Chiefs On SI Mailbag: Is There Too Much Pressure on the Chiefs' Rookies?

With a new season upon us, there's no better time to take your questions about the state of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Starting today, Jordan Foote and I (Joshua Brisco) will be bringing you a weekly Chiefs On SI mailbag, fielding your questions from the KC Sports Network Twitter/X accounts or @jbbrisco.com on BlueSky.

Today, after two padded practices at training camp, we begin with the Chiefs' much-discussed rookie draft class before setting expectations for a pair of defensive backs and discussing camp's most surprising standout.

"Are the expectations for this rookie class too high? Is that due to the pressure of coming off an underwhelming season? Then immediately ignoring all that, do we think they have a higher ceiling/floor than the 2022 draft class?" -@razormind.bsky.social

I don't think the overall expectations for this rookie class are unfair, but they are steep, and it won't take long for fans to start questioning "underachieving" rookies earlier than they might have in previous years because of last season's shortcomings.

On one hand, that 2022 class has fundamentally changed what a "great" draft class looks like in Kansas City. They landed Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis, Bryan Cook, Leo Chenal, Jaylen Watson, Isiah Pacheco and others—with the highest picks coming at No. 21 and 30 overall. (To answer the final part of the question: the ceiling of this '26 class is outrageous; if the top three picks reach every bit of their potential, the Chiefs will be in a tremendous spot for the next few years. Replicating the remarkable depth of '22, with 10 picks, feels unlikely.)

On the other hand, cornerback Mansoor Delane is the highest-drafted Chief since Eric Fisher in 2013. Defensive tackle Peter Woods was a blue-chip-caliber prospect after his sophomore year at Clemson, and he still looks the part to me. Defensive end R Mason Thomas has a clear path to significant playing time. Expectations for those top-40 picks are all high, but understandably so.

Everything feels properly calibrated for cornerback Jadon Canady, running back Emmett Johnson and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Canady has veteran depth ahead of him, while Johnson and Nussmeier are both third on the depth chart for now, with long-term reasons for optimism. (Johnson could certainly see his role grow in his rookie year, but the Chiefs aren't relying on him to save the group.) Those three don't need to play if they're not ready.

If you're especially perceptive, you'll notice that I haven't mentioned one 2026 Chiefs draftee.

I do worry that there's too much riding on fifth-round wide receiver Cyrus Allen's rookie season. I'm buying much of the Allen hype, but the Chiefs' wide receiver situation already feels so fragile.

Rashee Rice is still working back from his offseason knee surgery, while Allen and Xavier Worthy were sidelined by (hopefully) short-term injuries before pads came on. Tyquan Thornton is being asked to have a career year, and Jalen Royals seems more than a few steps away from consistent snaps. —Brisco

What are you expecting the addition of Sneed will mean to the secondary? -@kodyreeder.bsky.social

Every single L'Jarius Sneed thought exercise I've conducted has been a tug-of-war scenario. On one hand, the combination of his age, injury history, recent performance and the current Chiefs cornerback room makes me think he won't — and likely shouldn't — see the field much. On the flip side, he can play multiple roles and might be the most Steve Spagnuolo-approved piece in the secondary.

When in doubt, side with what a player has shown as of late. Unfortunately for Sneed, that spells doom for a high-end projection on his second Chiefs stint.

The former fourth-round pick managed to play in just 12 games for the Tennessee Titans across 2024 and 2025, failing to log a single interception in 662 defensive snaps. Additionally, he surrendered 13.6 yards per completion and a 107.7 passer rating, far worse than his Chiefs career marks of 9.5 and 73.3. Add in missed tackle rates at or exceeding 20%, and you get a murky picture at best.

Sneed turns 30 in January, and those knees underscore that fact tenfold. Perhaps Mansoor Delane's shoulder injury lingers or Kader Kohou isn't the same coming off a torn ACL. Sneed can step into either spot in the secondary. His involvement could certainly change over time, regardless of whether it yields good results.

But even as a worthy free agent lottery ticket, whatever juice Sneed has left is best needed in small doses. —Foote

Who’s having a great camp so far? And who needs to? -@MrEd315

You've got to give it up for undrafted rookie offensive tackle Kahlil Benson. I'm still skeptical that he's in a full-on competition with Jaylon Moore for the starting right tackle job, but I certainly can't pretend that there isn't something interesting happening at the position. Benson has seemingly passed every test presented to him so far; he just has to keep doing it.

Two young defenders stand out as players with something to prove in camp: second-year linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and third-year safety Jaden Hicks. Can those two players earn the trust of Spagnuolo and achieve what the coaching staff needs from them in order to get consistent playing time? Bassa seems to be linebacker No. 4 as things stand now. For Hicks... —Brisco

"Is Jaden Hicks the new Willie Gay? Physically talented but minimal trust from the coaching staff? He seems to still be running with the 2s exclusively." -@oscarbobo.bsky.social

Potentially, but Hicks might take the cake with this one.

I was genuinely shocked to find out that in his games played in 2021, 2022 and 2023, Gay wound up logging respective snap shares of 57%, 69% and 62%. For reference, his 1,669 defensive reps in those three seasons were 79 more than Leo Chenal had in his entire rookie contract. Different roles, sure, but the more you know.

Hicks' workload did spike from 31% of defensive snaps as a rookie to 43% as a sophomore. The returns were much worse, however, as he allowed a 59.2 passer rating in coverage in 2024 and an ugly 121.3 mark last year. Can he find a middle ground? Regarding a specific role for 2026, Spagnuolo said he wants to "find one he can just hone in on and master that."

Per Pro Football Focus, Hicks has played 354 career snaps in the box but another 252 as a free safety and 131 in the slot. Simplifying what's asked of him could be beneficial, although it doesn't help that Alohi Gilman is trusted to lead the safety group and Chamarri Conner is back at his more natural position. It's a numbers game at this juncture.

It's hard to not wonder what Hicks' athletic profile would offer in a more full-time role, but until Conner either struggles or becomes a free agent in the spring, K.C. may never know. The comparisons to Gay make sense, yet this player's path to extra snaps seems more obstructed. —Foote

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