KC Chiefs Make Controversial WR Selection in Recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft
The reigning champs land a receiver in Peter Schrager's Mock 1.0, although it isn't who many anticipated.
With the 2024 NFL Draft right around the corner, the Kansas City Chiefs will soon be tasked with making a decision at the end of the first rou nd. If general manager Brett Veach stands pat — not trading up or out of the round entirely — the reigning Super Bowl champions will land a potential impact contributor for this coming season.
As April 25 approaches, where are mock drafts landing regarding Kansas City? A recent high-profile list comes with a bit of a controversial selection.
In his mock 1.0 on NFL.com, Peter Schrager bases his projections on what he's heard from sources around the league. At the end of round one, he writes that the Chiefs will add a wide receiver into the fold. That's a common prediction in draft circles, although sending Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk to Kansas City isn't. Schrager's intel hints at the league possibly being high on him.
"Polk is a personal favorite -- and I keep hearing his name from football people I trust," Schrager began. "There's uncertainty in the Chiefs' wide receiver room, especially given Rashee Rice's legal issue. Texas Tech product Patrick Mahomes gets a former Red Raider who spent the past three seasons at Washington, making countless big plays throughout the 2023 Huskies' run to the national title game."
Polk, 22, hauled in 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns during his final season with the Huskies. After debuting at Texas Tech, he ended up playing his final three collegiate campaigns at Washington. Polk is a 6-foot-1, 203-pound receiver who posted an 8.77 Relative Athletic Score during the pre-draft process. He checks a lot of boxes for a club seeking a nice contributor.
Possessing terrific hands, nice body control and respectable competitive toughness, Polk is a quarterback-friendly target. His ability to pluck footballs out of the air after stacking his assignment makes him a force to be reckoned with vertically. His experience operating different concepts in college and thriving in Washington's system should come in handy in the NFL. Polk boasts some alignment versatility, too.
With all of that said, there are plenty of reasons to question a team potentially taking Polk in the first round. He isn't the most greased-up athlete in terms of hip fluidity, and his long speed isn't anything to write home about. Additionally, he will likely rely on hand-fighting technique and a more developed release package in order to gain consistent separation at the next level. Polk's ceiling isn't as high as some of his running mates in the 2024 class.
In a weaker wide receiver crop, Polk would be a potential premier pick. This year, however, the class is too stacked for a club to dip into the third tier of receivers before it's necessary. In this mock scenario, the predicament becomes a player like Polk possibly not being available at pick No. 64. If that's the case, does it make sense to bite the bullet and make the move a round earlier? That's the age-old debate.
Again, Polk is interesting and is one of this writer's favorite Day Two prospects (full scouting report here). Schrager's inclusion of him right at the end of the first round has ruffled some feathers immediately, though. While it's impossible to know what the draft board looks like before it happens, there's reason to assume the Chiefs may have a more suitable option available once it's their turn. If that's the case, perhaps waiting one more pass-through for Polk is wiser.
