Chiefs 53-Man Roster Projection 2.0: Who Earned a Spot After Preseason Opener?

That's one preseason game down, two to go for the Kansas City Chiefs. As the team returns to Missouri Western State University for their final days of training camp, the Chiefs' 53-man roster is beginning to take shape.

While the vast majority of players who appeared on our initial Chiefs On SI 53-man roster prediction are still safely on the squad in our second iteration, a pair of new names now seem like roster locks.

Chiefs Roster Projection 2.0: Offense

The Chiefs have a challenging numbers game to play on offense. If the team plans to keep three quarterbacks, four running backs, and four tight ends, another position group will be squeezed down.

Quarterback (3)

Starter: Patrick Mahomes
Depth: Justin Fields, Garrett Nussmeier
Practice squad/outside looking in: Chris Oladokun

Although Patrick Mahomes missed Saturday's preseason opener, all signs still point to him pushing for a green light by the time the regular season arrives. Justin Fields, as expected, got the starting nod over the weekend and didn't display any red flags. Garrett Nussmeier is the intriguing member of the group, as the club spent NFL Draft capital to acquire him earlier this year. The LSU product turned in a solid showing against the Rams, which may have boosted his already-rising stock. —Foote

Running back (4)

Starter: Kenneth Walker III
Depth: Emari Demercado, Emmett Johnson, Brashard Smith
Practice squad/outside looking in: EJ Smith, Jadyn Ott

This group remains unchanged from our initial prediction, but it's interesting that the most veteran of the backups, 27-year-old Emari Demercado, played late in Saturday's preseason opener. That could be a sign that Demercado isn't the surefire RB2 he appeared to be when the Chiefs signed him in free agency, but he should still be on the right side of the roster bubble, even as rookie Emmett Johnson looks ready for the pros. —Brisco

Wide receiver (6)

Starter: Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton
Depth: Cyrus Allen, Nikko Remigio, Jalen Royals
Practice squad/outside looking in:

Andrew Armstrong, Jason Brownlee, Jimmy Holiday, Jeff Caldwell, Jacob De Jesus, Omari Evans, Xavier Loyd

As long as everyone in the starting trio of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton is healthy, that order isn't changing right out of the gate. Even with the lack of receiver-specific production he offers, Nikko Remigio's special teams ability might just secure him a backup role. That presumably leaves two spots for three men perceived to be competing: Jalen Royals, Cyrus Allen and Andrew Armstrong.

Allen caught the attention of head coach Andy Reid with his performance in preseason game No. 1. Armstrong and Royals each had their moments, but considering Royals was a fourth-round selection just a year ago and could have his arrow pointing up ever so slightly, he may be making it through roster cuts. Armstrong is just on the outside looking in for this projection. —Foote

Tight end (4)

Starter: Travis Kelce
Depth: Noah Gray, Jared Wiley, Jake Briningstool
Practice squad/outside looking in: Mason Pline, Tre Watson

Undrafted rookie John Michael Gyllenborg was placed on injured reserve early in camp, removing one name from Kansas City's tight end depth competition. Jared Wiley and Jake Briningstool both seem to be a step ahead of Tre Watson and Mason Pline, but there could be a tough decision if KC decides to keep only three tight ends. —Brisco

Offensive tackle (4)

Starter: Josh Simmons, Jaylon Moore
Depth: Kahlil Benson, Esa Pole
Practice squad/outside looking in: Ethan Driskell, Chukwuebuka Godrick, Matt Waletzko

Josh Simmons remains locked in as the team's starting left tackle, and Jaylon Moore gets the nod here despite undrafted rookie free agent Kahlil Benson pushing him this summer. Right guard Trey Smith's injury has opened the door for Benson to even get reps at that spot, resulting in him opening the preseason with the rest of the first-string offensive line.

Because Godrick could get another roster exemption and Driskell struggled with penalties in the first preseason game, it was already easy to promote Benson for projection No. 2. Add in that the Chiefs are flat-out giving him chances to shine, and it's a slam dunk until proven otherwise. —Foote

Interior offensive line (5)

Starter: Kingsley Suamataia, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith
Depth: Mike Caliendo, Hunter Nourzad
Practice squad/outside looking in: Pete Nygra, C.J. Hanson, Josh Thompson

The preseason opener was a penalty-filled affair for KC's second-team O-line, and that isn't the only alarming development for the backup interior linemen. When Trey Smith became sidelined with a hip injury, it was Benson who stepped in at right guard, not Hunter Nourzad or Mike Caliendo. Benson started at guard against the Rams and exited with the starters after one drive. If undrafted rookie Pete Nygra can show a bit more throughout the rest of the preseason, he could claw to the other side of the roster bubble. —Brisco

Chiefs Roster Projection 2.0: Defense

The Chiefs have significant depth questions in the front seven, while the secondary is almost too deep to confidently project.

