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The Kansas City Chiefs signed Washington Huskies WR Andre Baccellia as one of their 18 undrafted free agent signings.
His path to Kansas City was a unique one.
In a typical pre-draft process, Baccellia’s blazing 4.28 40-yard dash would have earned recognition and interest across the NFL. It was just a second shy of the time that No. 12 overall draft pick Henry Ruggs III ran at the combine. Baccellia’s filmed pro day, done in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, didn’t have the same effect.
“It’s not the same as having 32 scouts there,” Baccellia told Ventura County Star reporter Joe Curley.
While 32 scouts weren’t in attendance for Baccellia’s pro day, it was still enough to draw the interest of the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs. It follows that line of thinking that Las Vegas Raiders GM Mike Mayock hammered home after the draft.
“Let’s be honest, the entire league is chasing the Kansas City Chiefs,” said Mayock. “But we’re in the same division. They keep getting faster and more athletic, more dynamic every time you turn around. Other teams have to do the same.”
The 5-foot-10 and 175-pound Baccellia adds yet another dynamic player with elite speed to the Chiefs’ ever-growing arsenal. His production wouldn’t necessarily tell you that, catching 29 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns as a senior with the Huskies. But the production also wouldn’t tell you that Chiefs’ second-round pick Willie Gay Jr. is an elite athlete. Kansas City had to do their homework, looking at Baccellia’s entire body of work, including his virtual pro day.
At the end of the day that interest the Chiefs showed mattered. Because when the Jacksonville Jaguars came calling during the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft, Baccellia opted to wait and sign with the Chiefs. He received a better contract and what he felt was a better opportunity.
“There’s a lot of speed on that team and I want to contribute to that,” Baccellia told the VC Star of joining the Chiefs.
Sure enough, in a league that now covets speed and finds itself chasing the Chiefs, Baccellia will get his chance to contribute as a part of a speedy wide receiver group in Kansas City.
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