The Chiefs have their core trio — running back Kareem Hunt, receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce — to help second-year starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but there’s still room for improvement on offense.
Fortunately there are a pair of receivers entering the 2018 draft who have both caught passes from Mahomes: Texas Tech WRs Keke Coutee and Dylan Cantrell.
Coutee, who measured at 5-foot-10 and 181 pounds and ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the combine, played with Mahomes in 2015 and 2016. As expected, Coutee loved playing with Mahomes at Texas Tech.
“Oh man, it was phenomenal,” Coutee said Friday. “Pat’s a great guy and now he has a starting job with the Chiefs which is something I’d expect. He’s a great guy to play for. I enjoyed playing with him.”
Cantrell, who measured at 6-foot-3 and 226 pounds and ran a 4.59, played with Mahomes at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016, but their relationship runs deeper than college.
“We actually went to high school together,” Cantrell said Friday. “So we’ve known each other, we played on the same little league baseball teams when we were eight and nine years old. So we’ve known each other for as long as I can remember.
“He’s a very talented and great athlete. His playmaking ability is nothing like I’ve ever seen from anyone else. I think he fell into the perfect situation (with the Chiefs). The perfect spot for him. I know they’re excited to have him and they see him as having a huge upside. He’s gonna be the guy to lead that team, that offense … I’m excited to watch him.”
As far as Mahomes’ future goes, Cantrell has high expectations for the Chiefs QB.
“I think (he’s ready),” Cantrell said. “Having spoken to him recently, I know he learned a lot this first year being behind Alex Smith, learning how to be a pro, (spending) a year in the offense and learning that system. His playmaking ability, when the play falls apart and the pocket collapses, he somehow finds a way to make a big play, escape and throw it down field or run for it. I think Chiefs fans can expect a lot of big plays from him.
“He’s a competitor. Me and him are a lot alike in that way. You’d think when we were playing ping-pong that it’s the Super Bowl or something. He wants to win at no matter what he’s doing. That definitely helps him on the football field.”
It’s worth noting that both of these receivers met with Kansas City at the combine. Could the Chiefs add one (or both) of Mahomes’ former teammates?
It surely shouldn’t be ruled out. Cantrell fits the bill as a big-bodied, sure-handed receiver. The Chiefs have been going after those types of receivers since last year. You also can’t overlook chemistry, and Mahomes and Cantrell would certainly have that since they’ve known each other for so long.
Coutee would fit the bill as a speedy receiver who could fill the role that Albert Wilson might leave behind. Coutee was very productive in his final year at Tech, snagging 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also added 315 yards and one touchdown as a kick returner, bringing another element to his game that K.C. could utilize.