Who Will Win Kansas City's No. 2 Wide Receiver Battle?

The statistic most commonly brought up about the Kansas City Chiefs from 2014 is the amount of touchdown passes thrown to wide receivers: zero.

Primarily led by Dwayne Bowe, the receiving corps did little favors for Alex Smith. Behind Bowe’s 60 catches, Albert Wilson caught 16 and Donnie Avery pulled in 15.

Outside of Bowe, Smith connected mostly with tight end Travis Kelce and running back Jamaal Charles. Kelce led the team with 67 catches, while also leading the team in receiving yards with 862 and tying first in touchdown catches with five. Charles was third on the team in receptions, finishing with 40. 

It is no secret the Chiefs needed a new primary receiver, hence why the team reached out to and signed former Philadelphia Eagles wideout Jeremy Maclin, who will reunite with Andy Reid in Kansas City. The former Missouri Tiger was the best wide receiver available in free agency as he concluded his 2014 campaign with the best one of his career with 85 catches for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns, all of which were career highs or tied for a career best.

Smith has viable pass-catchers in Maclin, Kelce and Charles, but some help at the No. 2 wide receiver spot would still go a long way in helping a pass offense that ranked 29th.

Veteran Jason Avant and second-year player Albert Wilson vie for the No. 2 wide receiver spot.

Avant joined the Chiefs midway through the 2014 season after being let go by the Carolina Panthers. Avant, who played under Reid’s guidance for seven years in Philadelphia, appeared in just five games for the Chiefs.

Though Avant has never been a major impact player, he brings a lot of familiarity to Reid’s offensive style, which is vital for a team looking to improve at wide receiver.

In 2014 altogether with Kansas City and Carolina, Avant caught 34 passes for 353 yards and one touchdowns. Avant caught just 13 passes for 152 yards in the few games he played for the Chiefs. 

The Chiefs signed Wilson as a free agent after he went undrafted coming out of Georgia State. While handling return duties in college, Wilson was a standout during his senior year in the Sun Belt conference when he caught 71 passes for 1,177 yards, the most receiving yards by a receiver in a single season in the conference since 2007. Wilson also had eight touchdown grabs that year.

Nolan Nawrocki of NFL.com's scouting team highlighted Wilson's speed, leaping ability and ability to catch in traffic. His speed is what Chiefs fans were impressed with the most as he managed to make a couple of defenders miss in 2014. 

Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press

Wilson appeared in only one game from Week 1 through 5. Following the bye week in Week 6, Wilson appeared in every game from Week 7 and beyond. He finished with 16 catches for 260 yards as he managed to record 12 receptions for 209 yards in three consecutive games late in the season.

Given Avant’s veteran experience and knowledge of Reid’s offense, he will enter the season opener as a starter. But as the season progresses, don’t be surprised if Wilson takes over the spot.

Wilson has good hands and can use his speed and agility to his advantage. Whether it is on short throws or deep passes, Wilson can outrun defensive backs and make a difference on the field. His biggest obstacle is the transition of playing in the Sun Belt conference in college to playing the in NFL. But with what Wilson showed at the end of last year, he gives fans a reason to be optimistic and believe he can do well.

Wilson will earn more repetition in OTAs and training camp, which should help him develop. Early in the season, he should see more time, which will help continue his development and earn him more starts in 2015 and eventually be the team’s main No. 2 receiver.

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