An In-Depth Look at Chiefs' Most Intriguing Selection, James O'Shaughnessy

The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the 2015 NFL draft by grabbing one of this year's top cornerback prospects in Washington's Marcus Peters. On Day 2, the team addressed needs by adding Missouri guard/center prospect Mitch Morse and Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley.

Like most teams, the Chiefs spent the final four rounds of the draft scooping up depth players, potential special teams contributors and developmental prospects who may or may not even make the final roster.

The thing is, somewhere in Kansas City's Day 3 draft haul is a prospect with some intriguing potential.

We're talking about former Illinois State tight end James O'Shaughnessy, selected with the 37th pick in the fifth round (No. 173 overall).

Unlike a lot of fifth-round NFL draft picks, O'Shaughnessy has the potential to make an immediate impact for his new offense, which might seem a little surprising considering the Chiefs already have a solid tight end in Travis Kelce (862 yards and five touchdowns in 2014).

The reason O'Shaughnessy can make an immediate impact in the Chiefs offense is because there is room for him to do so. Last season, Kelce paired with tight end Anthony Fasano to form Kansas City's one-two punch at the position.

To get an idea of just how often the Chiefs utilized two-tight end sets in 2014, consider that Fasano was credited with 13 starts. Kelce had 11.

40-Yard Dash	4.68s
Vertical Jump	35"
Broad Jump	9'5"
Short Shuttle	4.48s
3-Cone Drill	7.26s
225-Pound Bench Press	16 Reps

According to Pro Football Focus, Kelce logged 688 snaps last season. Fasano logged 678.

Fasano, however, is now a Tennessee Titan, so there is room for O'Shaughnessy to step in and become Kelce's complement.

Of course, an opportunity wouldn't be enough for O'Shaughnessy to make an impact if he didn't also have the physical talent to do so.

O'Shaughnessy is a stout 6'4", 245-pound tight end with all the physical skills of a future NFL pass-catcher. He ran an impressive 4.68-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, which is fast for a tight end. Kelce, by comparison, ran the 40 in 4.61 seconds at his pro day according to NFLDraftScout.com.

His skills translated into production at the collegiate level, though 2014 was O'Shaughnessy's only real standout season. That year, he amassed 544 yards and nine touchdowns on just 29 receptions. For his career at Illinois State, though, he averaged 17.5 yards per reception.

	Games Played	Receptions	Yards	Touchdowns
2011	10	5	76	2
2012	13	19	403	3
2013	11	14	147	0
2014	12	29	544	9

This should give you an idea of what kind of downfield threat he can be at the tight end position.

Bleacher Report Lead NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller wrote the following of O'Shaughnessy in his predraft analysis:

"

O’Shaughnessy has plus-speed for his size (6’4”, 245 lbs) and works well off the line of scrimmage. More impressive is his agility, which helps him avoid pressure at the line and fight through traffic at the next level. He’s a clean catcher with soft hands, great concentration and a feel for timing when the ball is in the air. He can be a downfield threat and will be a jump-ball weapon in the end zone.

"

The downside with O'Shaughnessy is that he is a bit raw as a blocker and as a route-runner. However, he is incredibly fast off the line, and he has outstanding hands and ball skills. 

This is why the Chiefs wanted him.

“What jumps out is he’s got some speed and big-play ability,” Chiefs scout Terry Delp said of O'Shaughnessy, per Tod Palmer of The Kansas City Star. “He averaged 18 yards per catch, which is really unusual for a tight end. Really good hands, very competitive, very tough kid. He’s got run-after-the-catch instincts too.”

For the Chiefs, those skills should translate into more production in the passing game. Though O'Shaughnessy still needs to work on his blocking, expect him to be brought in often in two-tight end sets along with Kelce to serve in a pass-catching capacity.

While serving in this role, O'Shaughnessy will also have an opportunity to learn from Kelce about how to become a more complete tight end. According to BJ Kissel of KCChiefs.com, this is a prospect that the rookie is excited about:

This should add an interesting dynamic to a Chiefs passing attack that now also includes Jeremy Maclin, Conley and seventh-round pick Da'Ron Brown.

Add in Jamaal Charles and the destructive Kansas City ground attack, and you have a potent offense that looks a lot more dangerous than it did even a few days ago.

Expect an unheralded fifth-round rookie to play a big role in the change.