Despite Injury Delay, Chiefs Remain Intrigued by Skyy Moore
Now that NFL teams are well over a week removed from the 2022 NFL Draft, they're getting back to their preparations for the upcoming season. The Kansas City Chiefs are no different, as the team conducted its rookie minicamp over the weekend and wrapped activities up on Monday.
Kansas City hosted a packed house of rookies this spring, with many of them being the team's own in-house draft picks. Other roles were filled by undrafted free agent signings and camp-only invites alike. One player who arrived at rookie minicamp at less than 100% — Western Michigan wide receiver Skyy Moore — still managed to make his presence felt.
Western Michigan wide receiver Skyy Moore is tackled by Michigan defensive back Brad Hawkins during the first half in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021.
Moore, who the Chiefs traded back from pick No. 50 to snag just four selections later in the second round, suffered a hamstring injury before arriving in Kansas City. Both he and head coach Andy Reid describe the ailment as a minor tweak, and Reid told the media on Monday that the 21-year-old should be ready to go when voluntary offseason workouts roll around near the end of the month. Moore hasn't been able to participate in team drills, but Reid is still intrigued by his first-year wideout.
“I’m curious to see how he does," Reid said. "We didn’t get much of a look here, but the thing I liked in college was he was strong, physically strong. The things they did with him, he is very good at, so whether it was the short-intermediate game, there’s the long game. He could do it all. He has good speed. He’s got good hands, huge hands, 10-plus, and long arms. But he’s strong. You could see it. You guys saw him on the field out there. He’s put together now, so I look forward to seeing him play. Seems like a smart kid.”
Moore entered the draft as one of the more NFL-ready receivers in this year's class, boasting plus speed and quickness with impressive length and play strength. When combined with his hands, as Reid mentioned, it gives him quite the combination of traits to work with. Although his 5-foot-10 frame may not suggest it, Moore can function on the boundary in addition to serving as a sturdy slot option.
Additionally, Moore is capable of winning at all three areas of the field. He'll be expected to help insulate the Chiefs' receiving room after losing Tyreek Hill, Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson this offseason. When asked what he'd be able to bring to the collective unit, Moore pointed to his do-it-all ability.
“I feel like the receiving room that I’m walking into has everything, but I feel like I bring versatility and just another playmaker," Moore said.
Sep 18, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Skyy Moore (24) steps out of bounds just short of the end zone past Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Cam Bright (38) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Broncos won 44-41. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Moore is right: Kansas City's flock of wideouts does contain just about everything. It starts at the top, where JuJu Smith-Schuster projects to be a "big slot" and a security blanket for Patrick Mahomes. Smith-Schuster wins with physicality and sound route-running prowess as opposed to blazing speed. He'll set the tone for the rest of the group this season.
Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are field-stretchers who are lethal with the ball in their hands and possess the ever-important speed to keep opposing defenses honest. Josh Gordon, Daurice Fountain, Corey Coleman and newly-signed undrafted free agent Justyn Ross all have their own respective standout characteristics, although it remains to be seen which of those four will make the team's 53-man roster in a few months.
Where Moore slots in along the Chiefs' wide receiver depth chart is unclear. It's reasonable to expect him to be no lower than fourth, whether he ends up assuming a more prominent role than that or not. One thing has been made clear from the get-go at rookie minicamp, though: Moore has definitely piqued the interest of his new head coach. That's never a bad place to start, especially considering the injury.
