Chiefs Snap Count Analysis: Reading Between the Lines After Game vs. Buccaneers

The Chiefs may have revealed their roster and depth chart plans with how they distributed snaps against the Buccaneers on Saturday.

Jul 29, 2026; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo walks down the hill to the fields prior to training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All 32 NFL teams are still learning about their respective rosters at this stage, and the Kansas City Chiefs are no different. The club's second preseason outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers featured plenty of tweaks from the week prior, which showed up primarily in how snaps were divvied up.

In the opener against the Los Angeles Rams, it was the first taste of somewhat real football since Kansas City's season ended in early January. With that came overreactions galore, but this most recent bout at Raymond James Stadium brought a few of those questions into clearer focus. The division of labor from Andy Reid and his staff might've tipped how the coaches feel about a select handful of players.

Now that snap counts have been released, what jumped off the page? Let's take a look at three noteworthy takeaways from another week of Chiefs football.

The Chiefs are giving Jalen Royals every opportunity to make a name for himself

With Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice attempting to ensure that they're 100% healthy for Week 1 of the regular season, the Chiefs have given supporting pieces of the wide receiver room opportunities to showcase their talents this preseason. Prospects Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen, Day 3 NFL Draft pickups from the 2025 and 2026 NFL Drafts, naturally draw the most attention of those remaining on the list.

Allen's star didn't shine nearly as bright in his second unofficial game as a pro, but Royals made the most of yet another heavy workload.

For the second weekend in a row, the former fourth-round selection played a whopping 36 snaps on offense. Sure, that can oftentimes be a reflection of someone who isn't part of a team's plans, but Royals' context makes it feel like a different scenario. He needs the reps to flash any sort of improvement in his sophomore year, which he did on Saturday. Playing with multiple quarterbacks, he led the Kansas City offense in targets and receptions (six), as well as yards with 51.

In a downright critical year for Royals' development, he was a slow burner at camp but made more plays over time. That trend has been replicated in preseason play.

Is Kader Kohou back in the driver's seat for the slot cornerback role?

The Chiefs knew coming into the preseason that first-round rookie Mansoor Delane would step into a starting role on the boundary as long as his shoulder injury healed up in time. That wound up being the case, with the No. 6 overall pick playing on Saturday and earning 11 snaps alongside projected starter Nohl Williams. The real uncertainty revolved around the slot position, especially with each contender for the job coming with some baggage.

Free agent signing Kader Kohou is coming off a torn ACL and didn't play against LA due to injury. L'Jarius Sneed hasn't been active at all this preseason. Jadon Canady, for all the promise he brings, is a Day 3 rookie. Chris Roland Wallace is more of a safety-nickel hybrid than a true every-down player. Did defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo accidentally tip his hand with how he utilized Kohou down in Tampa?

The former Miami Dolphins standout had one special teams snap on kickoff coverage and played only seven reps on defense, in the same ballpark as high-profile starters. Each of those snaps saw him line up in the slot, via Pro Football Focus. This could've been merely an instance of load management and Spagnuolo wanting to get Kohou's feet wet a bit, although it also could've been an unwritten message that the 27-year-old is still slated to fill the void most expected when he signed.

Some much-needed clarity at right tackle and running back

Yes, I'm cheating here and weaving two positions into one takeaway. Rules, even self-imposed ones, are meant to be broken.

A week ago, Emari Demercado's usage seemed to throw a fork in the blueprint those in Chiefs circles anticipated for the running back room. He didn't play until the second half versus the Rams and was also utilized equally as much on special teams as on offense.

The Buccaneers game depicted someone who will get work during the regular season, however, as the offseason acquisition had 21 offensive snaps. Rookie Emmett Johnson (25) and 2025 seventh-rounder Brashard Smith (14) also saw the field plenty, but it's now increasingly evident that Demercado doesn't appear to be on the outside looking in.

At the tackle position, both Jaylon Moore and Kahlil Benson looked bad against the Tampa Bay pass rush. Benson stayed in the game far longer than his elder counterpart, though, playing 35 snaps to Moore's 12. The latter mark aligned with the first-team protectors, signaling Moore being the clear leader for the right tackle job once Josh Simmons returns healthy on the left.

Benson's story remains awesome, and he likely isn't going anywhere once it's time for roster cutdowns, but a healthy version of the Chiefs' offensive line figures to have Moore in it and not him.

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