his hands and has a lethal stiff arm. Burks ran a blistering 4.5 at the combine for a 220 man. He proved he had the long speed to threaten defenses deep. He also understands how to gear up and down to use his defenders leverage against them.

Cons: Very raw receiver in terms of route running. Has a very limited route tree due to the offense he was used in at Arkansas. They rarely used him on the outside and ran a lot of gadget plays and even in the backfield. Doesn’t show much feel for setting up defenders with his routes and will have to become more polished in that area to reach his potential as a true number one receiver. There have also been multiple reports from scouts about controlling his weight and his conditioning. He’s not a great leaper which is kind of disappointing for a player his size. Struggles to get off press coverage on the outside because of his lack of route running acumen.

Final Verdict: Treylon Burks has what it takes to be an alpha receiver in the NFL but he will have to become more refined with his route running. It will benefit him to go to a team that can utilize him in ways similar to how San Francisco used Deebo Samuel until he gains more confidence with a full NFL route tree. Can he be more than a big slot in the league? If he can, he will be a pro bowl wide receiver. If not, he could be another N’Keal Harry. He will also need to prove to teams that he can maintain his weight in the pros.

4) George Pickens (6’3” 200) Pro Comp: AJ Green/Michael Gallup

Best Skill: Toe tap ability and sideline body control

• Routes:A-
• Hands: A
• Separation/Release: B+
• Body Control: A
• Speed: B
• Versatility: C+

Tale of the Tape

PROS: While Drake London was my favorite WR to watch on tape, I came away most impressed with George Pickens. It’s the body control and toe tap ability that stand out for me. Some of his sideline grabs are just ridiculous. He displays good flexibility for his size. His body alteration is second to none in the class. He can contort his body to adjust to poorly placed balls. He is a long receiver and a twitchy athlete. Good initial burst off the LOS and shows physicality off the line as well. YAC ability is nice, but not elite. He has nimble feet but lacks true elite long speed but has enough to be a threat. He is one of the most underrated athletes in this WR class, mostly because people forgot how explosive he was before the ACL injury early in the spring of 2021. He still managed to play for Georgia down the stretch and made a highlight reel diving catch in the national championship. He has a knack for highlight reel grabs because of his length, natural ball tracking skills and aggressive nature when the football is in the air. Has a great catch radius and jump ball appeal due to his size and athleticism. Pickens has arguably the best hands in the draft next to Jahan Dotson. He rarely takes his eye off the ball. He has 90 receptions in his collegiate career with only one drop. Has a disdain for defensive backs and you can tell when you watch the tape. Will consistently put corners on their ass in the run game.

Cons: His college stats are underwhelming. Only 3 games of 100 REC yards and 10 games with 2 receptions or less. Has injury history. Played only 4 games in 2021 and 8 in 2020. For lack of a better phrase, he is known to be a “hot head” and has a tendency of extra circular activities after the whistle. Will have to learn to control his emotions better in the NFL. Pickens doesn’t possess elite break away speed. He won’t be running away from a lot of DBs in the NFL. He doesn’t offer much as far as broken tackles. Doesn’t offer much versatility as far as being able to move around the formation. Primarily an X receiver in the NFL.

Final Verdict: George Pickens has some of the best tools in this draft. He is a prototypical “X” that can win short, intermediate and deep. Pickens is ultra competitive and that shows up on tape. His physicality at the line of scrimmage should serve him well at the next level as long as he can control himself from getting post play penalties. He can still stand to gain more nuance in his route running and how to separate mor affectively and not just rely on his contested catch ability. If he can mature at the next level he can be an All-Pro type of player that can change an offense. He’s exactly the kind of receiver the Chiefs can use in their offense. He can slide into that “X” role immediately and provide Mahomes and the offense a safety valve on third downs, and eventually a threat to stretch the field when he becomes more comfortable in the league .

3) Garrett Wilson (6’0” 183) Pro Comp: Keenan Allen/Ceedee Lamb

• Routes: B+
• Hands: A-
• Separation/Release: A-
• Body control: A+
• Speed: A-
• Versatility: B-

Best Skill: Body control and ball skills

Tale of the Tape

Pros: Wilson posses crazy lateral agility and quickness. It almost looks like he’s floating sometimes watching him on tape. One of the most fluid athletes in this entire draft. His speed is close to elite; more very good than great. He’s slippery at the LOS. He just knows how to get open. Of his 70 catches in 2021, 61 of them either went for a first-down or a touchdown. He’s great at running slants and gains separation with his initial quickness. Very sudden in his routes. He has similar traits to Jameson Williams in his ability to sink his hips and change direction and not lose speed. To go along with his long speed he runs really crisp routes and understands how to manipulate DBs. He has great contested catch ability for a WR his size. His body control while in the air is second to none in this class. It’s a skill that you cannot teach. Wilson adjusts well to under-thrown balls and understands how to work his way back to the QB in scramble situations. Can win jump ball situations, back shoulder throws and can win over the middle as well.

Cons: His running style is unorthodox which leads to unbalance after the catch. Almost looks like he’s out of control. Needs more refinement in his route tree. Struggles with focus drops in the middle of the field. Like most guys in this class he will have to prove he can beat press man coverage. Struggles playing through contact and will need to add a little more strength to hold up on the outside in the NFL. Does not offer a lot as a deep threat but can develop into one later in career.

Final Verdict: Wilson shows enough play making ability to warrant a top-20 selection. However, I don’t see a lot of upside in drafting him. He seems like a guy that has the safest floor out of the WRs in his class. I would be shocked if he completely failed in the NFL but I would also be shocked if he turned into an all-pro caliber guy. Profiles more as a slot guy due to his size but has the ability to become a very good X if he can learn to beat press man on a consistent basis. The Chiefs would love to add him to the mix as a slot or “Z” WR who has the potential to transition to the outside. Patrick Mahomes would appreciate his slipperiness in and out his his breaks and his ability to separate to go along with strong hands.

