Kansas City Chiefs 2023 Roster Preview: Wide Receivers Entering Training Camp

While Kansas City has a wide array of talents in the wideout room, it'll take quite a bit of sorting before a handful manage to separate from the pack.

May 26, 2022; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore (24) runs drills during organized team activities at The University of Kansas Health System Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

When the Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins last offseason, just about everyone questioned how Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes would fare without the talented receiver. Over the next several months, those questions were answered with authority.

Mahomes and company won a Super Bowl with a by-committee approach at wideout, showing the football world that scheme, high-end quarterback play and an all-world tight end can make up for some of the talent lost elsewhere. The team lost 2022 contributors JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman to free agency in the spring, though, raising the stakes for the current group the franchise is banking on to perform. 

As 2023 Chiefs training camp comes into focus, Arrowhead Report will be previewing each of the team's position groups. This precedes a roster projection once training camp is in full swing, allowing for in-depth analysis and observations of the roster general manager Brett Veach has put together. The series continues with wide receiver, one of the deepest but also most questionable positions on the team.

The starters: Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore

It's difficult to do too much scanning without finding someone who predicts a Toney breakout in 2023. The 2021 first-round pick is an elite-level talent who flashed a bit in his first half-season as a Chief, but health is always a very serious question with him. Alongside Toney, Kansas City is relying on second-year wideout Skyy Moore to also take a step forward and improve with a complete offseason in the system. Valdes-Scantling, the veteran of the group at the top of the depth chart, hauled in 42 passes for 687 yards a season ago and could very well replicate those numbers in year No. 6 in the league. Following DeAndre Hopkins's decision to sign with the Tennessee Titans, there's no obvious outside name likely to break into KC's starting lineup.

The backups: Rashee Rice and Justin Watson

Rice, the Chiefs' second-round pick this year, was a contested catch master throughout his collegiate career at SMU and also had a penchant for breaking off big plays. He should have a respectable rookie year finding soft spots in zone coverage, although his struggles against man-to-man schemes could be pronounced. Watson made a handful of key plays for Kansas City in 2022 and while his new contract doesn't completely lock him into the roster picture, it might as well do so considering he also doubles as a special teams piece that Dave Toub is quite fond of. 

The intriguing pieces: Richie James, Justyn Ross, John Ross, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Cornell Powell, Nikko Remigio, Ty Fryfogle, Kekoa Crawford and Jerrion Ealy

James and the former Ross likely make up the next two spots in the wide receiver hierarchy entering camp. James has experience in the return game and also recorded 57 catches last year with the New York Giants. Ross, while not having made the roster a year ago and constantly having questions surrounding his durability, is still perhaps the most intriguing player in the Chiefs' entire wideout room. If he is healthy and thrives during camp and the preseason, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him make the team.

Smith-Marsette, Powell and Remigio are all interesting for special teams reasons, but they are long shots to crack the 53-man roster. Fryfogle and Crawford can serve as organizational depth on the practice squad if they stand out during the months of July and August. Ealy, who entered the NFL as more of a running back, is listed by the Chiefs at both spots but is more of a receiver at this point. He was suspended for part of last season but stuck around with the organization later in the year.  

Read More: Chiefs, Andy Reid 'Kept In Contact' with DeAndre Hopkins Before Signing with Titans