The Kansas City Chiefs are less than a month away from their annual journey to St. Joseph for training camp at Missouri Western State University. Over the next month, we’ll break down each position of the team’s roster heading into camp.
We began with the quarterbacks and running backs, and we’ll continue our pre-camp breakdown by examining the weapons Patrick Mahomes will be throwing to this fall. Kansas City’s wide receivers were the club’s Achilles heel for most of the regular season last year; leading the NFL in dropped passes.
Wide receiver was a position of need that the Chiefs focused on this off-season. They added a couple speed guys through free agency and the draft. Now, Kansas City will report to camp with confidence that their deep-threat passing attack that made their offense so dangerous in the past will return in 2024.
Hollywood Brown
On March 18, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown signed a one-year, $7 million deal that could be worth up to $11 million – depending on his production – with Kansas City.
What makes this such a huge pickup for the Chiefs is it gives them the deep threat they’ve been missing at an incredible discount, considering what other teams paid for top-tier talent at the WR position.
Brown tallied 118 receptions for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns in 26 games with Arizona over the last two seasons. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound speedster expected to carry his dynamic play-making ability from Baltimore to the desert, where he reunited with his former college quarterback Kyler Murray.
Instead, injuries plagued the Cardinals signal-caller, and Brown failed to register a thousand-yard season during his time with the Cards.
Now that he’s with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid, who’ll find plenty of ways to utilize Brown’s 4.27 speed and give the Chiefs’ offense the deep-threat passing attack they’ve been without since trading away Tyreek Hill, it is expected that Brown’s production will increase.
Brown entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 and was an elite weapon for quarterback Lamar Jackson for three seasons before being traded. Brown has tallied 313 grabs for 3,644 yards and 28 scores through six career seasons.
Rashee Rice
Rashee Rice enters his second NFL season looking to build on a solid rookie year. Rice was the lone bright spot in a struggling WR room and finished last season with 79 catches for 938 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
The 6-foot-2, 203-pound product from SMU should see a bigger role on offense this season and will probably line up opposite Hollywood Brown. However, Rice’s availability remains uncertain, with an impending suspension looming over his head.
Rice is still waiting to hear from the league after he and a former college teammate were racing down a freeway in northeast Dallas and caused a wreck that involved six cars and left one person injured. The SMU standout is currently facing six counts of collision involving bodily injury, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury, and one count of aggravated assault. Rice has yet to appear before a judge, forcing the NFL to wait until the legal process has finished before suspending him.
Rice has practiced with the team during off-season workouts and is expected to report at training camp.
Xavier Worthy
Former Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy received some heavy draft hype following the NFL combine, where he recorded the fastest 40-time in the event’s history. Worthy’s record-breaking speed clocked at 4.21 seconds and sent his draft stock through the roof.
Somehow, he landed in the most perfect spot imaginable as the Chiefs scooped him up in the first round at 28th overall. At 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, Worthy has some bulking up to do, but his world-class speed was something the general manager Brett Veach couldn’t overlook.
Worthy was a game wrecker in college, finishing his three-year career with 197 catches for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns – that includes an incredible Junior season of 75 grabs for 1014 yards, and five scores – with the Longhorns.
Mecole Hardman
The hero of Super Bowl 58 returns for at least another season with the Chiefs after agreeing to a one-year contract on June 6.
Hardman returned to Kansas City last October via trade with the New York Jets after a stint that lasted six weeks. The former Georgia product finished 2023 with 14 receptions for 118 yards in six games. He was also on the receiving end of the game-winning pass that secured the Chiefs’ overtime victory in Super Bowl 58.
Hardman adds veteran depth that is familiar with Andy Reid’s scheme. He also gives the Chiefs another speedy receiving option to contribute to offense and special teams.
So far, Hardman has appeared in 68 games (28 starts) and mounted 166 receptions for 2,212 yards, and 16 touchdowns through five career seasons. He first entered the league as a second-round draft pick by the Chiefs in 2019.
Justin Watson
Justin Watson enters his third season with the Chiefs and is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed in April 2023.
Watson had his share of drops that hurt his team last season, but he’s also reeled in some clutch catches that kept drives alive. Despite coming off a down year, Watson is still a vital weapon the Chiefs love to utilize from the slot.
Watson originally entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018. The team released him on January 15, 2022. He signed with the Chiefs on a one-year trial for the 2022 season that led to being re-signed that following off-season. Through six NFL seasons, Watson has tallied 65 catches for 1,033 yards and seven touchdowns.
Skyy Moore
After two seasons in the NFL, Skyy Moore finds himself on the roster bubble after struggling to find a contributing role on the team. Moore finished last season with just 21 catches for 244 yards and one score.
Moore entered last season with high expectations to take a giant leap forward with his development and production… Only it never happened. Moore enters his third season looking to have a bounce-back season but will be competing for a roster spot.
