Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Albert Wilson (12) runs after a catch as Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay (22) and inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons (94) chase during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
2. Number Two Wide Receiver (Albert Wilson, Chris Conley)
While most national pundits would probably tell you this is the spot the Chiefs need someone to step up the most, they’d be wrong (more on that in a moment). That having been said, KC definitely does need someone to step up and claim the starting spot opposite free agent addition Jeremy Maclin. While you could probably make a case for guys like Jason Avant (too old) or DeAnthony Thomas (too small) I think the most likely candidates to really step up and claim a starting wideout spot are second year man Albert Wilson and rookie third round pick Chris Conley.
Last month I detailed some of these receiving options in a post HERE. I believe Albert Wilson is the most likely candidate for the job. Not only did he produce when given time at the end of last season, but he has a full year head start in learning Andy Reid’s complex offense. Wilson may not have Conley’s freakish athleticism, but that doesn’t mean that Wilson isn’t skilled. While he may just be just 5-foot-9 to Conley’s 6-foot-3 he is still a play maker. He averaged over 16 yards per reception last season and is Georgia State’s all time leading scorer. In fact, he also left college holding the school records for longest run, longest reception, longest kick return, and longest punt return. One would assume that Wilson’s familiarity with the system would give him reps over Conley to start camp. If Wilson can continue to flash when given the opportunity he may be able to lock down a starting spot.
Conley on the other hand, is a wild card. Despite his absolute dominance at the combine his relatively low amount of receptions in college left him flying under the radar. Many (myself included) wrote him off as a “workout warrior” after the combine. However, after actually watching his tape after KC selected him I see a ton of upside. By all accounts Conley is an incredibly intelligent person and he’ll need every bit of those smarts if he is going to earn significant playing time (let alone start) in Reid’s system as a rookie. There is no doubt that Conley possesses the best physical tools on any receiver on the KC roster (Maclin included) but he has a lot to do to earn the trust of his coach and quarterback to show that they can trust those physical tools.
I have a hard time seeing a rookie wideout earning a starting spot in Andy Reid’s offense coming out of training camp. So my bet is that Wilson has the job to start the season. The question is will Wilson step up and show that it’s his job to keep full time or could Conley win over Reid/Smith as the season goes by and eventually surpass Wilson on the depth chart. Both are young players with upside so this is really a win/win situation. I don’t really care which wideout earns the job as long as one of them really does enough to earn it. If both players impress and Reid has to find a way to get them both plenty of snaps…all the better.
Finally, there is a four way tie for the position most in need of a player stepping up.