5 Chiefs on Thin Ice Heading Into the NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft is fast approaching and we're starting to get an idea of what players the Chiefs are honing in on. We've seen mock drafts and while most of this is guesswork at this point, we can still get insight from some obvious needs the team has.

Given the Chiefs have seven selections in the upcoming draft and Brett Veach has done an excellent job in recent years of identifying talent, it's likely Kansas City will get multiple valuable playmakers out of this draft class.

However, that means some players' jobs aren't safe. With that in mind, let's look at five Chiefs on thin ice heading into the NFL Draft.

5 Chiefs on Thin Ice Before 2024 NFL Draft

1. Kadarius Toney - WR

Betting odds suggest the Chiefs are planning to draft a wide receiver with their first pick, a sensical decision given the overall depth of the group in this class. It's possible Kansas City walks away with multiple receivers, creating a logjam at the position.

As a result, Kadarius Toney stands a lot to lose based on how this could play out. He was recently spotted working out with Patrick Mahomes in Texas but struggled through a miserable 2023 season and was a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs. Given his off-field issues and limited production, it's easy to imagine Toney being the odd man out.

Toney, who had just 169 receiving yards and one TD last year, is fighting an uphill battle to prove he belongs on the roster. He brings a unique ability to force tackles in the open field and proved as much with his record-breaking 65-yard punt return in the Super Bowl two years ago.

The former first-round pick has a fully guaranteed contract for the upcoming season, so the Chiefs are incentivized to see if he can make a positive impact. Toney is on the shortest possible leash though, and he's running out of time to stick with Kansas City long-term.

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2. Wanya Morris - LT

One of the biggest remaining question marks for this roster is the left tackle position. 2023 starter Donovan Smith is still a free agent, meaning Wanya Morris is the presumtive starter if the Chiefs don't make any further moves.

However, Kansas City has been tied to tackles in the first round and there have been no indications from the organization that they plan to enter 2024-25 with Morris as the starter. The 2023 third-round pick fared well while stepping in for Smith late in the year, though he's got a wide range of outcomes for the new year.

Morris could either be the starting left tackle for the foreseeable future or he could be a backup moving forward, depending on what happens in the draft.

I believe that Morris has a bright future with the franchise and could serve as the starter, but it's possible the coaching staff views him more as a swing tackle and backup long-term that a bonafide starter.

What the Chiefs do in the first few rounds will tell us a lot. If they pass on tackle and don't re-sign Smith, Morris will be plugged in as the starting left tackle. SInce his future is uncertain though, he has to be considered on thin ice.

3. Felix Anudike-Uzomah - DE

The 2023 first-round pick saw limited playing time in his first season with the Chiefs and was always viewed as more of a project than a day-one starter. That being said, Kansas City is loaded at defensive line and the room could get even more crowded should the organization add another edge rusher in the draft.

If Anudike-Uzomah struggles to see the field in his second year, it's hard to argue against the pick being a waste. With Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Mike Danna and Charles Omenihu in the fold and ahead of Felix in the pecking order, he faces an uphill climb to prove he was worth a first-round selection.

He's had promising moments albeit in limited snaps. Anudike-Uzomah might see more snaps early in the year given Omenihu's ongoing recovery from his ACL tear, giving him an opportunity to deliver on the high draft pedigree.

There are more questions than answers about the former Kansas State Wildcat at this point though. Brett Veach hasn't had many misses in the NFL Draft, but the fanbase may sour on Anudike-Uzomah if we go two full years without him making an impact.

If the Chiefs take a pass rusher early in the draft, that'll suggest Anudike-Uzomah hasn't progressed as much as they'd like.

4. Skyy Moore - WR

Moore missed the second half of the season and the playoff run with an injury, but he's a similar boat that Kadarius Toney is in. The 2022 second-round selection's ice isn't as thin as Toney's, but he's at risk of being quickly phased out of the offense should the Chiefs prioritize wide receiver as expected.

After a disappointing rookie campaign with just 250 receiving yards, Moore caught 21 passes for 244 yards and one TD in 2023. He's struggled with drops and separation, failing to earn Patrick Mahomes' trust despite being in the system for two years.

Given the significant troubles the wide receiver room gave Kansas City's offense, you can understand if Veach chooses to find Moore's potential replacement early in the 2024 draft.

Plays like this one underscore the troubles that Mahomes' limited trust in Moore can cause. If Mahomes hesitates and doesn't believe in Moore to make the right play, the timing of the entire offense is screwed up.

Sometimes it takes wide receivers a few years to adjust to the speed of the NFL. That may be the case with Moore, but early results are discouraging about his long-term prospects as a member of the organization.

5. Rashee Rice - WR

There are a lot of wide receivers on this list, but how can Rice not be included?

He was spectacular in his rookie campaign but now faces significant uncertainty about his future with the Chiefs and NFL at large. New details keep emerging about the six-vehicle crash Rice helped cause that injured four people, including a three-year-old child dealing with mobility and vision impairment.

Rice has turned himself in to Dallas police and faces eight charges, two of which are felonies. I'd be surprised if he faces jail time, but it's still a realistic possibility given the charges and the NFL's recent trouble with crash-related tragedies.

The 2023 second-round pick has publicly apologized and is cooperating with authorities, though we don't yet know what punishment he'll face from the NFL or Chiefs.

If Rice misses the beginning of the season or worse, Andy Reid and Brett Veach could decide to start finding his potential replacement now. Just a couple of months ago, Rice looked like the most important wide receiver on the team.

Now? All we have are questions. We'll see what happens with the story and we'll update you as information becomes available, but the Chiefs need to plan for all possibilities and be ready in case Rice misses significant time.

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