The Kansas City Chiefs have hit on many draft picks since general manager Brett Veach took over in 2018. Among those successes include Trent McDuffie, Isiah Pacheco, Trey Smith, and many more. That said, Veach has had some costly misses in the draft too.
This includes his first ever pick, 2018 defensive end Breeland Speaks. His only season in the NFL was his rookie season in 2018. During that campaign, he recorded only 24 tackles, three TFLs, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
A pick later, wide receiver Christian Kirk was selected by the Arizona Cardinals. In hindsight, Kansas City could have used another receiver besides Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce instead of selecting Speaks. Luckily, Veach has a chance to right that wrong this offseason as the Jacksonville Jaguars released Kirk on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter.
Jaguars plan to release veteran WR Christian Kirk, per source. pic.twitter.com/h5zYXuUElD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2025
Brett Veach Should Consider Signing Christian Kirk This Offseason
Kirk has been a solid receiver throughout his career. During his four seasons with the Cardinals, Kirk recorded 256 receptions on 398 targets for 2,901 yards and 17 touchdowns. His best season with Arizona came in 2021 when he recorded 73 receptions on 103 targets for 982 yards and five touchdowns.
Although he had yet to break 1,000 yards in a season, the Jaguars gave Kirk a four-year contract worth $72 million during the 2022 offseason to be their No.1 receiver. The then 26-year-old had his best production in 2022, recording 84 receptions on 133 targets for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns.
Unfortunately, in the past two years, Kirk has been limited to 20 games due to injury. Across those 20 games, he has recorded 84 receptions on 132 targets for 1,166 yards and four touchdowns. Besides touchdowns, which isn’t always the best measurable stat for success, Kirk has produced similar numbers over the last two seasons as he did in his first.
Nonetheless, given Kirk’s injury luck over the last two seasons, his market is likely to be down from what it was in 2022. As a result, Veach and the Chiefs have the perfect opportunity to right the wrong that was made in the 2018 draft.
