When the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII back in February of last year, the team was heavily supported by a tremendous rookie class. That didn't leave a ton of room for the ensuing first-year crop to make a huge impact, although two players on the offensive side of the ball managed to stand out to one specific outlet.
With the 2023-24 regular season in the books, Pro Football Focus released its All-Rookie team. Wide receiver Rashee Rice and left tackle Wanya Morris, second and third-round picks by Kansas City, are listed among their peers.
Rashee Rice steps up as one of football's best rookie wideouts
It took a while for the Chiefs to feature Rice, but he excelled when given the opportunity. Rice’s 85.1 PFF receiving grade is tied with Puka Nacua for 12th-best in the NFL.
Rice excels with the ball in his hands. His 8.3 yards after catch per reception ranks second among qualified receivers behind Deebo Samuel. As a result, Rice carries a 2.39 yards per route run figure that is 10th-best in the league. That level of efficiency with Patrick Mahomes throwing to him could put him in line for a huge 2024.
Rice is delivering second-round value and then some for the Chiefs in his first year on the job. While he's still somewhat limited in what he can do against man coverage or down the field in general, the SMU product is making his presence felt in a major way. Rice finished the regular season ranking third in the NFL in yards after catch and was overall a very efficient player. He's the best wideout on the roster right now, setting the table for him to be a foundational player for the duration of his rookie contract. General manager Brett Veach nailed this pick.
Recent increase in workload gets Wanya Morris some rookie experience
Amazingly, only two rookies played at least 150 snaps at left tackle this season, Wanya Morris and Jaelyn Duncan. Between those two, Morris graded far higher, albeit with an unimpressive 54.6.
Morris has seen significant action in the Chiefs’ last six games. He posted at least a 73.4 PFF pass-blocking grade in three of those games.
PFF's point about rookie left tackles is worth taking with more than just a grain of salt. Morris has been far from perfect in his first year, but the fact that he's had more of a chance than many of his counterparts carries significant weight. The 92nd overall pick in the draft had a five-game stretch from Weeks 13-17 in which he logged a combined 307 reps at left tackle. Outside of a disastrous performance against the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas (10 pressures allowed), Morris's level of play is mostly consistent with a third-round rookie tackle. The jury is out on his long-term role and ceiling in Kansas City, but he benefits from the aforementioned late-season sample size and his peers simply not making a serious impact.
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