Chiefs' Receiving Corps Ranked Middle of the Pack on Recent List

A ranking puts Kansas City's collection of pass catchers right in the middle compared to all other NFL clubs entering 2024.

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates with wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) after a run against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, it was painfully obvious that the Kansas City Chiefs didn't have enough talent in their wide receiver room. That led to then-rookie Rashee Rice being force-fed targets, as well as tight end Travis Kelce being relied upon heavily in his age-34 campaign. Additionally, running back Isiah Pacheco saw a huge increase in receptions out of necessity.

Things worked out in the end, as Kelce found the proverbial Fountain of Youth in the postseason and Rice helped contribute to a Super Bowl-winning run. During the offseason, general manager Brett Veach added to the receiver unit in hopes that things are a bit easier in 2024.

How much did Veach's moves help Kansas City stack up compared to the rest of the league? Pro Football Focus, factoring in all pass-catchers (running backs, tight ends and wideouts), ranks the Chiefs' receiving corps right down the middle. The reigning champs occupy the 16th overall slot.

"Even with Travis Kelce, the Chiefs finished 2023 with just an 18th-ranked team receiving grade," Sikkema wrote. "They have since gone out and upgraded in the form of Hollywood Brown, Mecole Hardman and Xavier Worthy. If Rashee Rice can build on what he did last season with the new names around him, this should be a better unit."

Some may look at a group including Kelce, Rice, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and Xavier Worthy and conclude that a No. 16 slotting is too low. While that could be true, the Chiefs are still technically banking on some relative unknowns. Each of the aforementioned players has a reason or two to have a question mark raised surrounding his 2024 outlook.

For Kelce, how can the future Hall of Fame tight end fight off aging? Rice may have a potential suspension hanging over him like a dark cloud. Brown is a few years removed from his breakout 2021 campaign with the Baltimore Ravens. Worthy has yet to catch an NFL pass and he wasn't an on-field participant in OTAs or mandatory minicamp due to a hamstring injury. Pacheco is a better runner than a receiver. There's ample reason to be down on this collective, even with its upside.

That ceiling should be taken into account, though. Kelce struggled with injuries during the 2023 regular season and looked fantastic in the playoffs once he got healthy. Rice flashed serious potential as a rookie and should theoretically improve. Brown and Worthy inject serious speed and route-running chops into the offense. Pacheco, while imperfect, is steadily getting better out of the backfield. Even reserves like Noah Gray and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are effective in the passing game.

In an ideal world, the 2024 Chiefs offense boasts a more potent blend of options than its 2022 unit, which may have been the best in the league. This current rendition, though, appears to be required to earn trust before actually receiving it. Being in the middle of the pack sounds rough right now, but there's a world where that ranking is much higher come November, December or January.

Kansas City's goal is to justify its offseason moves while continuing to count on its more proven in-house players to perform. If that pans out as planned, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be throwing to a way better cluster of targets than he was a year ago.

Read More: Remaining Offseason To-Do List Suggests Areas for Chiefs to Improve