Kansas City Chiefs have finally replaced Tyreek Hill, he could become Mahomes’ favorite target

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Down the stretch of the 2023 NFL regular season, we saw a new star receiver emerge for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rashee Rice had his share of ups and downs in his rookie campaign, but there’s a lot to look forward to from him in the future.

Rashee Rice’s biggest attributes

The Chiefs selected Rice with the 55th selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

His impressive leaping ability on jump-ball challenges and his blend of size, length and speed enabled him to make the Chiefs roster in his rookie year.

We saw him possess a unique ability to keep opposing cornerbacks stacked once he’s on top, while doing an excellent job of tracking balls.

Rashee Rice’s best statistical numbers this season

Rice featured in 16 regular season affairs for the Chiefs in 2023.

He made 79 receptions for 938 yards, second on the team in both departments behind Travis Kelce.

In the playoffs, Rice set a Chiefs rookie playoff record with eight receptions for 130 yards in their victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Had he played in their final regular season game Rice could’ve set a new franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie, entering that game against the Chargers just 57 yards behind Dwayne Bowe’s mark from 2007.

Rashee Rice’s biggest flaw this season

Like most receivers entering their first NFL season, Rice had his share of flaws in year one.

His biggest was the amount of drops he incurred.

KC led the NFL in drops during the regular season, with Rice dropping eight, the most on the team.

He had a 7.8 drop percentage before the playoffs began.

In the postseason, Rice caught 26 passes on 33 targets.

Rashee Rice improved as season went on

While Rice went through his share of growing pains in 2023, he came on strong down the stretch of the campaign.

According to Fox Sports from Week 12-17, Rice was tied for third in the league with 43 receptions, finishing fourth with 518 yards per Next Gen Stats.

His first career 100-yard receiving game came in their Week 12 triumph over the Las Vegas Raiders (31-17), making eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.

He had 10 big plays during the 2023 regular season, including the longest receiving play for the team (67 yards).

Rice’s expectations for 2024

After what Rice showed down the stretch of 2023 and into the playoffs, his expectations will be sky-high next season.

Although he finished second to Travis Kelce in receptions and receiving yards, there’s reason to believe he’ll be Patrick Mahomes’ primary target in 2024.

Rice’s seven TD catches were the most on the team this season, two more than Kelce.

He averaged 11.9 yards per catch in the regular season, over one more than the Chiefs’ veteran tight end (10.6).

Kelce had a tremendous postseason, but he’s not getting any younger.

Rice, meanwhile, showed down the stretch that he could be a marquee receiver in this league.

He’s ready to be the speedster and dependable threat they’ve been missing since Tyreek Hill‘s departure.

“He can be one of the top receivers in this league,” said coach Andy Reid about Rice.

From Week 12 until the end of the regular season, Rice had more catches than Kelce in every game they featured.