NFL Draft rumors: Marqise Lee may not even make it to the Kansas City Chiefs pick

A pre-draft smokescreen?

Most 2014 NFL mock drafts out right now are linking the Kansas City Chiefs to USC WR Marqise Lee with the 23rd pick. But is it possible Lee isn't even available when the Chiefs come up to pick?

ESPN's Chris Mortensen said on ESPN this afternoon that people believe the Green Bay Packers will select Lee with the No. 21 pick, two spots ahead of the KC Chiefs.

The Chiefs and Packers are linked via Kansas City GM John Dorsey, who was previously in Green Bay with the Packers. We talked recently how it makes sense that the Chiefs and Packers might be targeting the same playersbecause their personnel staffs are so familiar with each other. So then, if we assume the Chiefs liked Lee, it's reasonable to believe the Packers do, too.

The other part of this is that Lee going before the Chiefs pick could mean another receiver falls. It's widely believed Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans are the top two receivers in the draft and will be picked in the top 10. Many others believe Odell Beckham Jr. will go in the top half of the first round.

That leaves Lee, Brandin Cooks, Kelvin Benjamin and Cody Latimer as the remaining potential first rounders with Lee possibly going to the Packers.

Cooks, who I love as a prospect, is often mocked to teams in the teens so it wouldn't be a shock if he were gone. But if he were there ... the Chiefs need to think long and hard about him. Among the second tier of receivers, Cooks is my favorite. From his insane production to his outstanding speed, he has a lot of what I like in a receiver.

GM John Dorsey is said to like his receivers like he does his corners -- large. Cooks is just 5'10 and 186 pounds so he does not qualify as large. But Cooks has also been compared to DeSean Jackson (before he's played a snap in the NFL, so ...), who was drafted by Andy Reid.

Mel Kiper's mock draft had Lee going to the Chiefs, Todd McShay's had him going No. 21 to the Packers and Mike Mayock has him going to the Chiefs.

Color me curious about this Lee report. Is this a smokescreen to get someone to move up for him?