Moore was the first of two second-round draft picks by Kansas City back in 2022.
Kadarius Toney
Kadarius Toney enters his third season with the Chiefs since coming over from the New York Giants via trade during the ‘22 NFL season.
Last season, the Chiefs expected Toney to make the jump as their WR1 after leaving a good first impression in seven games during the 2022 campaign. Unfortunately, that experiment turned into a total disaster. After suffering a knee injury that held him out of training camp and preseason, Toney didn’t see any game action until he was thrown to the wolves in Week 1, which set the tone for a poor 2023 campaign.
Toney made several mistakes on the field that ranged from dropping the ball in key situations and even lining up incorrectly. He finished the regular season with 27 catches for 169 yards and one touchdown.
The Chiefs benched Toney once the postseason began, and many fans are surprised they never showed him the door when the off-season began. However, the Chiefs think Toney can still contribute and anticipate that a full off-season and training camp will restore him to his initial team form two seasons ago.
Justyn Ross
Justyn Ross joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent on May 7, 2022, and received some hype after he joined Kansas City. Ross entered the NFL after an amazing college career at Clemson, where he caught 158 passes for 2,379 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Unfortunately, injuries and legal trouble have delayed him from seeing a real NFL game, keeping his pro career at a standstill. Ross underwent surgery to repair his foot on July 25, 2022, which wiped his rookie campaign out. The following season, Ross made the 53-man roster after showing promise during camp and preseason. However, his workload was small, and he wasn’t very high up on the depth chart.
Although Ross played in ten games for the Chiefs, catching six passes for 53 yards. He was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list after being arrested in Shawnee, Kansas on October 23, 2023, for domestic battery and criminal property damage under $1,000. This caused him to miss seven games from Week 8 to Week 15.
Going into his third season, Ross aims to make the final 53 again and stride towards seeing a heavier workload on offense.
Nikko Remigio
Nikko Remigio turned plenty of heads during camp last season before getting injured and landing on IR. Remigio signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2023 following a stunning five-year career in college, where he spent four seasons at California before transferring to Fresno State as a fifth-year Senior.
While playing for the Golden Bears at Cal, Remigio wracked up 97 catches for 903 yards and seven touchdowns. At Fresno State, he topped off his college career by reeling in 74 receptions for 852 yards and six touchdowns. As a returner, Remigio totaled 98 runbacks for 1,617 yards and three touchdowns while in college.
Going into his second season, plenty of eyes will be on Remigio as he competes for a roster spot.
Montrell Washington
Montrell Washington enters his second NFL season and his first full season with the Kansas City Chiefs after agreeing to a “Reserve/Future” contract on February 14.
Washington first entered the league as a fifth-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos in 2022. Washington spent one season in the Mile-High City before being released from the club the following season during final cuts. Two days after his release from Denver, he signed with the Chiefs, where he bounced between the team’s active roster and practice squad.
Washington appeared in six games for Kansas City – mostly as a punt returner on special teams – tallying eight returns for 61 yards.
Cornell Powell
Cornell Powell enters his fourth season with the Chiefs since being drafted by the club 181st overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Although he has appeared in three NFL games during the 2022 season, he has no stats. The 6-foot, 204-pound receiver had a solid five-year career at Clemson before declaring for the draft in 2021. Powell finished college with 93 receptions for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Powell has yet to translate his success from the college level over to the pros and has become a household name on the team’s practice squad.
Jaaron Hayek
Jaaron Hayek enters his first season with the Chiefs after signing with the club as an undrafted free agent this year. He was one of 38 undrafted rookies who attended the team’s rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis.
Hayek earned a spot on the 90-man roster after impressing the coaches. He begins his NFL journey following a successful five-year career at Villanova, where he recorded 170 catches for 2,744 yards and 29 touchdowns.
At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Hayek could be a diamond in the rough as he looks to gain the attention of the Chiefs’ coaching to earn a roster spot.
Phillip Brooks
Phillip Brooks enters his first season with the Chiefs as part of the haul of undrafted free agents general manager Brett Veach signed after the draft. Brooks played six seasons at Kansas State from 2018 to 2023, where he became a weapon on offense and special teams.
At 5-foot-7, 175 pounds, Brooks finished his colligate career with 182 receptions for 2,127 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiving threat. He also ran back 103 returns for 1,561 yards and scored four touchdowns as a kick/punt returner.
Bottom Line
Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice are the veterans and will be at the top of the depth chart for the bulk of the season. Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson should see plenty of time as well from the slot. Many fans are ready to see Xavier Worthy play at the NFL level but expect the Chiefs to keep his workload light until he’s comfortable with the speed of the pro game and understands Reid’s playbook. There’s also plenty of depth to keep an eye as well and it’ll be interesting to see which of the young WRs make a name for themselves. Overall, the Chiefs look poised to rebound with one of the most lethal receiving cores in the NFL.
