Matt Lane

It’s a TOP TEN PICK edition of the KCSN Draft Guide!! - 225+ player profiles and comps - In-depth breakdown on how they fit with the Chiefs - Chiefs team specific features - 300+ Player grades Pre-order available now, release: April 6th draftguide.gumroad.com/l/kcsn26

@BowCurator @GandalfStaff Idk either way doesn’t sound like we will find a middle ground here. Just think it’s pretty clear teams like Buf or Sea or LA (highly efficient run teams) also are still prioritizing WRs to pair with the run game. KC doing so makes sense given the Rice/Kelce status.

@BowCurator @GandalfStaff But again, they didn’t think “opening things up” was good enough. They actively decided that their WRs in the “opened up” offense weren’t good enough. Also think you are splitting hairs with the two teams WR rooms last year.

Explaining things to #that portion of the fanbase is usually a fruitless endeavor but I'm going to attempt to do it anyway: 1. WR is a major need and I would argue it's most pressing need. KC's passing game offense has been mediocre at best for at least 3 seasons now and a majority of the blame has to do with no real WR threats, especially against man coverage. Yes, there's been no running support either but Mahomes has never had that and it's never really mattered. 2. This draft is very weak, especially from a high-end/elite round 1 talent perspective. KC is not going to get Bain and there's little chance of Bailey falling so that leaves WR and CB as your choices at 9. KC can clearly draft and develop the CB position so using a top 10 pick on a position that can be cultivated regardless of draft position is not a smart use of resources. WR is not a position group KC drafts, scouts, or develops well at all which means taking a more proven, refined prospect earlier in the draft only enhances the chances of landing a true WR1 and a future go-to threat for Patrick.

@BowCurator @GandalfStaff … but they didn’t think their offense was good enough because of the WR room so they addressed it in a major way.

@Matty_KCSN @GandalfStaff Yes but that’s not my point. They didn’t have said receiver last year and they had more success offensively. Because of the run game. Which we now have.

@BowCurator @GandalfStaff Didn’t the Bills just trade for an older, maybe declining.. expensive WR cuz their passing game wasn’t good enough despite the run game?

@GandalfStaff Everything you said leads back to the run game. Teams don’t have to even consider it. Josh Allen didn’t have real threats but they were more successful. Another WR isn’t not a major need, it’s more of a “nice to have”. Look at the bengals or cowboys.

@CKellerstrass That's a fun one. Still a plant after the ATH testing or just before?

@Matty_KCSN Sadiq……not a top 20 player imo

Who do you think are the industry plant draft prospects this year? Who is getting abnormally pushed as a R1/top 50 player that isn’t?

@Mckifen_ The latter there is on my shorter list I've tossed around. Later-break out contested catch WR who turned down running doesn't *seem* like something that should be "R1 lock"ed.

@Matty_KCSN Caleb Banks and Boston

@ABJayhawk Yeah.. but we get back to the same thing. Size + ATH will always be king. I am surprised how strongly he held a top 20 spot though.

@Matty_KCSN Caleb Banks. Too much injury concerns to be Top 50, let alone 1R

@DevinHoover11 I think there is a gap between "I don't like" and "this player is a relationship plant" though. Like you can see *why* people have Faulk high if you look at the NFL's history.

@Matty_KCSN Lack of production, and avoided a lot of combine tests. At least with Travon Walker we knew he was a freaky athlete, we don’t even have that with Faulk. Widely viewed as a top 20 pick, and he likely needs 2+ years to develop if not more. Pass.

@DevinHoover11 Think his profile (size, ATH, mental make-up, etc) is always gonna get interest though. Get not liking him but the NFL is pretty clear on his type being loved.

@Matty_KCSN 100% Keldric Faulk. Had 2 sacks, and I’m supposed to believe he’s a first or early second rounder? Beyond that didn’t even finish top 100 in QB pressures.

@ZachLaymansNFL He not work out in the NFL, but that size/movement is always gonna get attention.

@Matty_KCSN To be clear, who is the Shadeur Sanders of this year? I am a hater, but I think its Faulk.

@BabuschakMitch Can see the path BUT guys his size that can functionally move *always* get bumped.

@Matty_KCSN Kayden Procter…

@irish_jets Interesting. His first half of the year was pretty good tho.

@Matty_KCSN Ty Simpson 😬🫣 Only being pushed in the first by the big network presenters

@savdam10 They still saw >70% zone and their best two players vs zone are on their last years in KC (and one may not play an entire year) & was a significant step back in efficiency. Ppl are chasing a 2023 problem (M2M) and not looking at the whole 2026-2027 picture problems.

@Matty_KCSN they have ppl who can do zone already. kc's offense was the best vs zone for like a 5 wk stretch after that giants 1st half. then ppl switched to man vs them and found out they couldnt beat it so they just played it the whole yr and they had no answers

He’s got the best highlight/TikTok cuts cuz all his movement is flashy. When no WR pops in “workouts”, default to the flashiest clips.

@SoloJayTee Yeah we can poke holes in all three of them, it's just a matter of how you work around/fix those holes. Think for the Chiefs in particular, I see more of them with Tyson than the other two. (again, not a bad player just he's third of those three for me).

@Matty_KCSN My issue with Tate is that he's so one dimensional. Maybe he can do the BTJ thing where he shows that was just his role in college and not an inability to do more. With Lemon, I think it's easier to weaponize that alignment (slot) in general than spending a top 10 pick on it

@savdam10 They also need someone who can beat zone consistently. No doubt Tyson is good vs M2M, just can he do MORE and do it on time?

@Matty_KCSN chiefs need someone who can beat man consistently. tyson separates the best of all the top wrs.

@SoloJayTee Hmm I don’t think I agree with that. He’s the “worst” vs zone, with RAC, and his overall hands and needs the most work as a route runner. Yes he’s better on hard-breaking routes than Tate and better vertical outside than Lemon, but I can’t get to the most complete/well rounded.

@Matty_KCSN I mean he's also the most well rounded. Makai is slot limited and Tate only wins in vertical routes. He projects to be a more complete player on top of the only real reason anyone ever gives for him being 3rd is the injury concerns. Give me the best WR, and it looks like him.

@daveoh17 @MapleChiefs Yeah. Good player, should go top 20. Just think there’s been a loud “he’s clearly WR1” narrative on socials lately. And I think it’s cuz the WR workouts left people wanting more and that turned to the HL reel. Where he looks the coolest cuz of the movement patterns.

@Matty_KCSN @MapleChiefs yeah, just in terms of movement skills. he has a lot of exaggerated and sometimes unnecessary movement and is not as polished as the other 2. but he does have a lot of upside

@Shotty442122 Typically non-early declare WRs with good not great efficiency numbers don’t jump early-declare WRs with better efficiency metrics though. “Jump” is an odd term cuz we dunno where the league ever saw him, BUT the recent resurgence in social feels very HL Clippy

@Matty_KCSN Doesn't hurt he also has almost 10 more touchdowns in less games than his counterparts. Production + Flash is usually a good thing for WR (so long as medically cleared which only the team physicians would know)

@daveoh17 @MapleChiefs See a lot of Jeudy in there (better at the catch point tho). Wilson understood space better in regards to zone/RAC.

@Matty_KCSN @MapleChiefs Garrett Wilson or Jerry Jeudy