3 KC Chiefs players who could be nice surprises in ’23

Cornell Powell, wide receiver

Few positions on the Chiefs at present stir as much question, concern, and conversation as wide receiver. The losses of Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, and JuJu Smith-Schuster created an obvious need for quality and quantity on the depth chart, and the Chiefs have found themselves linked to every veteran made available on the trade block or as recent cuts.

One player who could really surprise the Chiefs this year, however, is one with a history of stepping up later than people might have expected: Cornell Powell.

Remember this: Powell was a late bloomer at Clemson University where he was often passed over on the depth chart in his earlier seasons. It wasn’t until he was a fifth-year senior that he put it all together on the field and became a go-to target for the Tigers’ offense. The Chiefs liked what they saw enough to take Powell in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Powell looked absolutely lost in his first training camp with the Chiefs and it was not a surprise to see him stashed on the practice squad during his rookie campaign. Last year, however, the difference in play was quite noticeable. Powell looked like he belonged and flashed some solid catches for K.C. in the preseason. The end result was being activated for the first few games of his professional career in ’22, almost completely for special teams duty.

That sort of eventual trust built is a good sign going forward. How will Powell look with two full years with these coaches? Will things open up for him with Matt Nagy at offensive coordinator and Connor Embree as his new positional coach? New faces bring new points of emphasis and Powell might just show he’s a late-bloomer on more than one level in 2023. If so, it’d be a welcome surprise.