Returning Chiefs, Vol. 4: Skyy Moore

Fans are impatient. After the hope of drafting one of the receivers at the top of this draft class came and went on Thursday, there was a general tone of disappointment around Chiefs Kingdom. After all, much of the talk for the past few weeks has been about a DeAndre Hopkins trade or drafting one of Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison, or Quentin Johnston. No doubt, new talent in that group would be huge for the offense, but it’s increasingly clear how the Chiefs feel as I’ve mentioned before.

Unlike us fickle fans, the Chiefs haven’t forgotten that they have one of the best 2022 receiver prospects in the building already and, if his most recent production is a sign of things to come, we should be excited for what number 24 can become in this offense.

Better Late Than Never

When he was drafted with the 54th overall pick in 2022, Skyy Moore was expected to play a big part in replacing Tyreek Hill in the Chiefs’ offense. Instead, it became clear that Skyy brought some of the same things to the table as other players the Chiefs planned to rely on like Juju Smith-Schuster.

Skyy wasn’t heavily involved early and instead was relegated to “watch & learn” duty on offense. In most cases, the lack of involvement would be concerning for a young player with high expectations. Lucky for Chiefs Kingdom, Skyy was ready to roll in the postseason when he was forced into a larger role. After having a marginal impact in the regular season, it was encouraging and energizing to see Moore step in and play well when he was absolutely needed.

His rookie year will always be commemorated by his clutch punt return in the AFC Championship Game and his first NFL touchdown in the Super Bowl. Hopefully, as Moore’s career unfolds, we start to look at that stretch of play as a springboard of things to come.

Sophomore Step

Not only will Skyy Moore be asked to take on a more significant role in 2023, but he will also already be one of longest tenured Chiefs in the receiver room. Moore, MVS, Justin Watson, and Justyn Ross all have only been Chiefs for one season. Everyone else on the roster has shown up after that group.

Believe it or not, Skyy Moore will be one of the most familiar receivers with Patrick Mahomes and if he continues his trajectory from the end of last season, we could see a major improvement in year two. The 206 combined targets between Juju Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, and Jerick McKinnon have to find new places to go and Skyy figures to be one of the top recipients.

I think he’ll be really good with the increased opportunity and I’m excited to see him during camp and the preseason in his first opportunities as a focal point in the offense.