Final week, Professional Soccer Focus revealed NFL roster rankings for the 2024 season, and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been second within the index, an enchancment from 2023 (No. 4) and 2022 (No. 8). The one staff with a greater roster coming into coaching camp, based on PFF, is the San Francisco 49ers.
The article expectedly lists quarterback Patrick Mahomes because the staff’s biggest power and left sort out because the staff’s biggest weak point, although, at this level, left sort out might be higher described as unsure than weak. The Chiefs’ prime candidates for the place are at the moment second-year participant Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia.
PFF believes the X-factor is huge receiver Rashee Rice.
The X-factor
Rice is extra of an X-factor for off-the-field causes than on. As a rookie second-rounder in 2023, Rice was a revelation for the Chiefs down the stretch, as he caught 79 passes for 938 yards and 7 scores with an 85.0 PFF grade. Nonetheless, Rice has had a tumultuous offseason with numerous authorized troubles that might land him a suspension and set this offense again. Whether or not that suspension happens in 2024 or needs to be delayed till 2025 because of the authorized course of, the Chiefs shedding Rice for any time period could possibly be detrimental to this offense’s effectiveness. If Rice can keep away from suspension in 2024, although, with the strikes the staff made at huge receiver within the offseason this has the potential to be probably the most proficient group of cross catchers that Mahomes has ever needed to work with.
No one is aware of how lengthy Rice’s suspension for the upcoming season can be, however the basic consensus is that one is coming. The huge receiver has been noticed at organized staff actions (OTAs), indicating the staff will stick to him all through his authorized course of and eventual punishment from the NFL.
I’d speculate that the suspension can be between two to 4 video games. If that’s right, it’s clever to recall that Kansas Metropolis managed for 4 video games with out its prime receiver earlier than: again in 2019, when then-Chiefs huge receiver Tyreek Hill suffered a shoulder harm halfway by way of the staff’s Week 1 recreation in opposition to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hill went on to overlook the subsequent 4 matchups, and the Chiefs went 3-1.
Rice’s state of affairs isn’t one to disregard — however not all that way back, Mahomes and Andy Reid did simply high-quality after they handled the same occasion.
The rookie to observe
PFF says huge receiver Xavier Worthy is the Chiefs’ rookie to observe.
No matter Rice’s authorized state of affairs, the Chiefs’ receiver room nonetheless wanted a lift heading into the draft. They signed Marquise Brown away from the Cardinals and chosen Texas speedster Xavier Worthy with their first-round choose. Worthy made historical past on the NFL mix by working a 4.21-second 40-yard sprint, the quickest recorded time on the occasion ever. Worthy isn’t only a velocity demon, although, as he had a really productive profession at Texas, catching a minimum of 50 passes for over 600 yards and 5 scores in all three of his collegiate seasons. The Chiefs haven’t had a speedster with high-end receiving capacity since buying and selling Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins two years in the past and with Worthy, that ingredient needs to be firmly reestablished on this offense.
Final yr’s rookie to observe was Rice, and followers went on to observe him turn into a big a part of the Chiefs’ offense by season’s finish. Kansas Metropolis has excessive hopes for Worthy to be a kind of gamers who affords an on the spot affect, although we haven’t gotten to see a lot of him recently; he has missed OTAs with a hamstring harm.
Anticipate the coaching employees to proceed to be cautious with Worthy as they put together him for coaching camp. That’s a way more essential stretch than Could and June offseason practices. Assuming Rice is suspended, Worthy may see chunk of offensive snaps a lot before he would have. Time will inform as as to whether he can take benefit.
AFC West X-factors
PFF lists Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aiden O’Connell and Chargers huge receiver Quinton Johnston as Kansas Metropolis’s rival X-factors.
For the second yr in a row, Denver and Las Vegas’ X-factors are quarterbacks. As we all know now, these X-factors (Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo) didn’t pan out, as each gamers have discovered their means out of the division.
