Andy Reid Prioritises Patrick Mahomes’ Biggest Weakness with 315lbs Prospect After Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Injury Update

Kansas City Chiefs‘ offseason wasn’t just about shoring up gaps. It was a full-blown, red-alert fortress build around Patrick Mahomes—a move born not just out of strategy, but necessity. Let’s be real: Mahomes spent much of 2024 dodging edge rushers like Loid Forger dodges assassination attempts. He took a career-high 32 sacks last season—too many for a QB with three rings and generational talent. That’s why a 2025 Draft prospect who has allowed just one sack across 965 snaps is drawing red-hot interest from the Chiefs.

With Rashee Rice’s knee still whispering ‘I need a minute’ after last season’s abrupt end, the Chiefs aren’t gambling on weapons. They’re doubling down on protection. And that’s where Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon’s 6’4”, 315-pound left tackle, enters the chat.

NFL Network’s @MoveTheSticks talks #Chiefs potential 1st round Draft pick and mentions #Oregon tackle Josh Conerly. pic.twitter.com/WQGSOGdn0g

— Starcade Media (@StarcadeMediaKC) April 23, 2025

“Josh Conerly makes a lot of sense…best available tackle.” When Daniel Jeremiah dropped that line on NFL Network, it hit like All Might’s Texas Smash—sudden, powerful, and game-altering. This isn’t your average o-line prospect. His 8.85 Relative Athletic Score makes him an elite physical outlier. “He’s got quick feet, hands like a Jedi, and the IQ of a Death Note schemer,” one scout told ESPN. Translation? Mahomes might finally get to sip a latte in the pocket without bracing for impact.

Conerly’s versatility is Andy Reid catnip. He’s a zone-blocking technician, a power-run mauler, and oh yeah—he caught a touchdown pass in 2022. ‘Who says linemen can’t be showmen?’ Oregon’s OC laughed postgame. For a coach who once let Dontari Poe throw a TD, Reid’s probably already drawing up a Conerly reverse pass in his Waffle House menu playbook.

Rice’s redemption arc: From sideline tears to Mahomes academia 

Let’s rewind. Through four games in 2024, Rice was on a 1,200-yard pace, catching fire as Mahomes’ WR1. Then the ACL tear. Sudden. Brutal. A gut punch to a Chiefs offense just finding its post-Hill groove. But the narrative isn’t ending in the trainer’s room. According to OTA reports, Rice is already running crisp routes and catching live passes.

He’s a cyborg, Mahomes grinned in a presser. He’s joined now by rookie Xavier Worthy, who brings Olympic speed, and Travis Kelce—still stiff-arming Father Time like it’s a primetime hurdle.

KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 05: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice 4 before an NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs on September 5, 2024 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire NFL: SEP 05 Ravens at Chiefs EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2409050131

Still, there’s intrigue. Can Rice bounce back with the same explosiveness? How does he coexist with Hollywood Brown’s deep-threat arsenal? We’re focused on ourselves, Rice said last summer, invoking a Haikyuu!!-esque ‘Fly High’ resolve. And KC’s betting he will—because 79 catches as a rookie wasn’t an accident. It was a warning.

Make no mistake—Kansas City isn’t rebuilding. They’re upgrading. Drafting Conerly gives Mahomes peace of mind and cleaner throwing lanes. A healthy Rice adds firepower. Worthy brings vertical chaos. And there’s still $13.1M in cap room if Brett Veach wants to pull a late-stage Thanos and snatch up a veteran corner.

‘Run the damn ball…but also, protect my QB like he’s the last slice of pizza’, Reid probably muttered in a team meeting. And with that mindset, this team isn’t just aiming for another ring—they’re aiming for mythos. Plus Ultra, Chiefs Kingdom. The dynasty isn’t dead. It’s evolving.

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