KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs defended their selection of wide receiver and kick returner Tyreek Hill in the fifth round of the draft, saying they didn’t take lightly Hill’s guilty plea last year for domestic abuse.

“We have done our due diligence with regards to fully vetting each one of our draft class members," general manager John Dorsey said. “In this case, we’ve done that. I think everybody at the end of the day within this community (should) understand one thing: We would never put anybody in this community in harm’s way.

“We will do everything we can to ensure this community does not have these types of situations. We’re not going to bring them into this community. We will not do that."

Hill was charged in December 2014 of choking and punching his pregnant girlfriend. He was thrown off the football team at Oklahoma State and eventually transferred to West Alabama.

Last August Hill pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement and was given three years of probation.

Dorsey said the Chiefs carefully considered Hill’s situation before drafting him.

“We sat down and had long discussions about this," he said. “We have done a lot of research within this thing.

“We wouldn’t bring a bad person here. If I felt this was a bad person, I would not bring that person in."

Hill is required to take anger management classes as part of his probation.

“Before you’re given an opportunity for a second chance you’d better be doing the right things," coach Andy Reid said. “He’s been in counseling, he‘ll continue to be in counseling. We’ve got a great support system here for that with quality people. We feel good he’s trying to right a wrong, a big wrong.

“He’s trying to do better, be a better person."

After being drafted by the Chiefs, Hill said, “I’m trying to move on from that. I’m trying to be a better young man. I’m trying to show everybody who I truly am.

"I’m sorry. I messed up. I embarrassed the program at OSU. I embarrassed the coaches. I embarrassed a lot of people back at home."

Asked what he could to do prevent any future incidents, Hill said, “I’m just trying to choose my friends wisely. I’m not trying to point any fingers at nobody but I’ve just got to be better at choosing my friends and who I hang around and stuff like that."

The Chiefs also believe in Hill’s football skills. Scout Ryne Nutt said Hill ran a 4.25 40 at his Pro Day.

“It was one of the better Pro Days I’ve been to all year," Nutt said. “He can obviously run and he’s very good with the ball in his hands."

Nutt said special teams coach Dave Toub compared Hill to Devin Hester with regard to ability as a kick return specialist.