KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs made their second trade of the day and fourth trade of the draft to move up into the fourth round and acquire Michigan wide receiver Jehu Chesson.
The Chiefs traded with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire Michigan WR Jehu Chesson with the No. 139th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
Chiefs area scout Pat Sperduto praised his size, speed and toughness.
“He has excellent hands, that’s the other thing,” Sperduto said. “That’s probably his strong suit. If the ball is in his catch radius, he’s going to get it.”
Sperduto said Chesson’s size and physical skills blend well with playing agains the press and on special teams.
“He’s such a strong kid,” Chesson said. “That’s why he’s a gunner too, because he’s so good against press.”
The 6-3, 204-pound Chesson caught 35 passes for 500 yards with two touchdowns last season.
That marked a drop off from his junior season when he posted 766 yards and nine touchdowns on 50 receptions, during which he won team MVP honors. Chesson sustained a knee injury in the 2015 Citrus Bowl, which kept him out of offseason workouts before his senior season.
That impacted his ability to build chemistry with new Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight, but Sperduto sees no ill effects from the injury.
“He ran great,” Sperduto said. “This kid’s going to bring a lunch pail. He’s not a prima donna wide receiver.”
Chesson attended Ladue Horton Watkins High School in the St. Louis area. He was two years old when his family escaped war-torn Liberia, and 5 years old when his family settled in St. Louis.
“I thank my family because without my old man coming over and kind setting the base for my family and I to build upon — we really wouldn’t have had the opportunity.”
Track was his first love, and he did not play football until the eighth grade. He developed quickly, however, earning three-star recognition from Rivals.com and ranking as the 11th best recruit in Missouri in 2012.
Sperduto also praised Chesson’s attitude and intelligence. The 23-year-old received his master of management from Michigan’s Ross School of Business on Friday. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
“He’s lined up everywhere for them, so he’s smart,” Sperduto said. “There’s not going to be any issues when it comes the intelligence part of it. That probably helps the coaching staff to know that this guy can play a bunch of spots.”
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Matt Derrick is the lead beat writer for ChiefsDigest.com. Use the contact page to reach him or find him on Twitter: @MattDerrick.
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