Fantasy Alert: Chiefs' Justyn Ross Makes 53-Man Roster After Standout Preseason

Wide receiver Justyn Ross has made the Kansas City Chiefs' initial 53-man roster, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic on Tuesday.

Ross joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Clemson in 2022. He missed all of last season after Kansas City placed him on injured reserve following offseason foot surgery in response to an injury suffered in Nov. 2021 when he played for Clemson.

Ross is part of a crowded Chiefs wide receiver room, per Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride:

As Taylor noted, Ross "projects to be the seventh receiver" on the Chiefs' roster.

Ross was thought of as a potential first-round pick after starring for the 2018 champion Clemson squad, catching 46 passes for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. He notably snagged six passes for 153 yards and a score in the national championship versus Alabama.

Unfortunately, injuries prevented Ross from seeing the field for parts of his time at Clemson, and they also hindered his tremendous ceiling.

"Ross learned in the spring of 2020 that he had a previously undetected congenital fusion in his spine, which threatened to end his career," Taylor wrote. "He had surgery to repair a bulging disk, went through an extensive rehab and had to wait a year and a half to return to the field."

He returned in 2021 and made 46 receptions for 514 yards and three touchdowns.

Ross missed all of last year, but he's emerged as one of the Chiefs' training camp stars, even earning praise from two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.

"He [Justyn Ross] has had a good one [training camp] – learning the offense fast – you can tell he has been in the offense for a year now," Mahomes said, per Logan Lazarczyk of Chiefs Wire. "Obviously [he is] making big plays. He is getting more involved in those first-team reps. [He is] a guy that I hope can be a really good player in this offense."

Ross may have trouble getting playing time in 2023 given the litany of pass-catchers on the team, but if his number is called, don't be surprised to see him make the most of his opportunities based on his preseason work.