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Should Kansas City Chiefs Target WR Breshad Perriman?

By Dan Schmelzer

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Everybody knows that the Kansas City Chiefs have a need at the wide receiver position.

After not completing a single touchdown pass to the position last season, the Chiefs addressed their need at wide receiver in the free agency period. Replacing Dwayne Bowe with Jeremy Maclin is a major improvement for the Chiefs’ receiving core, but with unproven options like Albert Wilson and Da’Rick Rogers, and underwhelming receivers like Jason Avant and Junior Hemmingway rounding out the group, finding talented receivers in the 2015 NFL Draft is a must.

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Now, that does not mean that the Chiefs must take a wide receiver in the first round. Sure, there will be receivers on their board, but offensive line and cornerback are other positions of need that should be considered in the first round. This draft class is deep at wide receiver, so the Chiefs can find interesting players at the position in the mid-to-later rounds of the draft.

Early mock drafts almost exclusively had the Chiefs taking a wide receiver with the 18th overall pick. After the addition of Maclin, more and more draftniks have been mocking other positions to the Chiefs, but wide receivers like Jaelen Strong and Dorial Green-Beckham are still popular selections.

In his most recent mock draft, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has the Chiefs taking a wide receiver who has been the talk of the scouting world in recent weeks. With his 4.26 40-yard dash at his pro day workout, Breshad Perriman has burst on to the scene as an exciting first round prospect. Trapasso actually has the Chiefs trading up three spots to the San Francisco 49ers’ 15th overall pick to nab Perriman.

Here is what Trapasso had to say about the Chiefs’ selection of Perriman in his mock draft:

"We don’t see the Chiefs trade up often, but we always see Trent Baalke and the 49ers trade back to accumulate more picks. After going an entire season without a wide receiver catching a touchdown pass, Kansas City must add another weapon to Alex Smith‘s arsenal beyond Jeremy Maclin. As a Packers assistant in the early-to-mid-1990s, Andy Reid saw the damage Breshad’s father, Brett, could do while he played for the Lions. There are some flaws to Breshad’s game, mainly the occasional drops. The Chiefs aren’t worried though. Perriman’s a rocked-up possession wideout with tremendous speed."

This would without a doubt be a very interesting draft day scenario for the Chiefs. It appears that Trapasso has the Chiefs trading up to prevent the Houston Texans from selecting Perriman with the 16th overall pick, as he has the Texans taking a receiver in Strong with the very next pick.

With 10 total picks, including two selections in the third round, it is fine for the Chiefs to trade up a few spots in the first round to land a player they are targeting by only giving up a third round pick (80th overall). Mid-round picks are valuable, but if there is somebody who they are in love with who they do not feel will be available at 18, the Chiefs are in a good position to move up.

That being said, is Perriman worth the trade up? At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Perriman’s combination of size and speed is very intriguing. 4.26 speed is very rare, especially for a wide receiver with ideal size. He is a strong and aggressive receiver with a huge catch radius. Perriman has shown the ability to make incredible acrobatic catches, and is a prime candidate to be a dangerous deep threat in the NFL.

I can see why NFL scouts are falling in love with Perriman. He has all of the raw tools to be a dynamic receiver at the next level. However, this seems like an odd fit for the Chiefs.

Perriman’s game is built on speed. He is a dynamic player who can beat any defense deep. With Smith not possessing a strong throwing arm, the Chiefs’ offensive passing game is built around short and quick passes.

Guys like Maclin, Wilson and tight end Travis Kelce are already deep threat players who will be somewhat handcuffed by Smith’s ability. How many deep threats do the Chiefs need to couple with a weak-armed quarterback? Finding a receiver who excels in the short to immediate range passing game would make a lot more sense, at least in the short-term.

Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Also, Trapasso’s comment about Perriman’s “occasional drops” is severely understated. His hands are extremely inconsistent. Perriman had many drops throughout his college career, many of which were while being wide open.

If he struggles to consistently catch the ball without pressure from defenders, how can Perriman be expected to haul them in with NFL cornerbacks defending him? Wide receivers must be able to catch the ball, and that is something that Perriman struggles with.

In this mock draft example, I think the Chiefs would have been better off staying put at 18. Perhaps the Texans take Perriman, and the Chiefs would have an opportunity to select Strong, who is a very talented receiver who fits their offense much better. Cornerback Trae Waynes is also available at 18 in this mock, as are offensive lineman Cameron Erving, Jake Fisher and T.J. Clemmings, all of which would make much more sense to me for the Chiefs than Perriman.

I get it, NFL teams love seeing the upside in a player, and Perriman certainly brings a lot to the table. However, he is a very risky player who is an odd fit for the Chiefs. Let somebody else take a shot on the workout warrior, Kansas City needs to find good solid football players to build their team around.

Next: Offensive Line Prospects for the Chiefs in Each Round

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