Everything Chiefs fans need to know about Senior Bowl wide receivers after first day of practice
Even though the Kansas City Chiefs made their way to Super Bowl LVIII, there's little denying that the offense needs some work in the wide receiver room. Rookie WR Rashee Rice was the only consistently reliable player at the position group down the stretch. Most fans still expect the team to invest heavily in the […]
Even though the Kansas City Chiefs made their way to Super Bowl LVIII, there's little denying that the offense needs some work in the wide receiver room.
Rookie WR Rashee Rice was the only consistently reliable player at the position group down the stretch. Most fans still expect the team to invest heavily in the position in the 2024 NFL draft no matter the outcome of the Super Bowl. There's also the fact that Brett Veach has emphasized that you never hesitate when the opportunity arises to get Patrick Mahomes another weapon.
The Senior Bowl has often been a launching point for many players on the Chiefs' radar. That includes players like Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Rashee Rice, Wanya Morris, Chamarri Conner, and more.
With Day 1 of Senior Bowl practice in the books, here's all you need to know about this year's wide receiver group down in Mobile, Alabama.
Georgia WR Ladd McConkey beats everybody
There were plenty of standouts on the first day of Senior Bowl practice, but no receiver stood out more than Georgia WR Ladd McConkey. He tore up the 1-on-1 drills, creating separation on a variety of different routes. His suddenness was extremely difficult for cornerbacks to handle and anticipate without any sort of prep work.
The 22-year-old has a lot of weapons in his arsenal. At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, he's not going to overwhelm defenders with size, but he plays extremely tough as evidenced by that diving grab above. He's also not afraid to lower his pads and run through a defender once the ball is in his hands.
Most people think that McConkey will be available in the second round, but after the Senior Bowl, he might not make it out of Round 1.
USC WR Brenden Rice boasts impressive physicality
The son of Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice, USC WR Brenden Rice made it apparent that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree on Tuesday.
While other receivers won with speed and quickness, Rice won his reps with some serious physicality. He created separation and he scored twice on long touchdown receptions, but according to A to Z Sports' Travis May, he forced clear pass interference penalties both times as well.
Nuance and play strength is going to be the name of the game for Rice. He's unlikely to ever be a burner like some of the other wideouts down in Mobile, but he made himself some money by showcasing how he handles physical play from defensive backs.
Michigan WR Roman Wilson and Louisville WR Jamari Thrash have some burners
Speed and quickness were the name of the game for recent national champion, Michigan WR Roman Wilson, on Tuesday. The 5-foot-10 and 186-pound wide receiver was able to win vertical routes with great long speed, and he was able to win across the middle of the field with quickness. He was so elusive and shifty that a lot of defensive backs resorted to holding him.
"Roman was unstoppable," A to Z Sports' Mike Payton said.
As for Louisville WR Jamari Thrash, he also turned some heads with his speed, often running with purpose. He was extremely explosive off the line of scrimmage and separated from defensive backs at all levels of the field. His ball-tracking skills were on display often and didn't disappoint.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Thrash is a bit scrappy, too. He showed some grit to fight through contact at the catch point and gain some yards after the catch as well. There is no doubt that he helped himself with his Day 1 performance and if he can keep it up, he'll be a surefire riser along with a few others.
Florida's Ricky Pearsall, WKU WR Malachi Corley, and UCF's Javon Baker are also on the rise
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall feels like a forgotten man in a deep draft class. He caught just about everything thrown his way on Tuesday. It didn't matter if he was wide open from beating a receiver off the line of scrimmage or coming back to an underthrown ball. He broke a few ankles at the first practice of the week, putting defenders in serious conflict from the moment the ball was snapped. He also lost his balance on a snap against Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell.
At 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, WKU WR Malachi Corley has a sturdy build. In practice, he was able to beat defenders with quickness off the line of scrimmage, but he also fought through some physical press coverage attempts. He made himself some money today, especially after fighting through Rutgers CB Max Melton to make an acrobatic catch while falling to the ground.
When it comes to UCF's Javon Baker, he might not wow with his size or speed, but he's among the craftiest receivers in Mobile. The 6-foot-1 and 208-pound wideout has some elite quickness and juked a defender out of his cleats with an impressive head fake on Tuesday. He also had an outstretched touchdown grab thrown by Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with Notre Dame CB Cam Hart in coverage.
FSU WR Johnny Wilson might be a tight end at the next level
At 6-foot-6 and 237 pounds with an 84-inch wingspan, FSU WR Johnny Wilson is bigger than most tight ends in attendance at the Senior Bowl this year. His release off the ball is extremely impressive and cornerbacks struggled to get physical with him at the line of scrimmage.
"Wilson was a man amongst boys," A to Z Sports' Mike Payton said.
Wilson worked with the wide receivers and not the tight ends during practice on Tuesday. A to Z Sports' Travis May reports that Wilson alternated routes with Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott and operated from the slot a bunch during 1-on-1 drills. He might not know it yet, but his future in the NFL probably includes a move to the tight end position.
Questions remain about South Carolina WR Xavier Legette
At 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds, South Carolina's Xavier Legette is one of the physical specimens in Mobile. The first practice of the week seemed to confirm a lot of suspicions about his development cycle.
He made the switch from quarterback to wide receiver when he landed at South Carolina and it seems that he's still learning some of the nuances of the wide receiver position. He struggled with drops, route-running, and to create separation against defensive backs on Tuesday. He did have some nice reps winning deep, but quarterback play did not let him showcase it well.
A to Z Sports' Rob Gregson did add that Legette seemed to improve as practice went on. Maybe it's just a case of working out the first day of practice jitters.
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