APC Mock Draft 2014: Kansas City Chiefs Pick WR Marqise Lee

On the clock today with the 23rd pick of the Acme Packing Company mock draft, I will be selecting a player on behalf of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Background

John Dorsey has led a remarkable turnaround in Kansas City in just one year. After a 2012 season which saw them finish 2-14 and earn the first overall pick in the 2013 draft, the Chiefs won nine more games in 2013 behind a completely new leadership team. Dorsey, the former Packers executive, took over as General Manager, and he brought in Andy Reid from Philadelphia and Alex Smith from San Francisco. An 11-5 record in 2013 got the Chiefs to a berth in the playoffs, where they put up one of the more memorable collapses in recent playoff history in their loss to the Colts.

Smith was steady if unspectacular for the Chiefs at quarterback last season; Jamaal Charles is quite the opposite, being a threat to go the distance on every play. The offensive line is solid, and the defense performed admirably in 2013, leading Kansas City to the AFC's second-best point differential. Where the Chiefs would really benefit in the first round is at the wide receiver position, where they have a big body in Dwayne Bowe but virtually nobody else. A versatile, speedy wideout would be ideal for Kansas City, who just saw Oregon State's Brandin Cooks go off the board one pick earlier in our mock draft.

With the 23rd pick, the Kansas City Chiefs select...

Player: Marqise Lee
Position: Wide Receiver
School: University of Southern California
Year: Junior

With this pick, the Chiefs add a very solid all-around receiver to the fold. The 5' 11-3/4" Lee had a bit of a down year in his Junior year thanks to some issues with his knees, but his skills are not in question. Lee is a great route-runner and he has good speed, talents which will get him on the field in Reid's offense. With Bowe on the field, the Chiefs don't necessarily need to look for a big red-zone target like Kelvin Benjamin. Instead, they can focus on finding a receiver with a more diverse set of skills who fits their offense well. Lee fits the bill.

Most college receivers could only dream of the year that Lee had as a Sophomore in 2012 - 118 receptions, 1,721 yards, and 14 touchdowns. A 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine cemented his stock as a late first-rounder, and this spot just makes sense for Lee.

Round One Summary

Stay tuned this afternoon as Brendan breaks down the Bengals' pick at 24th overall.