After weeks of struggles in the wide receiver room, with the running backs and tight ends picking up the slack, the Kansas City Chiefs went out and got Josh Downs for Patrick Mahomes.

Analyst Colin Cowherd is quite impressed with the move, which cost Kansas City a 2027 fourth-round pick and a fifth-rounder, both sent to the Indianapolis Colts prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Cowherd says Downs is the missing piece the Chiefs have needed in their receiver room, an adult who should move ahead of Rashee Rice in the offense’s pecking order.

Colin Cowherd Explains Why Josh Downs Fits the Chiefs

Speaking on “The Herd,” Cowherd started with the receivers Kansas City already had: “It’s not just that their wide receivers aren’t reliable. They’re not mature. They’re not reliable.”

That, for Cowherd, is where Downs changes things.

The Fox Sports analyst described the newest Chief as “a total pro, durable route runner… really good in that 15-to-20 yard space.” Then ,Cowherd made his case for the move.

“I think it’s a huge pickup for Kansas City. Finally, an adult in the receiving room, not a gadget guy,” he said.

Kansas City’s passing game stayed short in the Week 9 win over the New York Jets. Patrick Mahomes went 23 of 31 for 242 yards, but his 2.8 intended air yards per pass was the second-shallowest average among 30 qualified quarterbacks that week, according to Next Gen Stats. Through Week 9, he ranks No. 5 with a PFN QB Impact Score of 82.3.

Downs, whose contract expires after this season, caught 33 of 57 targets for 354 yards and one touchdown in nine games with the Colts this year. He should give Mahomes a reliable option over the middle and help him move the chains.

Cowherd then explained what the trade means for the rest of the offense, including running back Kenneth Walker III, and why he thinks everything falls into place.

“He’s going to allow everybody now to hit in the right place in the wide receiver room for the Chiefs. Everybody can be in the right slot. You’re not asking a number three guy to be a number one guy,” the analyst said.

“Rashee Rice is now going to be a three or a four. You’re going to give the ball to Kenneth Walker, then Downs, then Travis Kelce. Now we can talk about Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice. I’m not going to depend on those guys.”

Walker, Cowherd’s first option, ran 18 times for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Jets and caught both of Mahomes’ touchdown passes. Kelce, his third, led the Chiefs with 72 receiving yards on four catches.

Worthy and Rice still combined for 11 catches and 97 yards in that game. Worthy, who hurt his hamstring late in the fourth quarter, returned to practice Wednesday, a day after the trade.

Patrick Mahomes Praises Downs’ Intellect and Route Running

While Cowherd judged the trade from the outside, Mahomes has already seen Downs up close this week and came away impressed.

“I think you can tell just [from his] intellect and how he’s able to pick stuff up… that he’s a professional, that he knows what he’s doing, and he wants to come in and just compete and to have success, and he wants to win,” the two-time MVP said.

Mahomes also singled out the skill Cowherd highlighted. “He runs routes really well,” the QB said before vouching for Downs’ makeup: “It’s good to have a guy that you can tell everybody’s going to like, and that he has his head on the right way, and he’s going to make sure that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.”

Downs also has a history with one of the receivers Cowherd ranked last. The Kansas City Star reported that Downs and Rice are friends who have worked out together before.

At his first news conference as a Chief on Wednesday, Downs made clear he expects to earn his place: “I feel like at this point it’s my turn to earn their respect on the field and earn their respect as a teammate.”

Downs arrives with 231 career catches for 2,494 yards and 12 touchdowns midway through his fourth season. His first chance to show where he belongs in Cowherd’s pecking order could come Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.