Whereas large receiver has been among the many Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ important wants in latest seasons, the emergence of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy as younger constructing blocks has decreased this want for 2025.
However within the coming NFL Draft, the Chiefs must be searching for skillsets that fill the gaps inside their large receiver group. Rice and Worthy are slot-oriented gamers who can use beneath targets to create explosive performs; they’re primarily going to win on horizontal routes as an alternative of downfield routes.
To enhance them, the workforce wants an out of doors receiver who can stretch the sector vertically — and win — on the sidelines. That is the function Marquez Valdes-Scantling stuffed for the Chiefs, so it gained’t essentially be a participant accessible within the draft’s early rounds.
A Day 3 large receiver who has this sort of skillset is Virginia Tech’s Da’Quan Felton. Right here’s what you might want to learn about him.
Background
Popping out of Churchland Excessive College in Portsmouth, Virginia in 2019, Felton was a zero-star recruit with only one Energy-5 supply: Indiana. He dedicated to Norfolk State, the place he was redshirted — and when COVID hit in 2020, his season was canceled. When Felton lastly began taking part in in 2021, he recorded 492 yards — after which 573 yards in 2022, when he was second-team All-MEAC.
Shifting on to Virginia Tech, he caught 38 passes for 667 yards and eight touchdowns. However in his last season, he collected simply 32 catches, 360 yards and two touchdowns.
The 24-year-old Felton checked into the NFL Scouting Mix at 6 toes 4 and 213 kilos, with 32 1/4-inch arms and 9-inch fingers. He ran a decent 4.5-second 40-yard sprint — with a 1.57-second 10-yard cut up — and at his Professional Day, he improved his vertical bounce to 35 inches.
Movie analysis
In Virginia Tech’s offense — a really restricted passing scheme with a comparatively untalented quarterback — Felton largely ran downfield routes like Go or Submit. And since he was usually used as a decoy to clear area, he didn’t get many targets.
On movie — the place he’s usually remoted because the X receiver, tasked with stretching the sector — he exhibits some means to separate from defenders. He makes use of his lengthy legs to construct velocity, get on prime of cornerbacks and provides the quarterback a throwing window.
Sadly, his quarterback simply couldn’t hit that window fairly often.
Whereas Felton didn’t play beneath very a lot, he did present some means to win towards zone protection on fast outs, cease routes or digs over the center of the sector.
Since I’d estimate effectively over half his routes went downfield, Felton’s greatest weak point is a really restricted route tree. Whereas I feel a few of this may be attributed to the Hokies’ quarterback, he’s nonetheless a restricted route runner. As a long-legged athlete with stiffness considerations whereas making an attempt to throttle down, he’s not prone to have an outsized function within the NFL.
How he matches with the Chiefs
If Kansas Metropolis acquires Felton, his function can be to stretch the sector on vertical routes. The Chiefs would put him on the again facet of performs and let him win on the sideline — and with Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball, I imagine he would pop extra usually. He does have reputable velocity — and he does get open downfield. This might free the workforce to go away the normal routes to Rice, Worthy and tight finish Travis Kelce — whereas Felton replaces Valdes-Scantling (or Justin Watson) as a downfield route-runner.
The underside line
Don’t get me fallacious: Felton is a restricted participant. The proof comes from his lack of manufacturing. Within the NFL, he’ll have one function: as an out of doors vertical route-runner — the place I feel he’s underrated. He’s demonstrated he can get open. In a scaled-down function — with an actual quarterback throwing to him — I feel he could possibly be a helpful depth piece who also can play on particular groups.
