This is one of the team’s most underrated rooms when it comes to competition for playing time. Saunders has said he intends no drop-off when he enters the game - and over the last two weeks, he has played like a starter. The player next to Reed to start training camp was Derrick Nnadi - but as time went on, Turk Wharton and Khalen Saunders began making a case for more snaps. Jarran Reed changed everything for the Chiefs’ defensive line this offseason, allowing the team to play Chris Jones as a defensive end on first and second downs. If he makes it through waivers, look for Prince Tega Wanogho to stick with the team on the practice squad.ĭefensive tackles (4): Derrick Nnadi, Jarran Reed, Tershawn Wharton, Khalen Saunders

Austin Blythe will be the backup center when he returns from his sports hernia rehabilitation, Andrew Wylie and Mike Remmers project as swing tackles and Nick Allegretti and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif become the line’s interior depth. Behind the starters includes a deep group of backups. The Chiefs will indeed start five new players along the line in Week 1 as compared to 2020’s Week 1, including three rookies from the center to right tackle position. Offensive linemen (10): Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Lucas Niang, Austin Blythe, Andrew Wylie, Mike Remmers, Nick Allegretti, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif The only question was Jody Fortson, who finally made the team by showing he deserved it throughout preseason looks. They took Noah Gray in the draft as an offensive weapon understudy. Blake Bell has returned to the Chiefs as the room’s best blocker. This season now marks the second consecutive year in which four tight ends make the initial 53 - and it does appear that his group has far higher upside than last year’s group (Travis Kelce, Nick Keizer, Deon Yelder and Ricky Seals-Jones). Under Reid, the Chiefs kept four tight ends in 2016 - then not again until 2020. Tight ends (4): Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Jody Fortson, Noah Gray

Marcus Kemp was a surprise release - but friend-of-the-site Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest expects he may be back in the mix soon. Enter four-year veteran Daurice Fountain, who projects as a sneaky weapon for Patrick Mahomes in this offense - especially if one of the top receivers goes down due to injury. Kansas City waived fifth-rounder Cornell Powell. But would general manager Brett Veach go as far as to cut his own fifth-round draft pick? The answer was yes. We always knew how the beginning of this room would go - Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle. Wide receivers (5): Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, Demarcus Robinson, Daurice Fountain Look for Michael Burton to get Anthony Sherman’s six to 10 offensive snaps per game - while also helping out on special teams. I should have known better than to get rid of the fullback on a Reid-led team in my projections. Darrel Williams projects to finally get a chance at being the Chiefs’ true third-down back after watching the team sign (players who became) over-the-hill veterans LeSean McCoy and Le’Veon Bell in recent years. McKinnon offers the Chiefs experience, a closer comparison to starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire and special-teams upside during the preseason, he actually looked like one of the better players on Dave Toub’s unit.

Jerrick “Jet” McKinnon made it possible for the Chiefs to move on from Darwin Thompson, the former sixth-round draft pick from 2019. Running backs (3): Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, Jerrick McKinnon Expect Shane Buechele to land on Kansas City’s practice squad. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has made it a recent trend to keep only two quarterbacks on the active roster, and it continues in 2021. The Chiefs appreciate Henne as a second quarterbacks coach to former MVP Patrick Mahomes - and he proved he could come through in the clutch on the biggest of stages. When you consider what Chad Henne accomplished in the Divisional round game against the Cleveland Browns last season, this room was never in question. Quarterbacks (2): Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne

Chiefs roster 2021 with pictures