2) Drake London (6’5” 210) Pro Comp: Michael Pittman/Mike Evans

Best Skill: Contested Catch scenarios. RAC acumen.

• Routes: C+
• Hands: A
• Separation: C+
• Body control: A+
• Speed: B-
• Versatility: B+

Tale of the Tape

Pros: Out of all the prospects tape I watched, Drake London’s tape was the most eye-popping to watch. He has a rare blend of size, quickness and athleticism that should pay immediate dividends at the next level. He’s at his best in jump ball situations and has the best contested catch ability in his class. He shows a great sense for tracking the ball and snatching it out if the sky. He dealt with an inaccurate QB at USC and often had to adjust his route for badly thrown footballs and still made plays. For a 6’5” guy, his fluidity and body control is tantalizing. He reminds me a lot of Travis Kelce in that regard. He’s not fast, but he is quick in and out of cuts and has some wiggle to his game. What I love is that he doesn’t shy away from contact; he invites it. Gains extra yards with his toughness either on the boundary or over the middle. He’s arguably the best YAC WR next to Treylon Burks. London is ultra competitive with the ball in his hands and shows an aggressive temperament. His basketball background shows up time after time on the gridiron as he shows great ability to high point the football and box out smaller DBs.

Cons: While he ran a limited route tree at USC, he shows enough nuance and understanding of how to set up his routes and manipulate corners and safeties with double moves. He relied more on his physical tools in college than running precise routes. May be limited to the slot until he gains more nuance in his routes and learns to beat press coverage on the outside. Had a lot of free releases and manufactured touches where he didn’t have to fight through tight coverage. Not particularly fast.

Final Verdict: He doesn’t have great long speed, but has the length you look for in a X receiver in the NFL. He has traits that you cannot teach but is still raw as a route runner and will need to show he can shed press coverage in the NFL. I think he would be an excellent fit with Jets at 10 or the Eagles at 15,16 or 19. I severely doubt the Chiefs have a chance to grab him unless they move up, but he would be an excellent fit. The Chiefs don’t have a guy outside of Travis Kelce who can consistently win contested catch and jump ball situations. Mahomes could use a WR he can throw a 50/50 ball to so he doesn’t have to be pinpoint accurate with every throw. He has the potential to be a true #1 wideout and a future all-pro.

1) Jameson Williams (6’2” 190): Pro Comp: Will Fuller/ Jaylen Waddle

Best skill: Explosiveness. Elite deep speed threat

• Routes: B+
• Hands: B+
• Separation: A
• Body control: B+
• Speed: A+
• Versatility: A-

Tale of the Tape

Pros: If not for suffering an ACL injury in the championship game, Williams would be the first WR off the board. Has true game-breaking speed and is an angle destroyer, which makes it easy for him to gain separation because of his ability to throttle down in and out of breaks. Very polished route runner with best deep speed in class. YAC nightmare. His long strides and efficient movement helps him gobble up yards after the catch. Very adept at dropping his hips and keeping his head down on double moves. Does a good job of manipulating DB’s with change of tempo. Good route tree compared to other guys in his class. He’s deadly on slants. Very fluid in his movement. Always sells vertical routes and doesn’t give DB idea of what route is being run. Does a great job of flashing his hands late on over the shoulder catches to keep DBs from breaking up the pass.

Cons: Struggles against press man coverage and playing through contact in general. Will need to add strength to his frame. Not a jump ball WR. Teams will be reluctant to take him because of the ACL tear in the National Championship game. Only had one year of elite production at Alabama. Needs to be prove he is more than a deep threat. Can he consistently hold onto balls through contact and go over the middle to move the chains? Was not asked to run an extensive route tree at Alabama.

Final Verdict: May have to start him in the slot or at the Z position to start, but should be able to transition to the X with his explosiveness. Teams would be smart to scheme him open by putting him in motion to avoid press coverage. But he has the potential to be a dominant X if he can prove to be able to play though contact and improve his ability to high point balls in contested catch situations. Jameson Williams would be a great fit and the perfect guy to try and duplicate the element that Tyreek Hill brought to the offense. Williams has a Pro Bowl ceiling and should be a contributor right away if he’s paired with the right quarterback and team.

So those are my top 5 guys heading into this NFL draft. I think all of these players have the potential to be pro bowl caliber and be impact players at the next level. Here’s the list of other WR’s who caught my attention in my film study:

• Chris Olave- Ohio State (6’1” 195) Smooth route runner and understands how to manipulate DBs. Doesn’t waste movement in his routes. Can get vertical with the best. Not a major threat in RAC situations.
• Jahan Dotson- Penn State (5’11” 184) Best hands in the class and outstanding leaping ability for his size. Great body control. Can win downfield but also knows how to sit in the soft spots of zone. Doesn’t have elite size or speed.
• Skyy Moore- Western Michigan (5’9” 195) Has the best release package in his class. Savvy route runner. Should thrive as underneath catch and run threat. Very strong for a guy his size, suggesting he can play outside as well.
• Christian Watson- North Dakota State (6’5 205) Best combination of size and speed in the class. Similar to Jameson Williams in that he can take the top off the defense unlike many prospects in this draft. Drop rate is concerning as well as level of competition.
• Jalen Tolbert- South Alabama (6’2” 195) Long and lanky athlete with great tools. Wins contested catches. Dangerous RAC ability. Tracks ball well. Good route runner. Needs to add strength and work on beating press.