4 Biggest Winners From Chiefs Offseason Workouts

Kansas City Chiefs fans are nearing meaningful football as the NFL offseason chugs along. The Chiefs wrapped up their mandatory minicamp on Thursday, meaning the next stop on the Offseason Express is none other than training camp, which opens next month.

While the majority of the Chiefs' 2024 roster is practically guaranteed, there are still spots up for grabs. Veteran and rookie players alike have been using this year's OTAs and minicamps to prove why they deserve to be in head coach Andy Reid's plans going forward, leaving time to tell who'll still be in the 53-man mix come August.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the four biggest Chiefs winners from the team's offseason workouts.

1. Marquise Brown, WR

Last week, I wrote about how free-agent acquisition Marquise Brown's stock was on the rise following a strong OTA showing. The veteran wide receiver, who signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs back in March, demonstrated immediate chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, leaving Kansas City fans feeling hopeful about the upcoming campaign.

Of course, those were just OTAs and the fanbase wanted to see what Brown could do once the competition ramped up. Fortunately, he still looking like one of the best NFL offseason additions.

On Wednesday, Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney declared that Brown was the best offensive player on Day 2 of minicamp. According to Sweeney, the 27-year-old player looked like he had been playing with Mahomes "for a while" as the duo connected on two touchdowns ‚ including a beautiful over-the-shoulder grab.

Chiefs fans must be stoked seeing the chemistry that Brown and Mahomes share before even playing a regular-season snap together. Making those plays won't be as easy once the campaign begins, but the fact that they don't look like strangers is a positive things for Kansas City.

Hopefully, the dynamic duo can keep things rolling into training camp.

2. Rashee Rice, WR

It's safe to see that Rashee Rice's offseason didn't begin on the right foot. After impressively tallying nearly 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie, Rice was arrested back in April after allegedly being involved in a multi-car accident in Dallas, leaving many people to wonder what the incident meant for his future.

The 24-year-old pass-catcher could've hidden from the spotlight during minicamp, but he didn't. Instead, Rice did the right thing by owning up to his mistakes to the media earlier this week, saying that he's learning to grow and mature from the accident. That's the type of player most coaches want on their roster as opposed to someone who deflects and denies accountability.

You couldn't blame Rice if the situation caused a distraction during the Chiefs' latest workouts, but that hasn't been the case. He's been one of the team's standout performers and continues to see opportunities from Mahomes, having led his teammates with nine targets on Tuesday before finishing one back of the lead with four on Wednesday.

Rice will likely serve some form of suspension for his actions, but it's clear that the Chiefs are planning for him to play in the majority of games. He already showed that he was one of the NFL's best young WRs as a rookie and having a productive, drama-free summer could be key to taking his game to the next level.

If Rice keeps making positive headlines and improving, his legal issues will be a small blemish on his career when all is said and done.

3. Joshua Williams, CB

A former 2022 fourth-round pick, Joshua Williams hasn't seen a lot of playing time during his Chiefs tenure. Even though he's only missed one game across his first two regular seasons, the ex-Fayetteville State product only started six of those games while playing less than 40% of defensive snaps.

Having said that, Williams could see more opportunities if his offseason performance is anything to judge.

During OTAs, the 24-year-old defender was disrupting players and even had an 11-on-11 red-zone interception back on June 7. He did a good job at keeping up with the Chiefs' offensive weapons, which is encouraging for a player who Pro Football Focus listed as Kansas City's breakout candidate for the 2024 campaign.

Fortunately, Williams' success has bled into the mandatory minicamp sessions. He was Sweeney's top-rated defender on Day 2 after breaking up two passes from Mahomes that likely would've been touchdowns, including one red-zone target that was sent to Brown.

With defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in his corner, the best of Williams might be yet to come. Hopefully, he keeps making big plays in training camp because the confidence that stems from them could be enough to take his game to new heights.

4. Jared Wiley, TE

Rookie tight end Jared Wiley is another player who had a strong OTA performance after the Chiefs selected him 131st overall in April. The former TCU pass-catcher was solid on the field, but what really impressed the coaching staff was his ability to understand head coach Andy Reid's verbiage and offensive schemes, which aren't too different from what he was used to with the Horned Frogs.

But with that being said, understanding terminology and playcalls doesn't mean much if it doesn't produce on-field results.

The good news is that Wiley knows how to talk the talk and walk the walk. The 23-year-old TE opened the mandatory minicamp with a 7-on-7 touchdown on Day 1 and followed it up with an even bigger encore. On Day 2, Wiley caught a whopping six passes with three of those catches being touchdowns — including two in the red zone.

It's at the point where Sweeney is under the impression that Wiley will be a big red-zone presence in 2024 and beyond.

If that isn't promising enough, Wiley is receiving a ton of praise from both coaches and players. Veteran TE Travis Kelce — one of the best to ever play the position — said that Wiley understands Reid's offense better than he did as a rookie while the Chiefs' head coach added that the first-year pro has "got a nice feel for the game."

Even if Wiley ends up only having half the career that Kelce has, there'd be zero reason to complain. Expectations should be kept low during his rookie year (as they should be for most fourth-rounders), but it's clear that Wiley has the potential to be something special if his offseason workout showing is any indication.

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