Tyreek Hill is no longer a Kansas City Chief.
Tyreek Hill is a Miami Dolphin.
Let that sink in.
The six-time Pro-Bowl wide receiver is on the move, heading from the Midwest to the South as part of a wild, seemingly out-of-left-field NFL trade that went down on Wednesday afternoon. The move sends Hill to Miami, where he’ll receive a four-year, $120 million extension, as the Dolphins send five draft picks to Kansas City.
Hill’s departure will undoubtedly leave a big hole in the Kansas City offense. Although, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the team is expected to add receivers in both the draft and free agency, which they’ve already begun attacking with the addition of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Here it is: The #Chiefs are trading six-time Pro Bowl WR Tyreek Hill to the #Dolphins, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.
The return is a first-round pick and more, while Hill gets a contract extension that puts him among the highest paid WRs in the NFL.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2022
There are a few big-name receivers left on the market, but none productive enough at this point in their careers to fill the void left behind — certainly not long-term. So, it looks as though there may be a stopgap or temporary “solution” in the receiver room while the Chiefs develop in the draft.
But if that’s the plan, KC could be in some trouble.
Developing in the draft would require hitting on the picks, which is something the Chiefs have failed to do when it comes to pass-catchers.
Here’s a look at the receivers they’ve drafted in recent years:
2021 – Cornell Powell (Round 5)
2019 – Mecole Hardman (Round 2)
2018 – Tremon Smith (Round 6)
2017 – Jehu Chesson (Round 4)
2016 – Demarcus Robinson (Round 4), Tyreek Hill (Round 5)
2015 – Chris Conley (Round 3), Da’Ron Brown (Round 7)
2012 – Devon Wylie (Round 4), Junior Hemingway (Round 7)
Tyreek Hill aside, I only see unimpactful receivers and a couple of mediocre ones. If you’re thinking “these aren’t premium picks,” well, the Chiefs took Jonathan Baldwin in the first round of the 2011 draft and Dexter McCluster in 2010’s second round. Baldwin played just 33 NFL games, and McCluster’s best NFL season amounted to two touchdowns.
Now, with picks No. 29, 30, 50 and 62 in Rounds 1 and 2 of this year’s draft, can we expect the Chiefs to find their next guy at the position? Will they hit a home run in the back half of the draft as they did with Hill? Time will tell, but history suggests that they likely won’t.
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