Kansas City Must Find Reliability With Any Wide Receiver Addition

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So far, the Kansas City Chiefs have had a solid start to the beginning of the 2023 NFL offseason. For more on why that is the case, check out Monday’s FPC Chiefs article, by clicking here. There is one glaring team need that has still not been addressed, however. Of course, that would involve the wide receiver position.

While Kansas City has not officially added a new wide receiver, the Chiefs have been involved in many headlines for the top names available. DeAndre Hopkins is a top trade candidate. A few weeks ago, we dove into a possible Hopkins trade to Kansas City and how realistic that may be. For more on that, click here. With his pedigree and consistency, any team needing wide receiver help should be taking a long and hard look at Hopkins.

Elsewhere, there are still some intriguing names available in the free agent market. Some of those names garner more attention than others. Which one of those could be the best fit for the Kansas City Chiefs offense, assuming they do not make a trade for a wide receiver? We will answer that in today’s article. At the same time, there is one thing that Kansas City should strive for when adding a new wide receiver this offseason. Let’s kick it off.

Chiefs Must Find Reliability For The Wide Receiver Position

The Chiefs must find a source of reliability at wide receiver, first and foremost. Everyone will always want to look strictly at a pass catcher’s play-making skills, level of speed and ability to make highlight-reel plays. But obviously, you have to be able to possess a security blanket for certain situations. You have to be able to throw someone out there that can easily win one-on-one battles and separate. On top of that, instincts and spatial awareness are incredibly vital for any wide receiver in the Kansas City offensive attack. The Chiefs just need one more piece to where you easily know what you are going to get each week.

There are still names to like among the incumbent group of Chiefs wide receivers. However, questions of their reliability from series-to-series or even week-to-week is still fair. Skyy Moore has plenty of potential. Though, he will have to take a step forward and see more consistent playing time and targets. Kadarius Toney’s all-around athleticism and speed are perfect for an Andy Reid-led attack. Injury history and overall usage are items that creep into the back of your mind, of course. Finally, Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been someone that goes through many different peaks and valleys every few weeks throughout his NFL career.

What do some of the top wide receiver names available offer, in terms of reliability, if they were to join the Chiefs offense? Let’s find out.

Best Available Fits

DeAndre Hopkins

By just saying the name DeAndre Hopkins, you already feel at ease. This was one of the best receivers in the NFL in the late-2010s. For all of the hype surrounding other names at wide receiver, Hopkins is still a top 10 player at his position, when healthy. Certainly, that health and availability factor has taken a slight hit in parts of the last two seasons. Hopkins definitely offers items that are not coachable.

He is a smooth route runner that increases his separation at the top of the route. Quietly, his yards after catch ability can leave defenders twisted like a pretzel. Meanwhile, there may be no wide receiver who is as automatic as DeAndre Hopkins in contested catch or jump ball situations. At this point in his career, the hard-working Clemson product is the perfect final puzzle piece for a team ready to win now.

Odell Beckham Jr.

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Odell Beckham Jr. may not be a true WR1 anymore. That is especially true with his injury history, and overall juice that has been diminished. There are many reliable factors that come to mind when you think of OBJ in Andy Reid’s offense. Much of this stems from what we saw of him being surrounded by top talent with the Los Angeles Rams.

While with LA, you saw how simple it was for Beckham Jr. to find the soft spots in zones. You saw how successful he could be after the catch, even if there was not a ton of initial separation before the ball reached the catch point. Most of all, Odell can still succeed at any route imaginable on the route tree, even if his speed is not seen as elite.

DJ Chark

Again, this is not a player who would be a bonafide WR1 type of an addition, like Hopkins. At the same time, DJ Chark would be a solid complementary piece for a top pass catching name like Travis Kelce. In three of the last four seasons, Chark has been able to produce chunk gains a fair amount of the time. He can win from both out-wide or in the slot. Additionally, Chark is proven as someone that can win battles in all three levels of the field. With his vertical stretch ability and larger frame, opponents can often fail to frustrate or disrupt this wide receiver when he is rolling.

A Sleeper Addition That Makes Sense: Marvin Jones Jr.

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If you dig deeper on the list of wide receiver names available, Marvin Jones Jr. could be one of the more reliable guys that are older. It was not that long ago that he was able to produce just over 4,000 receiving yards across five seasons with the Detroit Lions. Jones Jr. adds similar size to that of a Chark. As a result, this wide receiver can make 50-50 balls feel like 70-30 balls in his favor. You would have to think that his mix of route running, instincts and sure hands would slide in nicely for the Chiefs offense.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is, Kansas City was the top-ranked offense in yards and scoring last season. Patrick Mahomes and his continued growth is the top driving force to that. Yet, the Chiefs are going to have to replace the production that JuJu Smith-Schuster offered with KC. He had 101 targets, 78 receptions and 933 receiving yards in 16 games. Smith-Schuster may not be elite. Even still, Kansas City could move him around the offensive formation, rely on his size over the middle of the field and receive sneaky-good yards after the catch from him.

You would love to see the trio of Toney, Valdes-Scantling and Moore account for some of that production that will be missed. They cannot do it all alone, though. A proven track record from a wide receiver with little questions about their fit with the team or offense would be a luxury to add. It would also not be surprising to see the Chiefs draft at least one wide receiver in 2023. For whatever reason, rookie wide receivers just have not stepped in and found their footing right away in Reid’s intricate offense. That makes the longing for a reliable wide receiver even more important for Kansas City.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.