The Kansas City Chiefs don’t have much in terms of proven wide receiver talent, but they might have a budding superstar in Justyn Ross. The 2022 undrafted free agent has made quite a name for himself during offseason workouts, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes will not stop singing his praises.
Patrick Mahomes Continues to Throw Praise At Justyn Ross
During the start of offseason workouts, one member of the media asked Mahomes about the young wide receiver. What followed was an onslaught of praise that shows Mahomes clearly believes the young man has a bright future in this league.
“Yeah, I mean, the talent is through the roof. He’s getting better and better. Even though he wasn’t active all year he was in the building and he was able to see the guys and how we do things…I’m excited for him, man. To be able to get out there and get the reps in practice, get the little fine details that we like to do in this offense…He works his tail off. I’m like ‘you’ve got to ease up a little bit’. He wants to run like every route 100 times.”
It’s important for a team leader like Mahomes to speak highly of every player on the roster, but everything Mahomes said in the quote above goes well beyond the cliches. There is no denying that Mahomes believes Justyn Ross could be a key part of the offense in the upcoming season.
Of course, actions speak louder than words, and while we haven’t seen it in meaningful games, we have seen the duo connect on a few nice passes this offseason.
🎯🎯🎯@patrickmahomes x @_jross8 pic.twitter.com/nsActx9LS4
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 12, 2023
Not Your Average Undrafted Free Agent
Normally, you’d take this type of talk with a grain of salt. It’s the offseason, after all, and every single player believes themselves to be in the best shape of their life and ready for a breakout season. Undrafted free agents or late-round picks receiving offseason praise only to end up doing nothing in the regular season is not uncommon, but there are reasons to believe that Justyn Ross is an exception to the rule.
Despite his status as an undrafted free agent, Justyn Ross actually had an impressive prospect profile. During his true freshman season at Clemson, the wideout recorded 46 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns while splitting snaps with Tee Higgins, Hunter Renfrow, and Amari Rodgers, all of whom ended up in the NFL. One year later, the wideout recorded 66 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns.
Putting up these numbers right out of high school is obviously difficult, and you can’t do that without a lot of talent. Fortunately, the film backs up the numbers, as Ross has a phenomenal catch radius with an impressive build and the route running prowess to get open against any coverage.
So, if he’s so good, then why did he go undrafted? Unfortunately, Ross missed the entire 2020 season with a congenital fusion condition of the neck and spine that required surgery. While he did return to the field in 2021 and put up some impressive numbers (47/524/3 in 10 games), teams clearly felt that his neck injury was too much of a risk to justify even a late-round pick.
Health is always going to be an issue with Ross, but if it weren’t for that neck injury, there was a chance that he could’ve been a first- or second-round pick. If he can stay on the field, he could turn into one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2022 season.
