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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
Pick | Team | Player | Position | School |
1 | Houston Texans | Blake Bortles | QB | Central Florida |
2 | St. Louis Rams | Jadeveon Clowney | DE | South Carolina |
3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Khalil Mack | OLB | Buffalo |
4 | Cleveland Browns | Johnny Manziel | QB | Texas A&M |
5 | Oakland Raiders | Sammy Watkins | WR | Clemson |
6 | Atlanta Falcons | Greg Robinson | OT | Auburn |
7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Mike Evans | WR | Texas A&M |
8 | Minnesota Vikings | Teddy Bridgewater | QB | Louisville |
9 | Buffalo Bills | Jake Matthews | OT | Texas A&M |
10 | Detroit Lions | Justin Gilbert | CB | Oklahoma State |
11 | Tennessee Titans | Aaron Donald | DT | Pittsburgh |
12 | New York Giants | Eric Ebron | TE | North Carolina |
13 | St. Louis Rams | Ha Ha Clinton-Dix | S | Alabama |
14 | Chicago Bears | Darqueze Dennard | CB | Michigan State |
15 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Anthony Barr | OLB | UCLA |
16 | Dallas Cowboys | Timmy Jernigan | DT | Florida State |
17 | Baltimore Ravens | Taylor Lewan | OT | Michigan |
18 | New York Jets | Odell Beckham, Jr. | WR | LSU |
19 | Miami Dolphins | Zack Martin | OT | Notre Dame |
20 | Arizona Cardinals | Dee Ford | DE/OLB | Auburn |
21 | Green Bay Packers | C.J. Mosley | ILB | Alabama |
22 | Philadelphia Eagles | Brandin Cooks | WR | Oregon State |
23 | Kansas City Chiefs | Marqise Lee | WR | USC |
Stay tuned this afternoon as Brendan breaks down the Bengals' pick at 24th overall.