Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a few losses on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. Offensive tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie and wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman all departed. All four had roles on Kansas City’s offense, leaving sizable voids to fill.
They began filling those holes in free agency, starting with the signing of Jawaan Taylor. However, the only wide receiver that was signed was Richie James. Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, wide receiver was arguably the team’s biggest need.
After addressing their need along the defensive line with their first-round pick, the Chiefs went and got Patrick Mahomes a new weapon in the second round. With the No. 55 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Kansas City selected SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice.
That was a selection that drew some very positive praise from Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports. Rice fits the mold as the kind of receiver that the Chiefs like to target, as his talent and versatility should shine right away.
“Rice is a perimeter stud who can win in contested-catch scenarios and dominates with authoritative yards-after-the-catch ability. Explosive. Just didn’t run a variety of routes. A classic Chiefs pick. Trade up dips the grade slightly.”
This is the second consecutive year that the Chiefs used a second-round pick on a wide receiver as they selected Skyy Moore out of Western Michigan in 2022. The team has big expectations for Moore, along with Kadarius Toney, in 2023 and now has a third young, talented wide receiver for their offense to flow through.
Rice has the skill set and athleticism to line up in the slot or on the boundary. Andy Reid loves moving his players around in the formation, making Rice an ideal fit in that regard.
Last season with the Mustangs, he was one of the most productive pass catchers in the nation. Rice recorded 96 receptions for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games. It would not be a surprise if he eventually replaced Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the team’s main deep threat.
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