Arrowhead Pride
Looking for a trade-up opportunity, Kansas City ended up staying put to select the dynamic wide receiver.
For the second consecutive year, the Kansas City Chiefs proudly sit at pick 32 in the SB Nation writer’s mock draft. There are plenty of perks to winning two consecutive Super Bowls, but access to the following draft’s top prospects is not one of them.
That would take a big trade, but Arrowhead Pride’s attempts to move up the board were denied. The top offensive tackles did go early, but the second tier of wide receivers didn’t start until Pick 28, when the Buffalo Bills selected Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU. That pointed to a worthwhile group of pass catchers being available to Kansas City four picks later.
That’s how oddsmakers expect the real NFL draft to go: DraftKings Sportsbook has wide receiver as the favorite (-105) to be the position first drafted by the Chiefs. Offensive lineman is a close second, with odds at +140.
This put the draft room at ease, with eyes on Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. There was confidence that none of the teams picking after Buffalo on Day 1 would be looking at him — then the San Francisco 49ers disrupted that plan by selecting Mitchell at 31.
That didn’t deter this front office, however. The focus just shifted to another exciting receiver in his own right: Ladd McConkey, wide receiver from Georgia.
For a team targeting Mitchell, there is a drastic difference in play style between he and McConkey — but the latter is arguably a better fit. McConkey is a smaller-framed player, measuring just under 6 feet tall and 186 pounds at the NFL Combine. He whips around the field before and after the catch, and that shows up in his athletic testing.
As a route runner, McConkey has the speed and quickness to keep coverage defenders on their heels from the snap. He flies off the line, and disguises his intentions in a route well; he has disciplined eyes and a strong understanding of landmarks. Then, he can snap off and break away instantly. He will be a very strong option for shorter, man-beating routes — but those same tools also get him open downfield.
Once he has the ball in his hands, he doesn’t get any easier to catch up to. He has the wiggle to make undisciplined tacklers miss, and the burst to slip through tight seams between oncoming defenders. He is an instinctual ball carrier; he just lacks the play strength to stay up through contact.
All of that makes him an undoubtable fit in the Chiefs’ offense. He is even alignment versatile: Despite the look of a true slot, McConkey did align as an outside receiver for at least 75% of his snaps the last two seasons.
Really, the only red flag here is the injury history: McConkey missed the first four games of 2023 with a lingering back injury, then an additional game with a bum ankle. Those followed...
