The Kansas City Chiefs will have much to prove in 2022.
They will try to remain one of the AFC’s elite teams even without Tyreek Hill.
Patrick Mahomes has a 4-1 record playing without the All-Pro wideout.
However, the grind of the 17-game regular season is long, and they need constant production from their receiving corps to reach the playoffs.
Kansas City’s streak of consecutive AFC Championship Games will be in jeopardy if they falter.
For that reason, the team is back in their laboratory practicing routes and throws.
Back in the lab. pic.twitter.com/h9U8A7TYrE
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 23, 2022
The Chiefs’ Twitter account showed photos of Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Josh Gordon, and Mecole Hardman conducting offseason workouts.
Aside from those players, Kansas City also brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy hope that those reinforcements are enough to address the void Hill left.
In that case, Kelce will be even more involved on offense.
But if that’s not enough, the Chiefs could add talent through the 2022 NFL Draft.
Draft Flexibility For The Chiefs
The Chiefs have 12 total picks, including two in each of the first four rounds.
They own the 29th and 30th overall selections in round one.
However, a formidable team like Kansas City won’t need that many picks.
Therefore, they could swap some of their selections to move up the draft order.
That way, they can get one of the top prospects in the vast wideout pool.
Giving Mahomes another target helps them compete within their division.
Otherwise, they might not even survive the AFC West, given the upgrades made by each team.
Aside from wide receiver, the Chiefs must also get a safety to replace Tyrann Mathieu.
After finishing 27th in passing yards allowed per game (251.4) last season, it is an urgent need.
NEXT: Chiefs May Look To Dump Some 2022 Draft Picks