Chiefs could still take receiver in the NFL Draft’s first round

The Kansas City Chiefs don’t need more weapons for Patrick Mahomes. However he may well end up getting one come the first round of the NFL Draft anyway.

Currently, the Chiefs have a depth chart at wideout consisting of Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle. The sixth and final spot remains up for grabs. Although it will likely be filled by someone off the practice squad or an undrafted free agent.

Plus, Kansas City has the sport’s best tight end in Travis Kelce, another top-tier weapon for Mahomes to find.

Want $250 to bet on NFL futures?

However, there’s still reason to believe Kansas City general manager Brett Veach could consider taking a receiver at No. 32 overall.

With Watkins, there’s a $21 million cap hit with him coming into the final year of his deal. Should the Chiefs not be able to either extend or restructure, perhaps Watkins ends up being released sometime in April. This would leave a gaping hole in the depth chart. If that happens, Kansas City could look at the board in the first round and see what is a historically great class of rookie receivers, and feel the value is too great to pass on.

While Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III of Alabama, and Oklahoma’s Ceedee Lamb will be long gone, there are a host of other receivers with a first-round grade who could be on the board. LSU’S Justin Jefferson, Baylor’s Denzel Mims, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Clemson’s Tee Higgins and Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk are only a few of the names worthy of consideration in the back half of the first round.

Read: Coronavirus Fallout Keeping Free Agents Like Cam Newton In Limbo

It’s worth mentioning that should Watkins be kept on, there’s little motivation for Kansas City to think receiver early. Again, though, his status is in doubt until his contract is altered in some way. The Chiefs are likely right now to be looking at interior offensive linemen, cornerback and linebacker. However, things change rapidly in the NFL.

With three weeks until the Cincinnati Bengals turn in the first card — presumably taking quarterback Joe Burrow out of LSU — there’s ample time for there draft’s complexion to change.

For the Chiefs, they’ll be making the necessary alterations to their championship roster, then waiting to see how the board falls in the 31 selections ahead of them before stepping to the fore.

The rest of the league will be watching, hoping it’s anything but more firepower for Mahomes.