AFC West positional rankings: Wide receivers

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Projected WRs: Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Cornell Powell, Demarcus Robinson, Byron Pringle

The talent between Kansas City and the next team on our list at wide receiver is a virtual toss-up. The group is certainly top-heavy. Tyreek Hill is among the top receivers in the NFL and then it is a bunch of role players. With the cannon arm that Patrick Mahomes possesses and the brilliance in game-planning that Andy Reid showcases, this group fits the bill for the second-best group in the West.

As previously mentioned, Hill has been discussed as one of the best deep threats to ever play the game. On top of having elite speed, Hill has incredible tracking skills and is fully capable of soaring to catch high passes. Further, his burst of the ball is unrivaled by any player in today’s NFL. Hill is a top-tier NFL receiver.

After Hill, things get a bit shakier. Hardman is another burner. After being taken in the second round, it appears that Hardman is up for a make-or-break year. While he has been an excellent gadget player who is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball, he has yet to really take the reins as a wide receiver. He has improved marginally but needs to build more rapport with Mahomes and get better in his route running. If he can do this, look out.

Robinson, Pringle, and Powell all possess very similar skills. Robinson has been inconsistent in his catching ability. While separation is not necessarily his strong suit, he is generally able to make contested catches. At some key moments, he has dropped some key passes.

Pringle is a fan favorite who seems to be on the cusp of cracking the starting group. In fact, he had moments in which he looked better than Robinson.

Powell is a player to watch. After making seemingly hundreds of big-time plays at Clemson, Powell looks the part. In fact, there have been early comparisons to Sammy Watkins in rookie minicamp.

Overall, this group is talented because of the immediate impact that Hill has on opposing defenses and the roles that the others can fill. Powell and Hardman are two players to watch this season. The Chiefs may not be done adding talent this offseason after whiffing on Juju Smith-Schuster earlier this offseason. If Hill goes down with an injury (God forbid), this is the worst unit in the AFC West. Right now, they sit neck and neck with the third team on the list.