Top Candidates to Fill the WR2 Need for the Chiefs This Offseason
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The Kansas City Chiefs have top-tier weapons at wide receiver and tight end. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are among the top receiving duos in the NFL. With that said, the Chiefs could also use another receiving option that is a consistent threat and playmaker.
Some will say the Chiefs can’t get greedy and try to add another dynamic offensive weapon for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The argument motions that he doesn’t really need another plus receiver and resources should be used elsewhere.
Oct 3, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball to wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The team still has wide receiver Mecole Hardman for another year on his rookie deal, but Hardman has been inconsistent during his time with the Chiefs. He can still be a solid weapon, but is he a guy the team will extend? Many have speculated that free agent wide receiver Byron Pringle could return to the team on a cheap deal. He could fit the mold of what Demarcus Robinson has done the past couple of years: a guy that knows the system and can fill a role on special teams as well as being the fourth or fifth receiving option. That still doesn't solve Kansas City's problem, though.
Again, the Chiefs' offense could certainly hit another level with a top-tier wide receiver No. 2. This should be someone who won’t draw a ton of attention like Hill or Kelce but can be very productive as the third option as a result. Let’s take a look at a couple of free agent options for the Chiefs and also a couple of draft prospects who could fit nicely into this offense.
Allen Robinson
Dec 20, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson (12) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
This has been the guy I’ve wanted the Chiefs to go after since Sammy Watkins was cut last offseason. Allen Robinson is a 6’2", 220-pound "X" receiver who the Chiefs could utilize in a variety of ways, including in the red zone. Robinson has excellent hands and has been the top option on the offenses he’s been a part of in the past, those of the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars. He could excel in a WR2 role in Kansas City with Mahomes throwing the ball his way. He could also free up either Hill or Kelce from seeing double-teams. Robinson very well could be the piece that takes Kansas City's offense to another level.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Jan 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) poses for a photograph with a fan following the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC Wild Card playoff football game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
This move would make a ton of sense for both the player and the team. Smith-Schuster was on the Chiefs' radar last season and nearly chose Kansas City before returning to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal to run it back with the Steelers in Ben Roethlisberger’s final season. Smith-Schuster is a 6’1”, 215-pound receiver that can play either in the slot or on the outside. He could also fill the X-role for the Chiefs. Despite his injury history, Smith-Schuster does have some upside at age 25 and his prime could still be ahead of him. He also had his best seasons when he wasn’t the featured option. In his rookie season, he hauled in 58 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns before really taking a step forward in his second season, catching 111 balls for 1,426 yards and another seven touchdowns. During those seasons, he was the second option in the offense behind Antonio Brown. If Smith-Schuster joined the Chiefs as the third option behind Hill and Kelce, there is a great chance he could shine again in the support role.
How about some draft options?
John Metchie III, WR, Alabama
Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III (8) scores a touchdown during a football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. Kns Tennessee Alabama Football Bp
There are two wide receivers from Alabama that had a lot of hype surrounding them this past season. That’s what happens when you have a top-3 team, as well as a Heisman trophy quarterback throwing the ball their way. Unfortunately, both players suffered injuries late in the season. Despite that, both guys should still be selected in the first or second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jameson Williams is the player that probably has the highest ceiling and will likely go higher in the draft. He broke out with a 1,500-yard and 15-touchdown season. However, Metchie is a consistent performer who has done it multiple seasons.
In 2020, despite a strange COVID season and having two first-round wide receivers in Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith as teammates, Metchie grabbed 55 catches for 916 yards and six touchdowns. He followed it up this past season by showing even more improvement and adding to the stat sheet as well with 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns.
If the Chiefs draft Metchie late in the second round, it would be a very solid pickup. Metchie would have time to heal up, learn the offense and gradually be added into the fold as the season unfolded.
David Bell, WR, Purdue
Nov 6, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver David Bell (3) catches the ball while Michigan State Spartans cornerback Chester Kimbrough (12) defends in the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
If the Chiefs can’t land Robinson in free agency, David Bell could be the younger, unproven version of him. Bell has a very similar size and player profile as Robinson and they play the game similarly. Bell can line up inside or outside, has a wonderful set of hands and is great at tracking the ball over the shoulder and making contested catches near the sideline. If he falls to the end of the second round, the Chiefs could add a solid WR2 to their roster in Bell with their first pick of Day 2 of the draft.
There's also the possibility of the Chiefs adding a wide receiver in free agency and drafting one, too. If they go into the 2022 season with Hill, Robinson, Metchie III and Hardman as their wide receiver options, who would say no to that? Maybe it could be Hill, Smith-Schuster, Bell and Hardman as the wide receiver foursome. Add in the fact that Kansas City has the best tight end in the NFL in the mix, and the Chiefs' offense would be better off on day one of training camp than they were in 2021.
All that matters for the Chiefs is the team looking to improve and become the best team possible heading into the 2022 campaign. Making a move or two to try and fill that second wide receiver role could go a long way to seeing their offense hit a new stride and find even greater success than it has in recent years.
