Kansas City Chiefs receiver Skyy Moore might be safer than you think

Originally drafted as the 54th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Kansas City Chiefs receiver Skyy Moore has not yet lived up to draft expectations. Let's be frank — that's a charitable way to say he's been a bust to this point. Through 30 NFL games, in a receiver room that's left a ton to be desired, he's amassed 494 receiving yards and one touchdown on 43 catches. It's been tough sledding for the Western Michigan product.

It doesn't help that the receiving corps has gotten a recent infusion of talent with the offseason acquisition of Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and draft selections of Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Moore finds himself in a crowded room with high upside and plus athleticism. The opportunity to become a core piece of Kansas City's offense has virtually faded. His best chance at this stage is to become a consistent role player who can secure a spot in the back half of the receiver depth chart. Fortunately for him, I believe he'll have that opportunity in 2024.

It's tempting to believe once the roster is set, Moore will be on the outside looking in. If the Chiefs carry six receivers in 2024, can Moore secure one of those spots with such heavy competition in the receiver room? The likelihood is that Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Justin Watson are locks to make the team. That leaves a handful of receivers vying for two roster spots. There are good reasons to think Mecole Hardman will snag one of them given how fast and dynamic he is with the ball in his hands. Can Moore survive Kadarius Toney, Justyn Ross, and Nikko Remigio to be the last man standing? My answer might surprise you.

Not only do I believe Moore has a strong chance to stick, but I believe he's safer than any of the other receivers competing for the last two spots. Kadarius Toney's reportedly spent some time working with running backs since camp opened, Justyn Ross is quietly heating up in St. Joseph, and the coaching staff appears quite fond of Remigio's skill set. That said, Moore is the only player in that quartet Kansas City's made a serious investment into. He's a former second-round pick and while that certainly doesn't guarantee the patience of your draft organization, it can buy you time. The Chiefs have Moore on a rookie deal and under team control until 2026. He has a combined cap hit of less than $4 million over that span.

It'd be unreasonable to characterize him as productive since he was drafted in 2022, but comparatively, he's put far more on tape than the likes of Toney, Ross, and Remigio. Despite a strong camp in 2023, Ross played just 20% of the offensive snaps last season. His biggest contribution to the team was mostly on special teams. Toney's dealt with a litany of injuries during his tenure with the Chiefs. Remigio has been a camp favorite but was sidelined with a shoulder injury after being a standout in last year's camp. In short terms, Moore has a relatively low bar to clear. The good news is that he's reportedly made the most of his opportunity thus far in camp.

""He’s a few years into this thing now. Just cut loose and play through it. Go play, and he’s doing a nice job with that. He’s actually playing good football right now.""

- Head coach Andy Reid

Moore knows full well he's behind the eight ball at this stage. He had this to say about his 2023 performance, “I feel like it just didn’t happen. I came up here, you know, to put the work in and did what I had to do. Sometimes, it just doesn’t go the way we planned it to. So we get right back on the horse [and] keep riding.” Make no mistake, Moore needs a strong showing for the remainder of camp. He can also strengthen his case by making plays in preseason action.

Overall, I'm convinced the coaching staff is less concerned with his development than fans. Rice's impressive rookie campaign is rare for young receivers in Andy Reid offenses. Historically, it's taken time for inexperienced wideouts to grow into Reid's system. Moore may not figure into Kansas City's long-term plans, but I'm persuaded that he'll have one last chance with the Chiefs in 2024.