Laddie Morse
The Kansas City Chiefs have already undergone a dramatic process of change from the team that won the Super Bowl just a few months ago. Those Chiefs won the biggest game of the year without a super Wide Receiver, but that drawback has been remedied. In fact, the 2024 Chiefs have not only signed a wonderful Free Agent Wide Receiver, but they have drafted another player to their roster who will step up and help their three-peat cause, 100%.
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Breakout Player #1
Marquise Hollywood Brown was signed by the Chiefs GM earlier this year on March 18th. The signing of Brown, along with the releasing of Marquez Valdes-Scantling two weeks previous to that, immediately upgrades the Chiefs passing game. Yes, Brown only had 709 and 574 yards receiving in each of the last two years for the Arizona Cardinals, but he was a one-thousand yard WR prior to that with the Baltimore Ravens and paired with Patrick Mahomes should become a standout wideout for K.C. in 2024.
One area that Brown has consistently been over 10 yards is in YPR — Yards Per Reception — averaging 11.6 for his career. In his one-thousand yard receiving season he averaged 5.7 receptions per game and it’s easy to see how Brown could average that again in 2024. Thus, you have a breakout player.
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Breakout Player #2
Xavier Worthy is not just a fast WR, so we’ve been told. Worthy averaged 14.0 YPR over his three seasons while at the University of Texas. While Worthy had a one-thousand yard plus season last year, his running mate as a receiver, Adonai Mitchell, never did break that barrier in his three seasons, two of which were at Georgia. If Worthy averages 12 YPR, he needs only 4.9 receptions per game to reach the lofty goal of 1,000 yards receiving for the season. I think he can reach that especially with Patrick Mahomes pitching the ball to him.
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Whiel Many are hoping the Chiefs have fixed their wide receiver room, I think there’s a second year man on the defensive die of the ball who will breakout as well.
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Breakout Player #3
Felix Anudike-Uzomah — FAU — is a Defensive End who will be getting plenty of reps this season. Will he match George Karlaftis rookie production of 6.0 sacks? I’m not so sure about that. If FAU get in on 75% of the snaps for the season, like Karlaftis did in his rookie year, that’s very possible.
FAU was in on 20% of the defensive snaps in 2023 and produced 0.5 sacks. While that’s not nearly what is needed from the first round pick in 2023, his overall play may give us a clue as to his possible production in 2024.
While the possible breakout year for Felix Anudike-Uzomah is more wishful thinking than actual fact at this point, I’m pretty sure the Chiefs have a diamond in the rough in waiting.
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Breakout Player #4
While Kadarius Toney appeared in only 5 games last season for the Chiefs, and only had 169 receiving yards to show for it, he’s my 4th player who will breakout in 2024. Let’s not forget what Terez Paylor (RIP) used to say, “The contract year is undefeated.” With Kadarius Toney in the midst of his rookie contract — the Chiefs have decided not to activate his 5th year option — and having it expire at the end of the 2024 season, there is a high likelihood that he’ll breakout this year. Hopefully, that’s in a big way. We’re all waiting.
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Breakout Player #5
Justin Watson is a wide receiver who will breakout this year. With Rashee Rice in legal trouble, Watson will be called upon to step up and step up he will. Watson is a 4.41 – 40 yard dash man and came out of Penn State in 2018. The Daily Pennsylvanian, dp.com said of Watson:
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“After a record-setting four years with Penn football,
wide receiver Justin Watson is trying to take his game
to the pros. And Monday was a big step towards that.”
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Watson had 20 reps at 225 lbs. and also leaped 40 inches in the vertical jump, so, he’s explosive. Watson was a 5th round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and he spent his first four seasons with the Buccaneers. He may be a good reason why the Chiefs didn’t take another WR in the draft.
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Are there any Chiefs players you believe will breakout in 2024?
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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