The Kansas City Chiefs will probably have one of the best offenses in football next year, but it will interesting to see which one of their wide receivers emerges. After getting by with a ragtag group last year, the team lost Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency while bringing in some young talent to try and replace them. Does this offense have enough firepower to keep up with the elite offenses of the AFC?
Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receivers
The Starters: Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling
On paper, the healthy version of Kadarius Toney is easily capable of being the top wide receiver on the Kansas City Chiefs. Travis Kelce will always be the primary focus of the passing attack, and a player like Toney could thrive in one-on-one matchups with a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball.
The former New York Giant is an elite athlete and has showcased his insane route running and ability after the catch in small spurts. However, injuries and whispers about attitude issues forced his way out of the Big Apple, so he’ll need to prove that he can stay healthy and motivated if he’s going to be the top wide receiver on the depth chart.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, meanwhile, is a bit of a one-trick pony, but he does that one trick pretty well. The former Green Bay Packer excels at stretching the field, and now that Mecole Hardman is on the Jets, his role should only increase. Valdes-Scantling and Mahomes clearly had a bit of a chemistry issue last year, but if they can sort that out, the sky is the limit for these two next year.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling was there when @PatrickMahomes needed him. 💪 pic.twitter.com/d1UgupcETq
— NFL (@NFL) January 31, 2023
Wild Cards: Skyy Moore, Justyn Ross
2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore didn’t do much of anything during his rookie season, but perhaps the Western Michigan product can up his game with increased opportunity. Coming out of a small school, Moore took a while to adjust to the NFL game but eventually became a crucial part of the Chiefs special teams unit. The talent is still there, so perhaps he can make the leap and build upon his 22-catch season in Year 2.
Most undrafted free agent wide receivers wouldn’t earn a mention this early in this Chiefs article. However, Justyn Ross is not your average undrafted free agent. Based solely on his college tape and metrics, Ross could have been a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, a serious neck injury made him too much of a risk to justify a draft pick, but if he can stay healthy, he could start for this team. For what it’s worth, Patrick Mahomes has praised Justyn Ross throughout the offseason.
I know it’s just a practice video, but Justyn Ross is looking smooth. pic.twitter.com/ItiicGP452
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) May 12, 2023
The Rookie: Rashee Rice
Rashee Rice is the closest thing you can get to a 1:1 replacement for Juju Smith-Schuster. The second-round pick is a target machine and excels at handling a high volume in the short portion of the field. While he lacks Smith-Schuster’s ability after the catch, he has the size and strength needed to win in contested situations against cornerbacks and safeties.
The Kansas City Chiefs need some more help at wide receiver, and Rashee Rice is one of the rookies in the best position to succeed. If he hits the ground running, he might even lead all rookie wide receivers in yardage.
The Rest: Richie James, Justin Watson, John Ross, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Cornell Powell, Jerrion Ealy, Ty Fryfogle
If any of these wide receivers see any sort of meaningful playing time, the Chiefs are in trouble. Richie James actually put together a decent season for the New York Giants last year, recording 57 receptions for 569 yards and four touchdowns on 70 targets. While those numbers were certainly boosted by New York’s objectively awful depth chart, this shows he can be a decent playmaker if disaster strikes.
The same cannot be said for the rest of the names on this list. While Justin Watson and John Ross have had a few brief flashes in their professional careers, both players are facing an uphill battle for a roster spot. The other four players mentioned here will need to show a lot of special teams prowess to make the team.
Main Photo: Patrick Breen – USA Today Sports
