PFF Says Chiefs Don't Have a Top-32 WR in NFL

In a recent list featuring the top receivers in the league, Kansas City didn't have a single player make the cut.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Logan Ryan (33) tackles Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) during the second quarter of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

If the top wide receiver on every NFL team was considered, would the Kansas City Chiefs have one of the 32 best? What if the list included clubs with terrific No. 2 options in the passing game?

One outlet doesn't believe the answer is "yes" in either situation.

In a recent list ranking the top 32 wide receivers in the NFL, Pro Football Focus didn't include a representative from Kansas City. The reigning Super Bowl champions are one of nine franchises to not be mentioned in the article. That means several teams make multiple appearances, which is a testament to how some organizations go about their team-building process.

In the post-Tyreek Hill era, the Chiefs have relied more on the aggregate than a single wide receiver star to produce. 2023, however, saw then-rookie Rashee Rice get targeted more and more as the season went on. Rice put up one of the best debut campaigns for an Andy Reid-coached team ever, making him an interesting candidate to potentially slot into the back end of a top-32 list.

The offseason signing of Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is also intriguing. In 2021, Brown posted a 1,000-yard season and was deemed a future star by many. Given all of that, what's with no Chief on the list? Does Kansas City deserve to have a player noted?

The answer is complicated.

Starting with Rice, he produced like one of the 32 best wide receivers in football from a statistical perspective as a rookie. Playing in 16 regular-season games, he ranked highly in receptions (24th), yards (32nd) and touchdowns (T-18th) while creating the third-most yards after catch in the league. According to ESPN analytics tracking, the SMU product graded out as the 27th-best overall weapon.

PFF itself put Rice inside its top 15 for overall grade and yards per route run, so there's absolutely a case to be made here. Although the former second-round pick may not be a true No. 1 receiver in an offense, he did well enough to make the 32-man cut and should be ascending.

Brown's argument is much more difficult (read, virtually impossible) to build right now. While PFF graded him as the outlet's 16th-best receiver against man coverage in 2023, that's about the only thing he can hang his hat on. The former Baltimore Ravens first-round pick hasn't sniffed 1,000 yards in years. His addition to Kansas City's offense is undoubtedly legitimate, but any proverbial bounce-back will have to take place before he actually reclaims some of his status.

Of course, tight end Travis Kelce remains great and is among the 32 best pass-catching weapons in the sport. With that said, he doesn't qualify as a wideout despite being a de facto one for Kansas City. If Rice progresses as a sophomore or Brown rebounds in a new environment, don't be surprised to see a Chief on the 2025 edition of this list.

Read More: NFL Analyst Buys Into Chiefs Expanding Passing Game in 2024