Skyy Moore Is Ready for Sophomore Success With Chiefs

After a bumpy rookie year, Chiefs wideout Skyy Moore is confident and ready to ascend to new heights in year No. 2.

The Kansas City Chiefs invested a second-round pick in Skyy Moore last spring, although the Western Michigan product didn't make the level of impact many had hoped in his first year as a pro.

Hauling in 22 passes for 250 yards in the regular season, Moore struggled to crack the top of Kansas City's wideout rotation for any prolonged stretch. When he did manage to get on the field, he was inconsistent but did flash some upside on occasion. Part of it was due to the mere numbers game on the depth chart, with a lot of it also stemming from the difficulty of head coach Andy Reid's offense for first-year players. After averaging 1.6 targets per game in his first eight outings of the year, Moore averaged 2.5 over his next eight while also seeing an uptick in snaps.

Following Wednesday morning's training camp practice, the 22-year-old explained the challenges of learning a Reid system on the fly. 

"It's just very detailed," Moore said. "Coach Reid wants you to be in a specific spot at a specific alignment. It might [be more detailed than] the offense you were coming from, so that's probably what makes it the most complicated." 

Now that Moore has some firsthand experience and more time in Kansas City, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has high hopes for what he can accomplish as a sophomore. 

"I think growth within the system of being able to play fast because he knows where to go," Nagy said. "He's had the talent. Last year, just learning the offense and now being able to transition to playing faster. Now, he'll get more opportunities and I think he'll do well." 

Moore hauled in five passes on nine targets during the Chiefs' playoff run earlier this year, and he even wound up scoring his first career touchdown on the biggest stage. The No. 54 overall draft pick may have logged just one catch in Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it played a critical role in Kansas City securing its second world championship with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback.

Earlier this offseason, Moore talked through his up-and-down first year with the Chiefs and said his big play in the Super Bowl was "the best way to go out" into the offseason. It provided him with the confidence to fuel the next several months, and he said on Wednesday that his comfort level in the scheme is also playing a significant role in his development. 

"Yeah, way more comfortable," Moore said. "I've got that year of experience. I feel like [there are] certain things I already know. Like I went through a whole season, I shouldn't have to get coached on where to align or anything that happens before the snap, I don't need to get coached up on. It's more of, like, how do I beat the guy instead of what route I run."

This year's wide receiver room is expected to highlight Moore at or near the top, with the likes of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney joining the second-year pass-catcher as featured pieces. The receiver-by-committee approach worked for the Chiefs a year ago, although this year's collection is even less proven on paper. There's a scary floor for the unit, but there's also an intriguing ceiling to it. Moore, now on the other side of his struggles as a rookie and ready to break out, says there's nothing he wishes he would've known coming into it all. He has no regrets about the process.

"You can't even say that, because you've got to go through it to learn it basically," Moore said. "You can take as many mental reps as you want and people can tell you everything on the sideline but until you go mess that play up, you're not really going to get it in your head for real."

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