One of the biggest names amongst undrafted free agents appears to be headed to Kansas City. Former Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross is signing with the Chiefs, per Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson (Twitter link).
Ross was one of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s class. His college career began with a hugely productive freshman season in 2018, where he registered 46 catches for exactly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Standing out on a team which also featured the likes of Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow, he was thought to be a first-round lock and the next in a long line of high-end Tigers receivers.
The following season did little to quell those thoughts. He put up 66 receptions and another eight touchdowns, playing a key role in Clemson going undefeated. In the National Championship game victory over Alabama, he was the team’s leading receiver, averaging over 25 yards per catch. It was after that, however, that his draft stock began to plummet.
In 2020, Ross underwent surgery to correct a congenital fusion in his neck. The procedure cost him his entire junior season, and, for a time, left his ability to play football in doubt. Those concerns were amplified by a second fusion surgery he underwent, as noted by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Ross was able to come back last year, however, playing in 10 games.
Given his injury history, “many teams” took Ross off of their draft boards completely, as noted by Rapoport. His earlier production, coupled with his size (six-foot-four, 205 pounds), though, made him worth a flier in the Chiefs’ eyes. In Kansas City, he will enter a WR room which has seen Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle leave this offseason. In response, the team has added JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and second-rounder Skyy Moore.
More must-reads: