As I continue my daily series examining the Chiefs' top draft prospects for each round of the upcoming NFL draft, today's focus is on the WR position. This has been a massive topic of discussion for fans and media members alike. General manager Brett Veach has been pretty hit-or-miss with his selections at the position during his career.
Since the 2022 draft, Veach has placed greater emphasis on providing Patrick Mahomes a new weapon, taking Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice in the '22 and ‘23 drafts, respectively. He then added speedster Xavier Worthy at the backend of the first round in '24, and Jalen Royals in the fourth round last year, which basically ended up being a redshirt season for him.
As of now, the room feels suitable for the upcoming season, providing nobody gets hurt, but for 2027 and beyond, Worthy is the only guy whom the Chiefs can reliably force volume toward. Like so many drafts in the past, this year’s crop is loaded with all types of different receivers. And with three picks inside the top 40, Kansas City will have many options to find Mahomes’ next go-to target for hopefully the rest of his prime.
Chiefs Have Lots of Options To Add Offensive Firepower in The Draft
Round 1 - Makai Lemon - 21 years old - USC
For myself and most others, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate is WR1 in this year’s draft. However, given that the Chiefs pick at No. 9, Tate will likely be gone, making USC’s Makai Lemon not just the “next-best option,” but a legit top-10 talent whose individual game actually fits better than Tate’s in Andy Reid’s offense. At 5’11”, 195 lbs, Lemon is a bit undersized, but makes his money as a true technician from the slot.
Coming off his junior year in which he won the Biletnikoff Award, signifying his status as the nation's top receiver, producing nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns, Lemon cemented himself as a serious prospect. The former USC standout excels on all three levels with exceptional hands and a refined route tree. He’s not overly athletic or fast, but more quick and sturdy, able to rack up yards after the catch and shrug off would-be tacklers.
Reid’s scheme is all about attacking the soft spots in zone defense, which Lemon is better at than anyone in this draft. He can also beat man-to-man coverage consistently, something the Chiefs have been missing since Tyreek Hill's departure. Lemon will most likely be available at No. 9, putting the ball in the Chiefs' court.
Round 2 - Chris Bell - 21 years old - Louisville
Chris Bell has quickly turned into “my guy” over the course of this draft process. He’d be another great fit in the Chiefs offense as a bigger X-type receiver at 6’2”, 220 lbs who can win on the outside. Through 11 games in 2025, Bell was on pace for 1,000 yards before an ACL tear ended his season and scared some teams off of drafting him on day one.
Bell took a real step forward in his senior year, elevating to a more possession-type receiver and a red-zone threat at his size. He glides to the second level and can outmaneuver most defensive backs to the top of his route. Beating press-man coverage has been a challenge, as Bell lacks route refinement and first-step speed of a first-round receiver, but once he gets going, it’ll take two or three guys to bring him down.
If the Chiefs don’t address the receiver position in the first round, Bell is an awesome round two target, provided that his rehab is on track, something the Chiefs no doubt checked on when they brought Bell in for a top-30 visit just days ago.
Round 3 - Skyler Bell - 23 years old - UCONN
At 6’0”, 190 lbs, Skyler Bell has good size and elite athleticism, scoring a 9.71 out of 10 RAS (Relative Athletic Score), running a 4.40 40-yard dash, and recording a 41-inch vertical jump at the combine. Bell is a late breakout player, which is why he’s going late mid-to-late day two, but what a breakout it was. In his two years at Connecticut after transferring from Wisconsin, Bell produced over 150 receptions for nearly 2,200 yards and 18 TDs. While the level of competition was nowhere near what he’ll see in the NFL, stats don’t lie, especially if Bell is paired with an all-world quarterback in Mahomes.
Bell is not small by any means, but not overly towering, giving him inside/outside versatility with field-stretching speed. Bell has lightning-quick feet, along with really good hip fluidity and deceiving shoulder movement that makes defenders second-guess each move he makes. Much like Lemon, Bell is very solid after the catch and threatens on all three levels. If there were one glaring flaw in his game, it would be an inconsistency in his snap-to-snap effort, which correlates with him losing the majority of 50-50 balls.
Round 4 - Ja’Kobi Lane - 21 years old - USC
I must have an affinity for USC receivers this year, as Ja’Kobi Lane is one of my favorite early-day three-dart throws at receiver. He’s 6’4”, 200 lbs with 4.47 40-yard dash speed and consistent downfield production to prove he can do it in the big league. Lane played all three of his college years in Southern California, taking a massive step each season. In 11 games in 2025, Lane produced over 700 yards with an average of 15.2 yards per catch, following an impressive 12 TD campaign in 2024.
He possesses impressive ball skills, helping make Lane a matchup nightmare, especially deep in the red zone. He’s got a massive catch radius with 32.6-inch arms and hands like mitts at 10.5 inches. He struggles to tempo his routes at varying speeds. This is largely because he is skinny and cannot fight through contact very well. Kansas City did give Tyquan Thornton a two-year extension earlier this offseason to be the team’s main downfield threat, and it’s a veteran Lane can shadow and learn from.
Round 5 - Kevin Coleman Jr. - 22 years old - Missouri
A wideout without a home could be used to describe Kevin Coleman Jr., as he played at four different schools across his college career. Coleman began his career at Jackson State and worked his way up, playing two years in the SEC at Mississippi State and Missouri, where he accounted for a combined 140 catches and over 1,600 yards. He’s a slot-only receiver at just 5’10”, 180 lbs.
Coleman has good route tempo and is really pristine in running his routes to get other guys open on the field through stacks, rubs, and picks. He tracks the ball well downfield with 4.49 speed and has good hands and toughness to see the play through. Coleman would best serve the Chiefs in a gadget-type role, similar to what Mecole Hardman provided them for years, but not nearly as speedy. He’d be a fun flyer to take a chance on and a good backup for Xavier Worthy’s role.
Round 6 - Eric McAlister - 23 years old - TCU
I might be reaching, thinking McAlister would be available in the sixth round, but if he is, I wouldn’t mind Kansas City trading up to grab him. After three seasons at Boise State, McAlister transferred to TCU and flourished in Big 12 play. He averaged 18 yards per catch with over 1,900 yards and 15 TDs. His game is downfield, vertical, field-stretching, and McAlister is darn good at it.
He’s got nearly 33-inch arms at 6’4” and a slender 195 lbs. His speed is more noticeable when he can get into his second gear, but he could do a much better job of playing through contact and really muscling up for those 50-50 balls. Much like Lane, McAlister has room to grow when it comes to route-running, footwork, and pad level, but could learn a lot behind a guy like Thornton.
Round 7 - Zavion Thomas - 22 years old - LSU
Zavion Thomas, I’m sure intrigues Andy Reid with nothing other than one thing. Speed. He was one of just two receivers at this year's combine to run a sub-4.3-second 40-yard dash, clocking in at a blazing 4.28. Like most late-day three picks, Thomas won’t make it as a pure receiver; he’ll need to contribute on special teams to make any 53-man roster.
In that case, it’s a good thing he was a freshman All-American punt returner at Mississippi State in 2022 and a third-team All-SEC kick returner at LSU in 2024, ranking second in the FBS with 699 return yards. Scripted touches on offense and special teams opportunities galore, next to second-year running back Brashard Smith could prove meaningful if Brett Veach decides he wants to revitalize the “Legion of Zoom.”
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