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Kansas City Chiefs: WR Kenny Cook Can Make a Difference

By Dan Schmelzer

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One thing that clearly stood out from the Kansas City Chiefs’ 9-7 showing in 2014 was their lack of impact talent at the wide receiver position. Their wide receiving corps led by Dwayne Bowe was completely inefficient and unproductive all season long, as they struggled to receive any separation from the defense. The ability to get open is arguably the most important skill for a wide receiver, and the Chiefs’ receivers struggled to do that throughout the year.

This off season, the Chiefs’ put an emphasis on improving their mix at wide receiver. The biggest move for the team this off season was the addition of WR Jeremy Maclin, who is coming off of a career year of 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Nov 2, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (18) scores a touchdown past Houston Texans defensive back Andre Hal (29) during the game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Maclin will be united with Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid, and he replaces Bowe (who was cut by the Chiefs) as the clear number one option. Maclin is a special talent with great route running skills. His natural ability to get open will certainly help the Chiefs a ton going forward.

The Chiefs also selected Chris Conley in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft this off season. While his skills are raw, Conley is a very physically gifted player with a ton of upside. Albert Wilson showed some nice promise for the Chiefs late last season, and he should certainly figure into their plans as well.

Junior Hemingway, Da’Rick Rogers and Frankie Hammond could play a role in the Chiefs’ receiving core as well, but expecting too much out of them would be unwise. While the Chiefs now have some nice talent at the position, aside from Maclin, they simply do not have much experience. These guys will battle it out in camp and in the pre-season which each player having an opportunity to make some noise.

With so little experience across the position on the roster, it is pretty much anyone’s game at this point. Even a talented undrafted free agent. The Chiefs signed 6’4″, 218 pound Cook as an undrafted free agent out of Gardner-Webb after the draft, and he certainly has some upside going forward.

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In his piece showcasing five takeaways from the Chiefs’ final practice of rookie minicamp, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com called Cook, “The offensive star of the practice.” When asked about Cook after the practice, Reid spoke glowingly of Cook. “He sure is a big target with a big catch radius and he made some plays for us,” Reid said of Cook according to Teicher.

Cook is a cancer survivor who suffered from Hodgkin lymphoma (the same form that Chiefs’ safety Eric Berry is currently dealing with) as a sophomore in high school. Cook’s cancer has been in remission for the past few years, but that is certainly a scary situation to deal with. Never question the toughness of a cancer survivor, and Cook is certainly not an exception.

Based on size alone, Cook is a very intriguing player for the Chiefs. Add in his reported 6’9″ wingspan and 33-inch vertical leap, and Cook is a potential match-up nightmare on the outside. He has also shown a natural ability to high-point the ball consistently. Add all of these tools together, and Cook can be a very dangerous weapon on fade routes, especially in the red zone.

More than anything, Cook’s huge catch radius can be a dangerous weapon for the Chiefs, and would certainly be welcomed by quarterback Alex Smith.

While Cook may be a bit of a long-shot to make the Chiefs’ roster, he is impressing so far, and he has certainly over-come long odds before. Reid also has a history of putting promising undrafted free agents on the roster. Look no further than last season when WR Wilson, kicker Cairo Santos and safety Daniel Sorensen all played their way onto the Chiefs’ roster after going undrafted.

With so few solid veteran options at the wide receiver position for the Chiefs, it is very difficult to predict who will see playing time opposite of Maclin. However, if Cook continues to impress the Chiefs’ coaching staff through camp and in the pre-season, he will have a legitimate chance to make an impact for them as an undrafted rookie.

Next: Chiefs: Finding a Role for De'Anthony Thomas

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