Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a young and inexperienced wide receiver room heading into the 2023 season, which is why it’s possible rookie second-round pick Rashee Rice earns a prominent role during his first season in the NFL.
But Stacy D. Smith of Arrowhead Addict is erring on the side of caution when it comes to expectations for Rice during his rookie season. Why? Her reasoning is simple: history.
“(Andy) Reid’s tenure in Kansas City may provide some insights into how likely it is for a receiver to make an early contribution in his offense,” Smith wrote on July 17. “We all know the story by now. Incoming prospects, at the wide receiver position, are asked to learn the roles and responsibilities of every receiver position. That’s a heavy lift for a player still trying to adapt to the speed and culture of the NFL game. It’s such a big ask that one can argue that it makes being an early adapter virtually impossible in Year One. I completely understand why Reid demands such an expansive knowledge. There are a precious few things this coaching staff values above versatility.”
Pair that history under head coach Andy Reid with the talent that’s currently on the depth chart, and Smith doesn’t see a clear avenue for Rice to produce in a big way in Year One.
“Rice may be in the best position of other rookie Chiefs receivers in recent memory. There is less certainty at the top of the depth chart,” Smith wrote. “(Kadarius) Toney hasn’t proven healthy during his short NFL career and only time will tell if Moore will take another significant step forward in 2023. That said, the presence of (Richie) James and (Justin) Watson are likely to be the obstacles to his playing time even if everything else bounces Rice’s way.”
Can Rashee Rice Buck Trend of Chiefs Rookie WRs?
I would bet on Rashee Rice having a quiet rookie season, and that’s because of the exact reasoning Stacy D. Smith laid out. But let’s dive into that reasoning with some more research, shall we?
Tyreek Hill — a fifth-round draft choice in 2013 — and Mecole Hardman — a second-round pick in 2019 — are the only receivers since the Andy Reid era in KC started in 2013 that were drafted by Kansas City and were productive enough that they were named Pro Bowlers as rookies. Yet they only made the Pro Bowl as rookies because of their contributions on special teams as well.
Outside of Hill and Hardman’s 500-yard offensive efforts as rookies, no receiver that has been drafted by the Chiefs since 2013 has produced at a high level offensively during their rookie season.
The Chiefs’ drafted wide receivers that had quiet rookie seasons include Chris Conley, Da’Ron Brown, Demarcus Robinson, Jehu Chasson, Tremon Smith, Cornell Powell, and Skyy Moore.
It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Rice breaks out during his rookie season. But based on what we’ve seen as recently as 2022 with Moore, Kansas City’s coaching staff has a clear process when it comes to developing receivers, and it involves a lot of learning in Year One paired with minimal production on the field.
Closer Look At Chiefs’ History of Drafted WRs
Overall, Kansas City doesn’t have a large hit rate at the receiver position via the draft since Big Red took over as head coach. But it’s worth noting that the team hasn’t used a first-round pick on a receiver since 2013 and drafted a receiver just once in the third round (Chris Conley). Skyy Moore was a second-round pick along with Mecole Hardman, but the other five receivers (Da’Ron Brown, Demarcus Robinson, Tyreek Hill, Jehu Chasson, Tremon Smith, Cornell Powell) were Day 3 selections.
General manager Brett Veach — who took over as Kansas City’s GM in 2017 — has shown a willingness to select a receiver earlier in the draft than former Chiefs GM John Dorsey. But the defending Super Bowl champions let Hardman walk during free agency this offseason for a reason, and the verdict is still out on Skyy Moore as he heads into Year Two.
That means the jury is still out on this regime’s ability to draft and develop receivers, which is why Rashee Rice is no sure thing to pan out at the NFL level, let alone have a breakout rookie season.