Chiefs' Montrell Washington could be a valuable piece for the future

Justin Churchill — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Sep 26, 2023 8:26 PM EDT

Featured Image Via Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

It's no secret that the Kansas City Chiefs are one of the best teams in the league at developing talent, no matter the position. They get guys cast off or drafted late, etc., and turn them into valuable pieces. And we could see another example of that soon.

One of the positions we have seen it with most recently is wide receiver, where they have developed guys or turned careers around in a way that most teams can't. Ihmir Smith-Marsette is a perfect example. Remember the receiver that was taking over in the preseason? Yeah, that's ISM, who was on the Chiefs practice squad for two years.

No one knew who he was, really. The Chiefs started developing him. Then, the preseason rolls around, and he does more than make plays; he is going off. The next thing you know, the Carolina Panthers are calling about ISM. The Chiefs, of course, traded him to Carolina, but that was because they knew he was too good to sit on a practice squad again.

They have another guy just like that on the roster that they can start and develop into a potentially big role in the future. Of course, he started on the practice squad, was called up last week to fill in for an injured veteran, and now could make the 53-man roster with this latest wide receiver signed to the practice squad.

Montrell Washington is that guy. He was on the Denver Broncos last season and showcased great speed and agility as a rookie in 2022. He was also versatile, running jet sweeps and such, but he was just on the worst offense in football last year.

The Chiefs signed him off of waivers this season, and he played his first game as a member of the Chiefs last week as their primary punt returner. That's all he will be right now, as that's what the Chiefs need him for the most, but that doesn't mean he can't have a role in the future.

As a receiver this season, he won't see many snaps, if any, barring any crazy injuries. The Chiefs love what they have in Justyn Ross, and he has seen the field a measly 44 snaps this entire season.

The receiver room, while it has had some trouble, is deep. They have guys that can make plays; they are just waiting for the slump to be over with. In the future, the Chiefs could use a guy like Montrell Washington, who has shades of a similar skillset and body of Mecole Hardman.

Washington finished his rookie season with just two yards on four catches. However, most were screen passes that didn't work out. The Broncos certainly didn't utilize him right.

Obviously, this is just something that could happen, nothing that will happen. But the Chiefs are great evaluators of talent, and they just picked up a 24-year-old fifth-round pick for nothing but his practice squad contract.