Chiefs Roster: How the team can get stronger at wide receiver for 2035

The Kansas City Chiefs have drafted an exciting wide receiver each of the last two offseasons, building a foundation for the next era with two playmakers: Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy.

They are also the only proven wideouts signed for the coming season, joining Skyy Moore in the final year of his rookie contract. Five of the Chiefs’ 2024 wide receivers are hitting free agency — and Rice’s availability for 2025 is unpredictable for health and legal reasons.

So in this offseason, Kansas City needs to add wideouts. General manager Brett Veach must form a group that can hit the ground running with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

How could he do it? Let’s see.

In-house solutions

Hollywood Brown

A year ago, Kansas City signed Brown to a one-year deal, hoping to provide Mahomes with an experienced playmaker who would fit into the Chiefs’ offense. But Brown’s preseason injury essentially erased his season; we only saw flashes of his potential during the playoff stretch.

Pros: What little we saw from Brown was intriguing — and played very well off Worthy’s ascension as a volume playmaker. At 28, Brown has years ahead of him as an impact starter, playing with the game speed Kansas City craves at the position.

Cons: Brown’s late-season flashes could be enough to drive up his market value in an underwhelming group of free-agent wide receivers. He has also proven to be fragile, so the Chiefs will have to consider that factor.

DeAndre Hopkins

A midseason addition, Hopkins started strong, scoring twice in the second game he played for Kansas City. But his impact varied through the regular season before bottoming out; he was basically a non-factor in the postseason.

For the Chiefs, it appeared Hopkins was simply a filler while Worthy developed and Brown recovered from injury.

Pros: Hopkins’ playing style complements the speed of Kansas City’s primary wideouts; he can be a target in tight windows and in the red zone. An all-time great, the 32-year-old is also a valuable mentor for younger players.

Cons: While having variety among the receivers seems important, Hopkins may be too slow — and isn’t much of a threat after the catch, either. Except in situational use, he doesn’t really fit into the Chiefs’ offense.

Other options

Juju Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson and Mecole Hardman: Each of these players is vacating a small (albeit important) role in the Chiefs’ offense. There are cases to be made for retaining one or even two of these players, but each role would ideally filled by a younger player who could develop beyond it.

Free agency

Tutu Atwell

This speedy Los Angeles Rams receiver would definitely fit into the Chiefs’ offense. He is entering unrestricted free agency after setting career highs in receptions (42), receiving yards (562), and catch rate (68%).

Since most of the notable free-agent wideouts are over 30, the 25-year-old Atwell could find a competitive market for his services. He possesses the speed that teams seek for crossing routes and vertical patterns — and it’s precisely why Kansas City could target him if Brown isn’t re-signed.

Dyami Brown

A former third-round pick by the Washington Commanders, Brown is also entering unrestricted free agency after his rookie deal. In 2024, quarterback Jayden Daniels fed him enough for a career-high 30 receptions and 308 yards.

In the 2024 playoffs, Brown caught 14 of 18 passes thrown his way, totaling 229 yards, nine first downs and a touchdown. He averaged 16.4 yards per reception in the three-game stretch, showing off downfield ability in a vertically-focused offense.

A home run trade

D.K. Metcalf

The Seattle Seahawks’ star wide receiver is scheduled to hit the open market after the 2025 season, making him a trade candidate for this offseason. While his 2025 cap hit (over $31 million) will likely lead to negotiations between trade partners, Seattle’s team-building process might value draft assets over its existing talent.

If the Chiefs went for this big swing, it would give Mahomes a downfield target that overwhelms defenses with speed and physicality. On downfield passing concepts, the 27-year-old would be an ideal pairing with Worthy, forcing defenses to pick their poison.

The draft

Luther Burden III

The former Missouri Tigers star will be one of the most intriguing wide receivers in April’s NFL Draft. The 21-year-old is ready for the next level after 192 receptions for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns over three impactful seasons in Columbia.

While Burden has the talent of a premier playmaker, the Missouri offense didn’t showcase him enough to give him high draft stock. In the latest mock draft by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Burden was not among the first 32 picks. In other mocks, he has been selected at the back end of the first round.

Burden has elite traits on quick-hitting plays, intermediate throws and downfield passes. He has an incredible feel for finding space in condensed areas, avoiding tackles and maximizing yards after the catch on passes over the middle.

Acquiring Burden would bring Kansas City’s passing offense to another level. With Rice and Worthy, Burden would form an absolutely lethal trio over the next few seasons. Defenses would have trouble accounting for all three of them.