The connection between Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill in Kansas City was special. NFL viewers were treated to the spectacle of a deep ball to Hill, or a scramble drill that ended in a connection.
But fans have seen the last of the dynamic pairing. On Wednesday, the Chiefs traded Hill to the Dolphins, ending the run between star quarterback and star receiver after four years.
Mahomes and the Chiefs still have tight end Travis Kelce as a target in the passing game, but the drop-off from Hill to the rest of the wide receiver room is steep. Since Mahomes took over as the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2018, only Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle have recorded more than 500 receiving yards in a season among players not named Hill or Kelce. Watkins last played for Kansas City in 2019 and Pringle is now a member of the Bears.
MORE: Tyreek Hill trade grades
Hardman figures to fill a crucial role with the team, as does recent signee JuJu Smith-Schuster. But just what will the rest of the receiver room look like in 2022? The Sporting News takes a look at the Chiefs' depth chart to find out who Mahomes will be throwing to next season.
Chiefs WR depth chart
1. JuJu Smith-Schuster
Smith-Schuster will likely become the immediate new No. 1 wide receiver. He signed a one-year, $10.75 million contract with the team after spending the past four years with the Steelers. He was limited to five games in the 2021 campaign because of a shoulder injury, catching 15 passes for 129 yards. Smith-Schuster had been a reliable target for Ben Roethlisberger in the past; he recorded a career-best 111 receptions and 1,426 receiving yards in 2018 and compiled 831 receiving yards in 2020. Smith-Schuster has never been regarded as particularly fast — he clocked a 4.54 40 time in the 2017 NFL Combine — and his average depth of target has never reached double digits. In the past two years, the average was below 7 yards. Still, if he can stay healthy, he could be an impact player for the Chiefs.
MORE: How Davante Adams' contract sparked KC's trade of Hill to Dolphins
2. Mecole Hardman
Hardman could eventually become KC's top wide receiver given his rapport with Mahomes, but he has yet to take the next step in his career and be a game-changing receiver. Hardman has recorded at least 500 receiving yards in each of his three seasons in Kansas City, but to this point he has only once recorded more than 100 receiving yards in a game. Hardman should see increased usage in 2022 given his deep-ball ability — twice, he has been over 10 yards for average depth of target — and his yards after catch per reception even exceeded Hill's each season they were teammates. And with a 4.33 40 time, he has the speed to improvise when Mahomes scrambles. This could be the season he steps up his production.
3. Josh Gordon
This is where things start get dicey for the Chiefs. Gordon is clearly next up on the wide receiver depth chart after he signed a one-year, $1.12 million contract to return to Kansas City after appearing in 12 games with the Chiefs in 2021. Gordon caught five passes for 32 yards and a touchdown last season after missing all of 2020 because of suspension. In 2013, Gordon was viewed as a future star after he caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards for the Browns, but since then he has been suspended multiple times for substance abuse violations. He appeared in just 33 games between 2014 and 2019, catching 110 passes for 1,801 yards during that span. Gordon, who's entering his Age 31 season, will almost certainly be a regular for the Chiefs if they don't make any additions.
MORE: Ranking the Chiefs' 10 best options to replace Hill
4. Justin Watson
Watson is the only other wide receiver on the Chiefs' current roster who has caught more than two passes in his career. Watson spent the past four years with the Buccaneers, though he missed most of the 2021 campaign with a knee injury. From 2019 through 2020, Watson caught 22 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns — both coming in '19.
5. Daurice Fountain/Gehrig Dieter
Fountain and Dieter round out the list almost by default. The other wide receivers on the Chiefs' roster are Mathew Sexton, Cornell Powell, Gary Jennings, Chris Finke and Omar Bayless, who have combined for zero NFL receptions. Fountain caught two passes for the Colts in 2020 for 23 yards, while Dieter caught a pass for 10 yards in 2020 and a pass for 22 yards in 2018.
