Once considered a potential first-round pick, Clemson WR Justyn Ross went undrafted. Then, the Kansas City Chiefs landed what might well be the biggest steal of his class, an All-Pro kind of talent who slipped past the entire NFL.
Ross' history with injuries and long rehabs raised multiple red flags over his head. But the talent is right there. Even though the Chiefs' training camp has been conservative with him thus far, he's already showcasing his untapped potential.
Ross knows he should've been a first-round pick and is eager to prove everybody wrong. He's used to defying the odds and this will be no different:
"Of course, I’m ready to prove everybody wrong,” Ross said, "But I mean, I’m just trying to feel my spot and play my part on the team, just see what I can do over the summer. It was frustrating, but I ain't really had too much stuff easy for me. I done had to push through a lot of stuff so it wasn't really too bad."
Needless to say, having the chance to play next to Patrick Mahomes and in Andy Reid's offensive system made signing with the Chiefs an easy choice for him:
“Just having Pat Mahomes, a great quarterback, and Andy Reid, a great coach,” Ross told the media. “It feels like a family here. I’ve only been here for like a day, but they treat me like family. I made a good choice.”
Ross has been through hell and back to get to this point. Now, it's all about staying healthy for him:
“A lot of hard work, just putting in the time trying to get back to that normal me,” Ross said. “I feel good. I’m going to be all-the-way healthy. I feel like this round is going to be really different.”
Despite all the red flags, Chiefs GM Brett Veach felt confident in signing him after the medical staff gave him the green light:
“I’ve always said our doctors are on the more conservative side,” Veach said. “Our doctors did a good job of exhausting all the information. For me, it’s a little easier on how I operate. I know how good our medical staff is. If they tell me yes, I feel good. If they tell me no, I don’t try to become a doctor all of a sudden. If our doctors say, ‘Good,’ we’re good.”
Hopefully, he'll be able to stay on the floor and prove how special he can be.