Interior defensive line (4)

Starter: Chris Jones, Khyiris Tonga
Depth: Peter Woods, Omarr Norman-Lott
Practice squad/outside looking in: Marcus Harris, Cole Brevard, Damon Payne, Amari McNeill

The Chris Jones-Tonga duo figures to be rock-solid for KC this coming season, with first-round rookie Peter Woods serving as an off-speed pitch and disruptor as a pass rusher. Omarr Norman-Lott remaining on the physically unable to perform list isn't great, although there's also still some time for him to get back into the mix before Week 1. If not, perhaps making an external addition is more sensible. —Foote

Defensive end (5)

Starter: George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte
Depth: R Mason Thomas, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Emmanuel Ogbah
Practice squad/outside looking in: Vincent Anthony, Tyreke Smith, Anthony Dunn

Ethan Downs was a contender for the Chiefs' fifth defensive end spot before being placed on injured reserve in the early days of training camp. After none of the Chiefs' other young edge defenders stood out at camp, Kansas City reunited with veteran Emmanuel Ogbah, penciling him in as KC's new DE5. —Brisco

Linebacker (5)

Starter: Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Cooper McDonald
Depth: Jeffrey Bassa, Jack Cochrane
Practice squad/outside looking in: Cole Christiansen, Wesley Bissainthe, Kam Arnold

While Drue Tranquill continues to get back to 100% following a minor injury at training camp, the depth of the linebacker room has been put to the test. Saturday was a prime example of that, seeing both Cooper McDonald and Jeffrey Bassa keep building their cases to be the starting SAM on defense. Neither player starred in his role, but both should join Jack Cochrane on the final 53 nonetheless. —Foote

Cornerback (6)

Starter: Mansoor Delane, Nohl Williams
Depth: Kader Kohou, Kristian Fulton, L'Jarius Sneed, Jadon Canady
Practice squad/outside looking in: Kaiir Elam, Kevin Knowles, Melvin Smith, D'Arco Perkins-McAllister, Zelmar Vedder

The Chiefs' defensive backfield is one of the most interesting groups to project. Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams should be the clear starters on the boundary as long as Delane is cleared for contact soon. After that, all bets are off.

My best guess for the Chiefs' starting slot corner/nickel defender is "safety" Chris Roland-Wallace. Rookie Jadon Canady is a long-term investment as a slot defender, leaving Kader Kohou in an odd spot. Kohou could feasibly be the Chiefs' best slot corner, or he could be a surprise cutdown casualty. That decision could also be impacted by L'Jarius Sneed's health and KC's need for another core special teamer, which would favor Kevin Knowles or Melvin Smith.

Ultimately, I think this group truly comes down to the wire. One of these NFL-quality depth corners will probably miss the cut in favor of the Chiefs' preferred special teams ace; it's just a matter of who trades places. —Brisco

Safety (4)

Starter: Alohi Gilman, Chamarri Conner
Depth: Jaden Hicks, Chris Roland-Wallace
Practice squad/outside looking in: Xavier Nwankpa, DeShon Singleton, Tanner McCalister

There isn't much to consider here at or near the top. Alohi Gilman's playmaking should be a helpful addition to the defense, and Chamarri Conner is finally back to a position he flashed upside at early in his career. Jaden Hicks, contrary to what many expected, delivered a spectacular game against LA and is now a player to watch.

As Brisco mentioned, Chris Roland-Wallace may very well factor into the nickel competition. He can do a little bit of everything in the secondary, making him a shoo-in roster piece. It's a shame that Xavier Nwankpa, who's done well at every stage of this offseason, might simply fall victim to the numbers game. He's the Armstrong of the defense; it isn't his fault at all. —Foote

Chiefs Roster Projection 2.0: Specialists (3)

Kicker: Harrison Butker
Punter: Matt Araiza
Long snapper: James Winchester

No competitions, no injuries, no reason to worry about Kansas City's specialists. It was nice to see the entire operation function smoothly for four field goals on Saturday, including a 59-yarder. —Brisco

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