James O'Shaughnessy to Kansas City Chiefs: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The Kansas City Chiefs went into the 2015 NFL draft without a lot of needs on the defensive side of the football, which ranked second overall (17.6 points per game allowed).

However, the offense, which averaged just 318.8 yards per game (25th in the NFL), was in a position to receive an upgrade.

By now, everyone has heard about the fact that no Chiefs wide receiver hauled in a touchdown pass in 2014. Yet, the passing game was still functional due to the success Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith had throwing to backs and tight end.

The Chiefs added wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in free agency earlier in the offseason and drafted wide receiver Chris Conley of Georgia in Round 3. However, the team will still probably base much of its passing game on the backs and tight ends again this coming season.

Fortunately, the Chiefs may have grabbed a nice complementary piece for their offense on Saturday all the way down in the fifth round.

With the 173rd overall pick, the Chiefs snatched up former Illinois State tight end James O'Shaughnessy. What Kansas City gets in return is a big, quick and physical pass-catching tight end with more than enough potential to eventually develop into a complete player.

O'Shaughnessy has the athleticism to move around a formation and play multiple roles in the Chiefs offense. At 6'4" and 245 pounds, he has prototypical size for the position and he has better ball skills than many of the tight end prospects in this year's draft class.

His pass-catching skills were good enough, in fact, to put up 544 yards and nine touchdown on 29 receptions in 2014. He was named an All-Missouri Conference second-team selection this past season and he hauled in two touchdowns.

If the Chiefs were looking to add a solid No. 2 pass-catching tight end, they probably have found him.

Bleacher Report Lead NFL draft Analyst rated O'Shaughnessy 10th overall in his pre-draft tight end rankings and has the following to say about him:

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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 and how he can avoid pressure at the line of scrimmage and work 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 threat down the field and will be a jump ball weapon in the end zone.

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O'Shaughnessy ran an impressive 4.68-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, which suggests he has more than enough speed to get upfield and serve as a deep threat in the Kansas City offense. He also recorded a solid 35" vertical jump, which suggests he can be a weapon in the end zone and in jump-ball situations.

Because of the presence of emerging tight end Travis Kelce (862 yards and five touchdowns in 2014), O'Shaughnessy isn't going to come into a starting situation. However, he is a similar player to Kelce and can sit and learn from him while serving as a complementary No. 2.

For the Chiefs, this was a sensible and valuable selection.