Kansas City Chiefs fans already have a good idea of what training camp will look like. Andy Reid will put the team through some gruelling practices. We’ll get a couple Patrick Mahomes no-look throw highlights.
But for the most part, the team’s stars will stay quiet. Training camp isn’t the time for the team’s known starters to make an impact, but rather time for some of the under-the-radar pieces to prove they belong on this roster.
This is especially true at the wide receiver position, where the depth chart is far but solidified. There are plenty of familiar faces in the room, but there are also a few newcomers who could shake up the roster at receiver. And one of those newcomers is already making a strong case for himself.
WR Tyquan Thornton Stealing the Show at Chiefs Training Camp
Tyquan Thornton has been an unexpected breakout story for the Chiefs. He first started flashing his playmaking in OTAs.
Now at camp, not only is he getting chances to run with the first-team offense, but he’s making some highlight plays to make the most of that role. And while we’re not about to see Thornton jump someone like Rashee Rice to actually be a starter at the position, this does warrant a closer look at the depth chart.
Tyquan Thornton with an outstanding, full-extension catch down the sideline during 7-on-7. Great play.
https://twitter.com/KCChiefs_Matt/status/1948034190756237406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Let’s assume Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy and Jalen Royals are locks to the make the roster. That leaves maybe two roster spots and a couple of practice squads left for every other receiver to fight over. And the list of other receivers in the building is a long one:
- Skyy Moore
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Tyquan Thornton
- Nikko Remigio
- Jason Brownlee
- Jimmy Holiday
- Elijah Badger
- Mac Dalena
- Hal Presley
Now, some of these names are huge long-shots to make an impact. Holiday, Badger, Dalena and Presley are all undrafted free agents, who are far more likely to be cut than make the final 53-man roster. But that does leave us an interesting group in the middle.
Moore, Smith-Schuster and Thornton can all make a real case for themselves. But it would be unusual for the Chiefs to carry seven WRs on the 53-man roster, and that means one of them will likely be the odd man out (especially if Remigio’s special teams value lands him a job).
Moore and JuJu are both familiar faces in KC, but not necessarily in a good way. Moore didn’t record a single catch in 6 games last year, and he’s yet to even hit 500 career receiving yards in three seasons since being a second-round pick in 2022. Smith-Schuster actually made eight starts last year, but only racked up 18 receptions for 231 yards. That leaves room for Thornton, the unknown quantity, to make a case for himself.
Also a second-round pick in 2022 (selected five spots ahead of Moore), Thornton’s career trajectory with the New England Patriots looks very similar to Moore’s so far, and he has just 285 yards on 39 receptions to his name. But it’s very different to struggle in a dysfunctional Patriots organization (and an offense that has ranked no better than 20th in passing yards in any of his three seasons) than in Kansas City. If he flashes potential in camp, the Chiefs’ coaching staff may decide that they can be the ones that can unlock the potential that made him a second-round pick in the first place.
It’s still an uphill battle for Thornton, but this early surge at camp makes him a name that Chiefs fans need to take notice of.
