Justyn Ross predicted to make KC Chiefs 53-man roster

Mike Clay of ESPN believes that wide receiver Justyn Ross will make the 53-man roster for the Kansas City Chiefs despite going undrafted.

If you thought the hype for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross was contained to a subset of zealous fans, you might want to look (or read) again. Even analysts are getting into the game with bold projections for the future potential and production of the undrafted free agent.

Ross recently went unselected by 32 teams over 7 rounds in the 2022 NFL Draft, but his stock in college still has made believers of many. That’s why Mike Clay of ESPN wrote that he believes Ross will still make the Chiefs’ final 53-man active roster when the season begins.

To be fair to Clay, the context for his statement was when he was asked for a bold prediction, so he needed to come out with something eye-opening. That said, he seems to be confident in his statement—not just a guy making up something to fill column inches.

"Prior to his neck/spine surgery in 2020, Ross posted 46-1,000-9 and 66-865-8 receiving lines and was one of the top receivers in the nation. In fact, his career 3.0 yards per route run was best in this year’s rookie class."

Ross was once considered a top pro prospect at wideout following his initial campaign at Clemson, but some scary injuries have taken hold of a player who also tore his ACL in high school—most notably spine injuries—and that knocked him completely off of the draft boards of several teams as it turns out.

The Chiefs were fortunate enough to land Ross after the draft, and his ability to make a roster with thoughts of Super Bowl contention comes at an interesting time. The Chiefs have remade the wide receiver room completely this offseason, and there’s plenty of room for someone to play into some significant future reps knowing that Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster are free agents after this year. Even Marquez Valdes-Scantling is basically on a year-to-year deal with unofficial team-friendly options.

If the Chiefs really are enamored with Ross’s long-term potential this summer, they’ll likely find a way to hold onto him for the long-term knowing they’re going to need more than second-round pick Skyy Moore at the position.

Perhaps Clay will look brilliant in retrospect when making such a claim. Chiefs fans are certainly hoping so, even though the competition will be tough, the injuries are a question, and special teams is something to discuss for any receiver so far down the depth chart.