Kansas City Chiefs: Post-Draft 53-Man Roster Prediction
By Shade Piper
Wide Receiver
Made the Cut: Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, Cody Thompson, Jamal Custis
Notable Snubs: Gehrig Dieter, Marcus Kemp, Felton Davis III
There are a few things to touch on here, first, two UDFA rookies making the 53-man roster over two returning players?! I think it’s possible and here’s why.
Neither Dieter nor Kemp really has much of any on-field experience (as a receiver anyway). Dieter is probably the most vulnerable to losing his spot. Yeah, it’s going to suck seeing one of Patrick Mahomes‘ best friends get cut, but if there are better options there are better options.
light. Related Story. Wide Receiver Depth Chart After Draft
Dieter will have to do more than just be buddies with Mahomes (no matter how much the Chiefs love Mahomes) to make the 53-man roster this season.
Kemp is the second most vulnerable, and there probably a slightly better chance he keeps his spot because losing him would mean losing one of Kansas City’s best special teams players.
Kemp would be a tough loss for the special teams unit, but Cody Thompson could be Kemp’s replacement in that area. He was excellent on special teams in college and should develop into much more of a receiving threat than Kemp.
Thompson, because of his combination of solid route running and stellar special teams abilities will likely be the first UDFA to make the team. Another UDFA, Jamal Custis, could potentially give the Chiefs a big end zone target, so he could find himself on the roster as well should both Kemp and Dieter be cut as I predict.
Felton Davis is a guy that I am really cheering for. Coming off a torn Achilles, he has his work cut out for him, but Davis has insane hands and could be a guy who makes Odell Beckham Jr-type catches in the future. It would not be surprising at all for Davis to come out of camp with a few “wow” plays that propels him to a roster spot.
The last thing you might have noticed is the number of wide receivers who are predicted to make the 53-man roster. Six or seven guys is pretty typical for the wide receiver position and normally I would stick to six, but while still kind of stuck in the unknown with Hill’s situation, I could see the Chiefs hanging onto an extra receiver just in case.