Preseason is the time for young and unheralded players to make a name for themselves. To make the case to coaches to not only crack the 53-man roster but maybe even earn themselves some playing time once the regular season arrives. That could possibly go the other way though. Players who don't perform up to par in the preseason could possibly lose their allotment of playing time. Or, in the worst case, move to the outside looking in of the 53-man roster. That will be the case for the Kansas City Chiefs.
This competition is happening all across the NFL, including the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Fortunately for them, two players, in particular, have stood up and risen their stock during training camp and the preseason. Who could these players be?
2) Justyn Ross
Justyn Ross has been through a lot. He suffered an injury to his spine that required surgery and forced him to miss the entire 2020 season of college football while at Clemson University. A year later he had to get surgery on his foot. These injuries have derailed his career. A player who racked up 1,000 yards and outgained his teammate in college in Tee Higgins (who has since become a Pro Bowl-caliber receiver in the NFL) went undrafted and missed his rookie season in what amounts to a de facto redshirt season to properly rehab and heal these injuries. In a draft that featured the likes of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Drake London, Christian Watson, Jahan Dotson, Treylon Burks, Jameson Williams, and George Pickens (among others), Ross was regarded to be as talented as any of them.
Well, Justyn Ross is making up for lost time. Ross was highlighted by Nate Taylor, a Chiefs beat writer for The Athletic, as someone whose stock was rising in Chiefs camp back on July 27th. That assessment was astute at the time and looks more prescient by the day. Every day it seems like Ross is making a highlight play like this in camp.
That play carried over into the Chiefs' first preseason game. He only caught two of his five targets but made one of those count by getting in the end zone.
Justyn Ross has a chance to be a marquee weapon for the Chiefs if he can stay healthy. He's boosted his stock just as much as anybody in that organization.
1) Skyy Moore
Justyn Ross isn't the only Chiefs receiver whose stock has rose in training camp. Back on June 15th, Patrick Mahomes described Skyy Moore as a ‘great player‘ and called him becoming the Chiefs' new slot receiver. Lo and behold, about a month later, it was reported that Moore had essentially all but earned the starting slot receiver spot that JuJu Smith-Schuster left behind.
Soon, once training camp began, it didn't take long for Moore to start making plays.
Moore didn't play much in the Chiefs' preseason game, but that's a good thing for him. It shows that he's firmly entrenched as a starter. The Chiefs' starters will play more in their second preseason game when they go to Arizona to face the Cardinals. Skyy Moore will have a chance to show that rising stock he's showcased in camp.
Moving Forward
The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions. But with Patrick Mahomes making so much money and with how much the Chiefs have invested in their offensive line, they're going to have to find production on the margins elsewhere. Wide receiver is one of those positions. So far that has gone well since they traded Tyreek Hill. But they can get better. Skyy Moore and Justyn Ross can help the Chiefs get more out of that position in 2023 after strong training camp and preseason performances from the two of them.
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