Chiefs address biggest concerns in NFL draft with selections of wide receiver and offensive tackle
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had two distinct holes on their roster as they headed into the offseason.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champions filled them with their first two picks in the NFL draft.
While every general manager talks about taking “the best player available,” and some make a surprising pick that goes against the grain, Brett Veach did exactly what was expected. The Chiefs’ GM moved up modestly in the first round to take Texas burner Xavier Worthy, instantly upgrading what was one of the league’s worst wide receiving corps last year, then made another minor trade-up in Round 2 to take BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia, potentially filling a glaring hole at left tackle.
“We just let the board play out and saw the value there,” Veach said.
Indeed, the Chiefs’ draft board played out perfectly.
Worthy set the NFL combine record by running the 40-yard dash in 4.21 seconds, giving Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes a legitimate deep threat for the first time since they traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins. Worthy is also an underrated route-runner with sure hands, something the Chiefs lacked while leading the league in dropped passes.