Feb 19, 2015; Indianapolis; Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess speaks to the media at the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
INDIANAPOLIS – Chiefs general manager John Dorsey addressed the media Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
While Dorsey touched on a variety of subject, an area of need deserves special attention as the Chiefs prepare for the NFL Draft.
“I think this draft class, the receiver position, I think there is some depth there,” Dorsey said. “They are very similar to the draft class of last year, but I think the overall depth of this speaks volumes. There’s players to be had in this draft class that can help contribute.”
The Chiefs are in the market to bolster the wide receiver position after last season. Gone are Donnie Avery and A.J. Jenkins, and no Chiefs wide receiver scored a touchdown or had 800 yards receiving.
With holes to fill, the Chiefs have been busy looking at wide receivers in Indianapolis. A trio of receivers are confirmed as having talked to or are set to talk to the team and these aren’t small players.
Michigan’s Devin Funchess measured 6-4, 232 pounds, arguably the size of a tight end, but he left no doubt how he sees himself.
“I see myself as a ballplayer,” he said.
Funchess, whom CBSSports.com and NFLDraftScout.com projects as a first-round pick, said he met with the Chiefs Wednesday night.
He is aware no Chiefs wide receiver found the end zone in 2014, but he is more concerned about what he can contribute to an NFL team in 2015.
“I was at Michigan last year,” Funchess said. “I got four last year, so I’m trying to make my impact this year and do better than what I did.”
Funchess finished his career at Michigan with 126 catches for 1,715 yards and 15 touchdowns.
UNLV’s Devante Davis measures 6-3, 220 pounds and said he has experience playing in spread, pro-style and pistol offenses from his time in college.
Davis, who projects as a late-round draft pick, produced 186 catches for 2,785 yards and 22 touchdowns at UNLV. He pointed out his experience in different schemes shows he can learn quickly.
“I feel like you just get in an offense and learn it,” Davis said “Once you learn it, you can kind of adapt to it. It doesn’t take me a long time to adapt to an offense seeing I had three different coordinators and three different offenses in four years. It doesn’t take me that long to adjust to an offense.”
Davis said he is scheduled for a Thursday night formal interview with the Chiefs.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are scheduled to meet with former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, who measured 6-5, 237 pounds at the Combine.
“Physically, we think he has all the gifts in the world,” Dorsey said of the former Tiger. “We’ve all admired him, all of us who have been in the state of Missouri and the Kansas City area, have seen him afar, have admired his physical traits. I think now what people want to do is get a feel for him as a person, see where he is at this state. Just see where he is, that’s what we are doing. We will be meeting him in the next couple days and I look forward to it.”
Green-Beckham didn’t play last season at Oklahoma, where he transferred after being kicked off the Missouri team following accusations of violence against women.
The highly-touted draft prospect faced the media for the first time since leaving Missouri.
“I’m disappointed in myself for the mistakes Missouri,” Green-Beckham said. “I wish I could have still finished out there, still been a home guy, stayed in Missouri. I regret all the mistakes I’ve done.”
The good news is Green-Beckham, who posted 87 catches for 1,278 yards and 17 touchdowns in three years at Missouri, will have a chance at least impress the Chiefs when the two side meet and show he is worth the risk.
The Chiefs, of course, have the 18th overall pick in the NFL Draft and can go a variety of directions with the selection.
But wide receiver is apparently on the radar.
