Skyy Moore: Chiefs 2023 Offensive Breakout Candidate

The Kansas City Chiefs enter 2023 with a major benefit as defending Super Bowl champions. For the most part, their nucleus is stocked with a largely young core. That is true for both sides of the ball. But in particular on offense, the pass catching group is still a bit unproven. One name that especially fits that bill is Skyy Moore.

Moore will be entering his sophomore season with likely having a greater role. Certainly, making some of the plays that he did down the stretch and in last year’s postseason should give him increased confidence. Patrick Mahomes is also seemingly comfortable with the current wide receiver room, as he discussed in last week’s media availability.

What does that possible confidence mean for Skyy Moore entering year two? Plus, why does this wide receiver’s traits and profile make more sense in the current Kansas City offense, compared to other past receivers that flamed out? Let’s kick it off.

Confidence In Moore Stretching To Coaching Staff

Initial expectations for Skyy Moore were probably similar to any young wide receiver entering an Andy Reid-coached offense. Most people believed that he would contribute heavily right away last year. However, the history of rookie wide receivers coming in and failing to consistently produce off the jump is well documented under Reid. It is just an intricate position to handle at the onset of players’ careers inside this scheme.

Overall, gaining the confidence and belief of Andy Reid is a major sticking point for any young pass catcher. So far this offseason, it appears that Skyy Moore is already standing out heavily to the head coach.

“I like what I see. He’s getting strong (and) you can tell that he’s worked this offseason,” Reid said in last week’s media availability. “He was down there with Pat (Mahomes) the whole time and never missed a day with him, so he’s done a good job. (He has a) better understanding.”

Coach Reid is known for not really saying a whole lot during his press conferences. Yet, the verbiage and points that he used to describe Skyy Moore is crucial. He obviously sees a difference between his development in the offense this year already, compared to where he was at just a year ago.

2022 Flashes Resembled Exciting Traits

That development is one part that you could visually see during Skyy Moore’s brief appearances late last season. On the other hand, there is just a greater sense of a well-rounded skill set, when it comes to the initial makeup of Moore. His route running and separation skills are both urgent and show a tremendous attention to detail. If you look at other depth wide receivers that never really produced in Kansas City and have since moved on, Skyy Moore is already more attentive in those areas.

If you look back at some of the wide receiver’s most exciting moments as a rookie, his flashes brought forth worthwhile building blocks. Moore showed that he understands how to attack leverage and adjust accordingly, depending on the coverage and positioning of the defense. Meanwhile, the Western Michigan product was impressive in understanding when to modify his tempo during routes. With more fine-tuning at the catch point, Skyy Moore can quickly become a polished pass catcher. Furthermore, he may produce to the level that some were expecting last year.

Does It Matter If Skyy Has Defined Role In Chiefs Offense?

So many people get caught up with who is WR1 or WR2 on the depth chart. Whereas with if the wide receiver is aligning at X, Z or in the slot, some viewers are left thinking that players will only stay in those roles. Nevertheless, the Kansas City Chiefs are bound to spread the wealth all over the pass catching room. Skyy Moore is also a wide receiver who can line up all over the offensive formation, due to his stellar versatility. That is also the case for the other Kansas City wide receivers like Kadarius Toney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, to boot.

You could maybe hope for Skyy Moore to help fill the role that is left by the departed JuJu Smith-Schuster. We know that Moore can often play bigger than his size in contested catch situations. The same could be said about his abilities in the middle of the field. Though, banking on that consistently is probably not attainable currently. He may get just as many looks out wide or on designed touches, as he does out of the slot. If he cashes in on opportunities like he did last year with an increased workload, Skyy Moore has all of the makings to be a top producer and a Chiefs offensive breakout candidate in 2023.