Chiefs trade up and take Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley with first of two third-round picks
The Chiefs finally addressed the wide receiver position in the NFL Draft — and they moved up to do it.
The Chiefs traded their third-round pick (80th overall) and sixth-round pick (193rd overall) to the Vikings for the rights to the 76th overall pick, and used the choice to select Georgia receiver Chris Conley.
Conley, a two-year starter who turns 23 this year, is a big at 6 feet 2 and 213 pounds. He opened eyes with a sterling combine performance in which he was among the top testers at his position in the 40-yard dash (4.35 seconds), bench press (18 reps of 225), vertical jump (45 inches) and broad jump (139 inches).
Conley also boasts long arms, at 33 3/4 inches, and has a large catch radius. He caught 36 passes for 657 yards — an impressive average of 18.2 yards per catch — and eight touchdowns in 2014.
With his size and athleticism, Conley could be an intriguing option as an outside receiver in Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s offense.
The Chiefs signed Jeremy Maclin to a five-year, $55 million deal during free agency to serve as their No. 1 receiver, but they also released longtime starter Dwayne Bowe.
Second-year pro Albert Wilson and veteran Jason Avant are also in the mix, along with De’Anthony Thomas, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond, Fred Williams, Armon Binns, Corbin Louis and Da’Rick Rogers.
The Chiefs selected cornerback Marcus Peters in the first round with the 18th overall pick. With their second-round pick Friday (49th overall), the Chiefs took Missouri offensive lineman Mitch Morse. They took Oregon State cornerback Steven Nelson with the 34th pick in the third round (98th overall) on Friday.
They have five picks remaining on the final day of the draft Saturday: No. 19 in the fourth round (118th overall), No. 36 and 37 in the fifth round (172nd and 173rd overall), No. 41 in the sixth round (217th overall) and No. 16 in the seventh round (233rd overall).
To reach Terez A. Paylor, call 816-234-4489 or send email to tpaylor@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @TerezPaylor.
Chiefs’ third-round pick
▪ WHO: Wide receiver Chris Conley
▪ PICK: Round three (76th overall)
▪ SCHOOL: Georgia
▪ HEIGHT: 6-2
▪ WEIGHT: 213 pounds
▪ COMBINE STATS: 33 3/4-inch arms. 9 7/8-inch hands. 4.35-second 40-yard dash. 18 bench reps. 45-inch vertical. 139-inch broad jump. 7.06-second three-cone drill. 4.30-second 20-yard shuttle.
▪ HOW HE FITS: Conley offers an outstanding size, speed combination and has the ceiling of a prototype "X" receiver in the West Coast offense. He needs to improve his route-running but he's a sharp kid with upside.
This story was originally published May 1, 2015 at 9:20 PM with the headline "Chiefs trade up and take Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley with first of two third-round picks."