Rashee Rice's slot dominance could be a problem for the rest of the NFL

• The Chiefs hammered the Ravens' defense using Rice's slot speed: Rice totaled 12 receptions from the slot that went for more than 15 yards during the entire 2023 regular season but picked up more than 15 yards on three receptions in the season opener alone.

• Kansas City's wide receiver room could push Rice into a prominent slot role: With the emergence of first-round pick Xavier Worthy and the eventual return of injured wide receiver Marquise Brown — both of whom have lined up primarily outside during their careers — Rice might see more playing time in the slot this season.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice already established himself as a very good young receiver in his rookie season in 2023, ranking in PFF grade (84.9) at the position. He also showcased his versatility, as he played almost an equal number of snaps out wide and in the slot and also lined up on both sides of the field at about an equal rate.

This trend continued in the 2024 NFL season opener against the Baltimore Ravens — a 27-20 win for Kansas City. Rice lined up in the slot 22 times and played 20 snaps out wide. He logged 10 snaps each at the outside left and right wide receiver spots. However, his numbers from the slot might suggest that he would be even more effective if he lined up inside more.

Rashee Rice | Week 1 Snap Alignments

Out of Rice’s 103 receiving yards against Baltimore, 75 came from the slot, where he had six targets and four receptions. While he totaled 12 receptions from the slot that went for more than 15 yards during the entire 2023 regular season, Rice picked up more than 15 yards on three receptions in the season opener alone. He was targeted on 37.5% of the snaps when he lined up in the slot after recording a 23.2% clip last season — an already relatively high number.

While Rice’s 4.69 receiving yards per route run from the slot is not a sustainable number, it stacks up well against individual games from last season. In 2023, there were 177 instances of a receiver seeing at least five targets from the slot in a game — Rice had six targets against the Ravens — and the former SMU receiver’s 4.69 receiving yards per route run would have ranked 14th among those performances. His 18.8 receiving yards per catch would have ranked 16th last season. Yet, Rice's average depth of target of 7.2 yards would have ranked just 100th last season, highlighting how well he did after the catch in the middle of the field against Baltimore.

With the emergence of first-round pick Xavier Worthy and the eventual return of injured wide receiver Marquise Brown — both of whom have lined up primarily outside during their careers — Rice might see more playing time in the slot this season. And if the season opener was any indication, he will not only play well in that role but might even take his game to a new level as one of the best slot receivers in the NFL.