The Chiefs have added craftiness and speed to their depleted receiver core after last season’s struggles. Their offense looked blunt and lacked imagination. That the receivers dropped their catches didn’t help matters. While the catches of players like Valdes-Scantling and Toney were given more prominence, Chiefs rookie Rashee Rice was the best on his team in that category.

NFL writer John Frascella recently took X and listed the players with the most drops in the league last season, and some of the best receivers found themselves on the list.

Rashee Rice, the team’s second-leading receiver in his rookie season, ranks 6th on the list and dropped 8 passes last season. Despite starting only 8 games, he caught enough passes and caught 79 of 107 passes. He caught 77.5% of his passes, rushed for 938 yards and scored 7 touchdowns.

Mahomes, who had his worst season statistically last year, still managed 4,000 yards.

Rice wasn’t the only one dropping a significant number of passes, however. The ever-reliable Travis Kelce also dropped 7 passes, followed by Justin Watson with 4. In total, the Chiefs’ receivers dropped 44 passes.

According to Frascella’s list, Rams star Puca Nacua was the league’s top scorer with 13 sacks. Playing with fifth-best quarterback Stafford, he was targeted 160 times and rushed for an impressive 1,486 yards. Unlike Rashee, he started every game in his rookie season.

Tyreek Hill, the league’s best player and the player with the most receiving yards with 1,799 yards last season, dropped 12 passes.

Mahomes was pretty much on his own last season as his wideouts struggled, but this season the Chiefs have finally managed to create a competent receiving room with plenty of depth by drafting a wideout in the first round for the first time in the Mahomes era.

Their receivers include Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Mecole Hardman, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, John Ross and Kadarius Toney. However, players like Toney have continued their struggles from last season.

Kadarius Toney struggles to keep up

Toney’s problems from last season are well documented: he dropped passes and struggled to keep up with the pace. It seems that not much has changed for him in the new season.

With the franchise’s new signings, he has slipped further down the pecking order and finds himself in a difficult position. Andy Reid, who has defended him in the past, issued a warning to the former Giants wide receiver.

Reid stressed that if Toney wants to make the team, as the Chiefs have enough depth in the passing game, he will need to develop some consistency and be at his best, he said.

Because he’s more of a fringe player, he may not make the roster, especially as a wideout. Toney has been used as a kick returner in the past, and with the new kickoff rules, he could make himself indispensable in that department. He’s been seen at RB drills.

If he gives up on the idea of ​​playing receiver and focuses on being a return specialist, there is hope he can make the roster. Otherwise, it feels like his time in Kansas City is over.