Chiefs still sorting through No. 2 receiver options

In many ways, receiver Jeremy Maclin has been everything the Chiefs hoped for.

After inking a five-year, $55 million free-agent deal in March, the 27-year-old former Mizzou star leads the team in receptions (39) and yards (531) and has made a handful of acrobatic catches and big plays that their receivers proved to be incapable of in 2014.

But now, at a surprising 1-5, the Chiefs have as one of their goals for the rest of the season developing a complimentary threat, an “X” receiver to complement Maclin's skill at the “Z” position.

Two youngsters, rookie Chris Conley and second-year pro Albert Wilson, have taken turns drawing the assignment. Through six games, Conley has caught seven passes for 91 yards, while Wilson has caught six passes for 82 yards.

If Maclin cannot play Sunday — he left Sunday's game with a concussion and is questionable, though it is promising that he practiced Friday — the Chiefs will be relying on Wilson and Conley even more.

“It’s a big task for (Albert Wilson and Chris Conley), they’re going to get multiple reps obviously and extended play,” offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said. “You’ve got to rely on, I think, not only those guys, but (tight end) Travis Kelce and your running game. There’s other pieces to the puzzle that you can lean on and you’re just hoping that Jeremy can play in the game.”

If Maclin can play — and again, it's promising — it will still be interesting to see who lines up opposite him. Wilson started at the “X” during the Chiefs' first three games, but started battling a shoulder injury, opening the door for Conley to start the last three games. Conley got the nod on Sunday against Minnesota, but was replaced by Wilson early in the third quarter after a drive that included a pair of drops by the 2015 third-rounder.

“You can’t let that stuff effect you — there’s too many things that go on a football game to let that get in your head,” Conley said. “I am a very competitive guy, and I don’t like being wrong. So in those situations, I’ve got to evaluate what I did during the week, evaluate the way that I work, then work on those catches and come back stronger.”

Wilson made a mark once he entered the game, too. He finished the contest with three catches for 57 yards, including a 42-yard scamper on a tunnel screen that marked his first NFL touchdown.

“Like a step or two after I caught the ball, I looked up and saw the end zone and three or four of my linemen in front of me,” Wilson said. “when you have an outside tunnel screen, and you have three or four of your linemen in front of you, it’s going to be a successful play.”

But Conley was not out of the mix for long. Once Maclin went down with a concussion early in the fourth quarter, Conley — who says he stayed in the game, mentally — subbed back in, caught a pass and finished with three catches for 16 yards.

“You never know what may happen in a game, you never know what position you’re gonna be at,” Conley said. “Right now, I’m everywhere. I’m the utility guy that has to know everything and be ready in every situation. That was definitely evident this week.”

The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder combines size and blazing speed (4.35 40-yard dash), which he displayed during organized team activities, when he was borderline uncoverable.

But he suffered a knee strain during training camp which sidelined him for a few weeks, and since then, he still has been getting acclimated to coach Andy Reid's voluminous playbook, which is no easy task.

Receivers have to know every formation, down to a “T,” and Conley is being trained at the “X” and “Z,” which means he has to know the the different sets of rules for each, which can change based on the formation, play call and defense.

“It wasn’t until a couple weeks ago that I actually got comfortable moving around like that in the same game,” Conley said.

This is typical for young receivers in the offense, according to Pederson.

“I think what you’re seeing is the youth and the understanding of our offense,” Pederson said. “Sometimes I think as a young player, the longer you play, particularly as a starter or a substantial role, some things become exposed to you and just understanding your offense.

“Chris is a tremendously hard worker, you guys know that, and he spends a lot of time in the classroom, on the practice field and working on his skill. And it’s just going to come with time, with more reps that he’s going to develop that natural relationship with his quarterback, Alex (Smith).”

Conley is certainly putting in the effort to speed up the learning process.

“A lot of it comes down to what we do in practice and in the walkthroughs,” Conley said. “You get a chance to see some stuff before we run it … you see it in walkthrough, you see it in practice and then you watch the film, so getting three runs at everything during the week gives you a chance to look at multiple positions and figure out what you did right and what you didn’t.”

Wilson, for the record, went through the same thing last year and didn't really see significant playing time until the final quarter of the season. He just scored his first NFL touchdown on Sunday, so again, it's a process.

And no matter how their playing time is divvied up against the Steelers on Sunday, both youngsters insist they're all about doing whatever they can to help the team bounce back from its 1-5 start.

“Whoever that is, whoever it may be, that’s what we’re going to do,” Conley said. “We’ve got to get it on track. It’s not about us.”

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Chiefs still sorting through No. 2 receiver options."