Chiefs Proposed Draft Trade Lands ‘Nation’s Top WR’

Getty Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt at the 2023 NFL Combine.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II could probably use another weapon or two heading into the 2023 season.

As veteran options dry up around the league, the likelihood that KC finds their next big-time wide receiver in the NFL Draft increases. One emerging candidate is Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt — who just won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2022, presented to the most outstanding receiver in American college football.

NFL.com draft expert Chad Reuter even proposed that the Chiefs trade up with the Baltimore Ravens to land Hyatt, reasoning: “Opinions are mixed about Hyatt’s ability to become a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL, but the Chiefs’ offense will play to his strengths: gliding past defenders in the open field and weaving through traffic to make short passes into long gains.”

The proposed trade would send the following to Baltimore for Hyatt:

• Chiefs get No. 22 overall pick (Hyatt).
• Ravens get No. 31 overall pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick.

Reuter explained that the “Ravens dealt second- and fifth-round picks to the [Chicago] Bears for linebacker Roquan Smith last fall, so adding a third- and fourth-rounder from the Chiefs in this trade will help build depth.”

Charles Davis Sends Jalin Hyatt to Chiefs at No. 31

Hyatt could end up being a great fit for Kansas City, but would they have to trade up to get him?

Ex-NFL athlete turned television analyst Charles Davis shared Reuter’s opinion on Hyatt to the Chiefs in round one, although he mocked the playmaker to KC without making a trade. “A breakout season in 2022 earned him the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top WR,” Davis wrote. “With plenty of speed to rip the top off a defense, Hyatt allows Kansas City to put the long ball back in the game plan.”

After seeing what Reuter was willing to give up for Hyatt, getting the Tennessee product at No. 31 overall feels like a steal — but there’s a chance the promising talent doesn’t make it to the Chiefs at their current spot in the order. Is he worth spending three draft picks on? Or selecting first round in general?

That’s for general manager Brett Veach and his staff to decide, but keep in mind, he did trade up for cornerback Trent McDuffie last April. Moments like this are why the KC shot caller gets paid the big bucks.

Scouting Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt for Chiefs

NFL draft expert Lance Zierlein graded out Hyatt as a prospect with “boom-or-bust potential,” comparing the deep threat to DeSean Jackson as a wide receiver.

He scouted: “Long, slender wideout with deep speed that could force defensive coordinators to alter coverage considerations. Hyatt’s gliding gait disguises explosive acceleration that can lead to easy separation on deep throws. However, he does display inconsistency on contested catches comes. Hyatt is ordinary getting in and out of intermediate breaks and might be best with a limited route tree full of slants, crossers and a series of field-stretching patterns.”

Some of his greatest strengths, according to Zierlein, are his “top-end speed” and easy acceleration, but the expert also noted that the “run game will see lighter boxes out of [the] defense’s respect for his explosiveness.”

On the flip side, he feared Hyatt’s limited route tree and lack of NFL play strength. Zierlein added that the Tennessee “scheme created a variety of free releases for him.”

Overall, he concluded that “Hyatt is an instantly credible WR2 with the ability to make a huge impact, but production could be erratic due to the limitations of his game.”

Next Gen Stats also ranked Hyatt first for all 2023 wide receivers in terms of athleticism, and an unnamed NFC director of scouting told Zierlein that “he reminds me a lot of watching Will Fuller when he was healthy.”