The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most interesting wide receiver corps in the NFL because of the group’s unknown potential. There is not a clear-cut top option for the team at the position, and their development at training camp has been the object of intense speculation.
Kadarius Toney has been talked about by his coaches and teammates as a potential number-one wideout, but an injury during the first week of training camp has delayed his rise to definitively take over the top spot on Kansas City’s depth chart.
One player that has flown under the radar, though, is Justyn Ross. The 23-year-old receiver was a first-round talent in the 2022 NFL Draft, but a spine injury cost him the chance to be drafted last year. Instead, he signed with the Chiefs as a free agent following the annual selection meeting and immediately became a darling of the team’s fanbase, who immediately took a liking to his collegiate film that belied his undrafted status.
After spending last year on the practice squad, Ross has worked his way up to first-team reps in the Chiefs’ 2023 training camp. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has taken notice and told the media on Wednesday that he believes that the young receiver can make an impact for Kansas City’s high-octane offense in the regular season.
“He [Justyn Ross] has had a good one [training camp] – learning the offense fast – you can tell he has been in the offense for a year now,” Mahomes said. “Obviously [he is] making big plays. He is getting more involved in those first-team reps. [He is] a guy that I hope can be a really good player in this offense.”
With a ton of talent and heretofore unknown potential, Ross has a great opportunity to carve out a role for himself as a reliable weapon for Mahomes ahead of the Chiefs’ 2023 Super Bowl defense campaign.
