Chiefs Market Movers: OTA edition

The Kansas City Chiefs’ OTAs march on — and the Royals have two young superstars. It’s a fun time to be a Kansas City sports fan — even if we’re a little starved for Chiefs news and the stadiums’ futures are still in doubt.

As the team heads into its third week of OTAs, we’re keeping an eye on some trending players.

Bulls

Offensive tackle Josh Simmons: He’s on the practice field, he’s ahead of pace in his rehab, and the coaches seem to be impressed. That’s all very good news for the Chiefs’ first-round pick. We’ll be keeping a close eye on him as the offseason progresses, hoping to get a clearer idea about whether he’ll be a Day 1 starter.

Safety Jaden Hicks: Recently picked by SI and PFF as a breakout candidate, one could argue that Hicks already broke out in his rookie season — meaning that his role will be even more significant in 2025. While he won’t be able to hit anyone during OTAs, we do expect Hicks to be directing traffic in the secondary as he continues to make plays.

The wide receiver room: Given where this team has been at receiver, Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice and Jalen Royals could be developing into something special. Thanks to being forced into the top role in 2024 after Rice’s injury, Worthy is likely ahead of his development curve. Before his injury, Rice was feasting — showing the ability to make plays all over the field. And if the rookie Royals continues to impress, he’s going to be fun to watch. Don’t forget the veterans in the room, either: Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are going to be in the mix.

Others trending in the right direction: wide receiver Elijhah Badger and defensive backs Major Williams, Nohl Williams and Trent McDuffie.

Bears

Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton: This might be a contrarian point of view, since the former second-round pick has been making a splash at OTAs. But it happens every single season: fast receivers look good in the offseason program. Thornton has been showing off his speed while making lots of plays with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. I just wouldn’t expect that to continue. For Thornton to make the team, he’s going to have to fend off Royals, Rice and Worthy — not to mention Brown and Smith-Schuster. It’s reasonable to think the excitement for Thornton might fade — although we’d love to be wrong!

Wide receiver Skyy Moore: It feels like we’ve been complaining about Moore too much for too long. The Chiefs have gone to great lengths to keep him on the depth chart. As things stand, it’s hard to see how he can get back on the right track. It’s reported that he’s bulked up during the offseason, leading to speculation he could be used as a hybrid running back. We’ll watch Moore carefully — with more than a little curiosity.

Others trending in the wrong direction: offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Jawaan Taylor, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson and running back Carson Steele.

Value (Sleeper) Pick: Running back Isiah Pacheco

I think people are sleeping on Kansas City’s running backs — starting with Pacheco. The coaches seem to love where he is after an injury-limited season. When I began reviewing year, it felt like the box scores didn’t quite match up with how solid Pacheco looked. While the Chiefs didn’t find much success with him in the playoffs, back in September, it looked like the former Rutgers back was headed for a strong season. Fast forward to OTAs, and there isn’t anything to keep him from bouncing back in 2025. After all… Kansas City didn’t replace Pacheco. Instead, they added players who could complement his game. That shows they still believe in him. Maybe we should, too.