KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs addressed one of their most urgent needs but may have strayed a bit from their draft philosophy by taking Pittsburgh wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin in the first round Thursday night.

The Chiefs’ passing offense ranked 30th last year, partly because of a powerful running game that ranked No. 1. But after going 10-6 and winning their first AFC West title since 2003, they were crushed in their first playoff game by Baltimore, 30-7, and their top wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe, was shut out with not one single catch.

The 6-4, 230-pound Baldwin started 27 games for Pittsburgh the past three seasons, at both flanker and split end. He started 12 games at flanker last season and led the Panthers with 52 catches for 810 yards and five touchdowns.

The Chiefs hope he will pair nicely with Bowe, who had 1,162 yards receiving last year and went to his first Pro Bowl, and give them a pass-catching tandem to be feared.