Top 5 Chiefs Players to Keep an Eye on This Preseason
The Kansas City Chiefs play their first preseason game of the 2023 calendar year on Sunday. This is an excellent opportunity for younger players to showcase their talents and abilities on an NFL field.
For Kansas City, watching the 2023 NFL Draft class perform in live games for the first time will be a main focus. There will also be multiple other players to monitor. With that in mind, here are some names to pay attention to as the Chiefs square off against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.
Running back: Deneric Prince
The undrafted running back out of Tulsa has been the talk of training camp. Deneric Prince has impressed with his burst out of the backfield and his pass-catching ability. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub has already stated that Prince is potentially in line to be the starting kick returner. Last year, fellow running back Isiah Pacheco was in the same position and in the first preseason game, he didn't play after the first quarter — thus signaling his spot on the team. If something similar happens for Prince, it may be a sign of how much the Chiefs believe in him for the upcoming season and his role moving forward.
Wide receiver: Justyn Ross
Sunday will be the first time in nearly two years that Justyn Ross plays in a football game. However, the excitement to see him in a Chiefs uniform is uncontrollable. It's because of the talent he possesses and showed during the early portion of his college career. Unfortunately, he hasn't been himself due to injuries as of late. He may never return to the freshman form the world saw in the National Championship Game, but he seems healthy now and ready to showcase his ability at the NFL level. Ross could be a major steal for Kansas City long-term if the injury concerns are behind him.
Defensive end: Joshua Kaindoh
When the Chiefs drafted Joshua Kaindoh in 2021, the expectation was that he would take time to get where they believed he could reach. Kaindoh was an exceptional athlete coming out of Florida State but needed more coaching to help his development. He didn't play much during his first two seasons in Kansas City. However, with some injuries at the defensive end position, Kaindoh has been given an opportunity to work with the first team. After putting in the work this offseason, he may be in a position to truly make an impact. Sunday is the first step to that for him.
Cornerback: Ekow Boye-Doe
Second-year corner Nazeeh Johnson would have made this list if he hadn't torn his ACL during a training camp practice. The injury to Johnson has given other corners more opportunities to prove themselves, and one guy who has been taking advantage of it is Ekow Boye-Doe. During his press conferences, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has talked about how the former Kansas State Wildcat has impressed him in different facets of the game. Seeing Boye-Doe when the live bullets are flying will give the Chiefs a better understanding of his ability.
Offensive line: Darian Kinnard, Lucas Niang, Mike Caliendo, Prince Tega Wanogho
These four are grouped because of the state of the Chiefs' offensive line. Seven players are locked into the roster. Kansas City usually keeps nine or 10 offensive linemen but with the difficult decisions on the roster elsewhere, this is probably a year where they only keep nine. That means Darian Kinnard, Lucas Niang, Mike Caliendo and Prince Tega Wanogho are competing for two spots on the roster.
The three preseason games are massive for them to prove they can hold up if needed at the NFL level. Kinnard and Niang may have the upper hand right now because of the Chiefs' investment in them, but the team has shown that it wants the best players on the field. This allows Caliendo and Tega Wanogho to take the spot(s) from them with stellar play if they can accomplish it.
