Kansas City Chiefs 7-Round 2022 Mock Draft: A Tyreek Hill Replacement
By Hunter Haas
The Kansas City Chiefs sent shockwaves across the league on Wednesday by trading superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for five draft picks over the next two years. Who will the team bring in to replace the All-Pro talent?
The Kansas City Chiefs surprised many on Wednesday by trading one of the best players in the NFL, Tyreek Hill, to the Miami Dolphins. In return, Miami sent back a slew of picks including a first (No.29 overall), a second (No.50 overall), and a fourth (No.121 overall) in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. They also threw in a few day-three picks in 2023 as a sweetener of sorts.
The day started quietly, that was until rumblings of a Hill trade made their way to Twitter. Ian Rapoport tweeted of this possibility shortly after 11 AM ET, and nearly an hour later it came to fruition. After mulling over trade offers from the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, the Chiefs were left at the mercy of whatever decision Hill made.
That decision: South Beach. This actually worked out best for the player and team both, considering the Jets’ offer did not include a first-round pick (though their offer of No.35 and No.38 overall in round two was more than competitive). The Dolphins drafted Jaylen Waddle in last years’ draft, and now they add a guy that Waddle drew comparisons to coming out of college.
The biggest reason for the break up in Kansas City is thought to be money related. Tyreek was looking for a monster extension, and after weighing their options, the Chiefs decided that acquiring draft capital and spending the cap space elsewhere was the best move. Miami gladly extended Hill, to the tune of $120 million over four seasons. When you add that to the year left on his deal, the speedster is tied to the Dolphins through the 2026 season.
Kansas City Chiefs 2022 Mock Draft: Finding More Speed At WR
So what is next for Andy Reid and the boys? The team now sits with 12 total picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, with six of those selections coming within the first three rounds. It’s not a secret that the Chiefs roster needs to be revamped a bit. As good as Patrick Mahomes is, he can’t win a Super Bowl all by himself.
In this seven-round mock draft, I do my best to add as much talent to the roster, while also weighing the needs of the team. The best player available strategy is always what I lean towards, and that won’t change here for the Kansas City Chiefs. They need to upgrade certain spots on the roster, but with this many picks they should be able to mix the positional needs into their “best player available” approach.