Arrowheadlines: Chiefs hosted prospect WR George Pickens for a visit

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A potential first round pick for the Chiefs?

NFL draft 2022 team needs and prospect fits: How all 32 rosters can improve, from quarterback to edge rusher and corner | ESPN

Kansas City Chiefs

Top needs: CB, WR, RT, DT, RB

Even as a perennial contender, the Chiefs have a long list of needs at the starter level. Losing cornerback Charvarius Ward to the San Francisco 49ers has left a big opening atop the depth chart. The same with the wide receiver position after trading Hill — even after adding JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

With two first-round picks, the Chiefs could target a wide receiver (Jahan Dotson) and starter on defense at either cornerback (Kaiir Elam, Andrew Booth Jr.) or defensive end (Boye Mafe). With six total picks in the top three rounds, GM Brett Veach needs to put together a 2022 draft class with each selection being a starter or high-level contributor. — Miller

Chargers’ disaster 2022 draft scenarios for each AFC West foe | Bolt Beat

The Kansas City Chiefs trade up for an elite wide receiver

Now, there is a very good chance that the Kansas City Chiefs will stay back with the 29th and 30th overall selections and simply take whoever falls to them. The Chiefs could take the best receiver on the board as well as land a talented defensive back like Daxton Hill to replace the losses the team has in the secondary.

That is still not a great scenario for the LA Chargers if the Chiefs hit on both of their picks. But as we see every year, there are always a few duds in the late-first, early-second round at the receiver position and there is a very real chance that the Chiefs land that dud.

There is also the chance that they could package the two picks to move up and get someone who is truly a WR1 and can instantly replace Tyreek Hill. If someone like Garrett Wilson falls a bit lower than teams are expecting, it would not be shocking to see Kansas City trade 29 and 30 to move up 15 or so spots to go and get him.

Prisco 2022 NFL Mock Draft: Jaguars pass on Aidan Hutchinson at No. 1, Saints take a shot at QB after trade | CBS Sports

Pick 29

Jahan Dotson WR

Kansas City

They need to find a replacement for Tyreek Hill, and Dotson would give them a nice speed threat. Nobody is Hill, but Dotson can run.

Herd Hierachy: Bills, Rams and Colin’s top 10 teams after free agency | Fox Sports

5. Kansas City Chiefs

2021 record: 12-5, lost in AFC Championship Game

Colin’s thoughts: ”Let’s slow down on the Kansas City Chiefs are done forever. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a deep threat, JuJu Smith-Schuster should be a 90-catch or 80-catch slot receiver, Justin Reid is a great safety. They still don’t generate a consistent pass rush in my opinion, but the offensive line will be better in Year 2. I’ve got [Patrick] Mahomes, I’ve got Andy Reid, I’ve got playmakers, I’m good.”

Around the NFL

Buffalo Bills, WR Stefon Diggs agree to four-year, $104M extension, sources say | ESPN

With two years remaining on his existing deal, Diggs’ contract now runs through 2027 at a total value of $124.1 million. Both the Bills and Diggs would like him to retire in Buffalo, sources said.

The agreement follows a wave of top wide receiver deals this offseason, making Diggs’ extension an inevitable conclusion for the Bills. New Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill received $72.2 million guaranteed, and Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams got $65 million guaranteed.

Dolphins CB Xavien Howard: Facing Tyreek Hill in practice ‘will get each other better’ | NFL.com

“I feel like we’ll get each other better,” the CB responded. “I played against him in college and in the league, so I just want to focus on getting each other better and that’s really it.”

A three-time Pro Bowler, Howard knows the additions will only help make the entire team better.

“Like I just told [head coach] Mike McDaniel, I said, ‘Man, I got to get my hammies right. Y’all got a lot of speed over there,’ so, you know, I’m excited about everything that’s going on around this building,” he said.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

To sign its draft class, the Chiefs will need less cap space than you think

How rookies count against the cap

When players are drafted — or when undrafted free agents (UDFA) are signed after the draft — they immediately count against the salary cap. But whether they are drafted with the first pick or are the last UDFA signed, all of these rookies initially go into the system at the same salary: $705,000. (Small detail: Some UDFAs may be paid relatively small signing bonuses, which also count against the cap).

But until the regular season begins, each team’s salary-cap space is calculated using only the 51 largest cap hits on its roster. So as a practical matter, this means that virtually none of these rookie contracts will reduce any team’s cap space — simply because any team’s 51st-largest cap hit is almost guaranteed to be more than $705,000. For example: at this writing, Kansas City’s 51st-highest cap hit is $895,000.

Of course, the newly-drafted players will eventually sign contracts for more than the league’s rookie minimum. Some (but not all) of those contracts will eventually be among the 51 highest cap hits. But until their contracts are signed, the drafted players will have no impact on the team’s cap space.

Teams don’t typically start signing these newly-drafted players until June — and they almost always do it in reverse order. It’s often well into July before the most-impactful rookie deals are signed.

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