The 2014 Kansas City Chiefs season is one that will go down in history, though certainly not for some manner of highly commendable feat achieved or preseason promise delivered upon.
No, the Chiefs season will forever live in infamy thanks to the fact that Kansas City somehow managed to go an entire NFL season without a single member of their wide receiver corps catching a touchdown.
While the Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid have already shored up their wide receiver room to a certain extent by adding former Philadelphia Eagles de facto No. 1 wideout and one-time Reid draft pick, Jeremy Maclin, on a five-year, $55 million contract, the 2015 NFL Draft may potentially provide further reinforcements for the position.
"Ex-#Mizzou WR Dorial Green-Beckham is visiting the #Chiefs today, source said. Could be an ideal landing spot at No. 18," reported Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Whether last season's wide receiver failure was a product of the Chiefs quarterback play - Alex Smith is certainly a good player now that he's under Reid, but won't be confused for Tom Brady or Peyton Manning anytime soon - or the moribund nature of the 2014 iteration of Kansas City pass-catchers - Dwayne Bowe hauled in just 60 receptions for 754 yards, A.J. Jenkins managed just nine receptions for 93 yards and Donnie Avery had all of 15 receptions for 176 yards - is certainly up for debate, but there's no questioning the fact that fresh blood is needed at the wide receiver spot (coincidentally - or not - all three wideouts have joined new NFL franchises this offseason).
Green-Beckham is considered by many to be the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft. He's uber-talented and has the size - 6-foot-5, 237-pounds - and skill set to dominate at the NFL level.
He also comes with a plethora of off-the-field issues though, including two arrests for marijuana possession, and concerns over the raw nature of his route running and overall play.
Green-Beckham, of course, spent two seasons at nearby Missouri - which also happens to be Maclin's alma mater - before being kicked off the squad for his consistent transgressions. He transferred to Oklahoma but was ruled ineligible and never suited up for the Sooners.
The Mizzou coaching staff did allow him to take part in the Tigers Pro Day - something NFL scouts and coaches will likely look favorably upon.
For a player like Green-Beckham, who possesses all the physical tools to be a great NFL wide receiver, there may be no better situation than to land with the Chiefs - he'd have an immediate mentor with close, personal ties in Maclin - and one who understands his family situation well - a head coach in Reid known for his propensity to treat his players like sons and the chance to remain close to home and his family.
Whether value and need will match up for the Chiefs and Green-Beckham on draft day later this month remains to be seen, but there's no doubting that an offense consisting of Green-Beckham, Maclin, De'Anthony Thomas, Travis Kelce, Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis would be formidable, to say the least.
