The odds are in from the sportsbooks as to who will be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with the final pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. And surprise, surprise — they are projected to draft a wide receiver on day one.
According to Bookies.com, Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell is the odds-on favorite player to be selected by the two-time defending Super Bowl champions with the 32nd overall pick at +400 odds.
Oklahoma offensive tackle Taylor Guyton (+425), Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley and Arizona OT Jordan Morgan (+500), and Georgia WR Ladd McConkey (+650) follow Mitchell on the list of odds.
What to Know About Adonai Mitchell
After playing the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs, Mitchell transferred to Texas for the 2023 season — his final collegiate season. He went on to set collegiate career highs in catches (55), receiving yards (845), and receiving touchdowns (11) in his only season with the Longhorns, which put him on the NFL’s radar as a result.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 205 pounds, Mitchell has the size, speed, and ball skills needed to succeed in the NFL. However, his route-running and physicality need to be raised to a higher level if he’s going to become a reliable NFL starter.
Given his physical traits — which include running a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine — Mitchell is a potential first-round pick in what is a very talented and deep receiver class this year. And it just so happens that Mitchell’s abilities fit the mold for what Kansas City needs in its receiver room.
Mitchell has already shown an ability to be a very capable boundary receiver despite still needing to refine his game. So, Mitchell would add more size and playmaking outside the numbers to the Chiefs’ passing game, which already has tight end Travis Kelce and second-year wideout Rashee Rice.
As it currently stands, Kansas City’s WR room consists of Rice, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, Montrell Washington, Cornell Powell, Justyn Ross, Shi Smith, Anthony Miller, and Jacob Copeland.
Patrick Mahomes Impressed By Hollywood Brown’s ‘Hunger’
Speaking of Kansas City WRs — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasted no time connecting with his new pass catcher, receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, down in Texas.
Brown officially signed with the Chiefs on March 18, and Mahomes spoke about his impression of Brown so far while at the 101 Awards on March 22.
“I’ve been impressed by how hungry he’s been,” Mahomes said via PJ Green of Fox 4 in Kansas City. “You can tell he wants it — he wants to win. Obviously, he wants to do good, everybody wants to do good. But you can tell that he wants to be a part of something special — part of greatness.”
Brown is a receiver who is capable of playing out wide and in the slot, and can win at all three levels of the field but succeeds the most on intermediate and deep routes.
Per Matt Harmon of Reception Perception, the routes Brown had the highest success rate on during the 2023 season among the ones he ran the most were out routes (88.9%), post routes (81.5%), dig routes (79.5%), and curl routes (78%).
Kansas City’s offense struggled to consistently make plays downfield during the 2023 season. But head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy should be able to scheme Brown open downfield, which will help fix that issue in 2024.
