Now that the rookie minicamp has come and gone for the seven new Kansas City Chiefs draftees as well as undrafted free agents, the new faces of the franchise get the chance to learn the offensive and defensive game plans going into the new year.
The Chiefs added several new faces to various positions this offseason. Last season, warning signs showed for certain position groups that the franchise needed to address during the downtime. One of those positions that was needed to improve was the offensive line.
The offensive line was arguably the Chiefs’ biggest concern area last season, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes was taken down the most in his career up to this point. Adding Josh Simmons should give the line some extra size, especially on the left side.
That being said, however, the franchise had an underlying issue that needed to be addressed, and that was the wide receiving position. Following a season without Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown for a majority of the campaign, the wide receiving core wasn’t as top-notch as it could have been.
But, with the front office resigning Brown, as well as the franchise getting Rice back at some point in 2025, the core could be one to be fearful of, if you’re on the defensive side of the ball. The extra addition of Jalen Royals through the draft provides emense depth for the future, as he could easily grow into a star sooner rather than later.
According to ESPN’s Adam Teicher, he also agrees that the Chiefs’ wide receiving group shouldn’t be messed with in 2025.
“The Chiefs are counting on the return of two top receivers who missed most of last season with injuries. Rashee Rice led the league with 24 catches through the first three games before a season-ending knee injury, while Hollywood Brown played in only two regular-season games because of an asternoclavicular injury. Rice and Brown will combine with Xavier Worthy to give the Chiefs a potent group of wideouts. With the selection of fourth-rounder Jalen Royals, Kansas City also added speed and run-after-the-catch ability on the outside,” Teicher wrote.
