What I'm Watching Closest During Chiefs Training Camp (And Why You Should Too)

As temperatures peak in St. Joseph, Missouri and the sun beats down on Missouri Western State University, the Kansas City Chiefs are ramping up for a potential rebound campaign following a down 2025-26 season. With those training camp efforts come plenty of things to monitor, especially after an offseason of change.

The same championship core of head coach Andy Reid, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and others remains, but a lot has changed elsewhere. Did general manager Brett Veach make the right alterations in the spring and summer?

I'm keeping an eye on four particular things once full-squad camp gets rolling, with there being two particular questions to keep in mind on both sides of the ball.

How Do Kansas City's New Running Backs Look?

Of the Chiefs' top three running backs from a year ago, only one is still on the depth chart. 2025 seventh-round pick Brashard Smith might find himself on the outside looking in, with three newcomers perhaps slotting in ahead of him.

Naturally, the headliner of that group is Kenneth Walker III. He brings a level of speed, explosiveness and receiving ability to the table that K.C. has desperately needed, although there remains some uncertainty surrounding fit and whether the coaching staff can maximize him.

The second and third spots, in some order, may be occupied by free agent acquisition Emari Demercado and Day 3 rookie draft pickup Emmett Johnson. The latter could be a more well-rounded player in due time, but it's difficult to argue against the former's chunk-rush chops and NFL experience.

Don't get it twisted: Smith still carries some intrigue, sure. With that said, all eyes will be on the fresh faces to see how they get acclimated in a fast-moving camp.

Are Concerns About the Wide Receiver Room Valid?

The Chiefs' wide receiver collective can be lumped into two separate buckets. The first one contains the projected starting trio of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton. The second has a few players to consider, such as Jalen Royals, Cyrus Allen and Nikko Remigio. Others aren't completely off the radar, although this is the meat and potatoes of the group.

And boy, is it a dish that won't fill many people up without a side or two. It'd take almost everything breaking the right way for the starters to be deemed above-average by season's end. Health, development and surrounding personnel all go into that. Should one or more members of the aforementioned triad fall short, it'd thrust a complete and utter wild card into the mix.

Royals struggled to accomplish anything as a rookie. Remigio hasn't flashed much beyond some punt return stability. Allen, for as talented as he is, may not get much of a shot as a first-year player. There's an immense amount of risk being calculated by Veach and the coaching staff.

We've seen Mahomes win championships with less-than-stellar receiving corps. There's a world where he has to do so once again with this flock of players.

Could There Be a Surprise Defensive End Standout?

Some are just as — if not more — worried about the wide receiver room as the defensive end group. I'm not one of them. In fact, this writer views the current slate of EDGE players as one of the worst collections of talent in the sport. A strong interior defensive line must be factored in, but there's no hiding the downside of this position.

Is there some sort of upside, though? George Karlaftis is a known commodity at this point, so he isn't really a part of this conversation. There are three players (Ashton Gillotte, R Mason Thomas and Felix Anudike-Uzomah) who could provide reps in spots two, three and four. Gillotte's quality effort in run defense may see him assume a "starting" job, but what about a surprise?

Gillotte experiencing a second-year jump or Thomas getting a bigger workload than expected could shift the dynamic here. Anudike-Uzomah is entering a de facto contract year, so maybe he'll string together production with good health. Anyone proving to be a force here would be a plus.

There's also the possibility of a Vincent Anthony weaseling his way into the rotation as an end-of-roster piece, yet that seems unlikely. The Chiefs appear to be rolling with the players they have for the time being, creating a metric ton of skepticism.

Someone offering a glimmer of hope could save the day.

Was There Too Much Change in the Secondary?

Any dialogue about the changes the Chiefs made this year has to include the cornerback and safety positions. Losing Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson and Bryan Cook all in one offseason means over 2,400 snaps from 2025-26 walked out the door, and the replacements for those standouts are anything but locks to avoid a drop-off.

At corner, rookie Mansoor Delane began camp wearing a yellow non-contact jersey due to an injury he's recovering from. At the second boundary spot, will it be promising second-year man Nohl Williams or high-paid veteran Kristian Fulton who gets the nod? In the slot, a place McDuffie spent plenty of time, is it really Kader Kohou's job?

Alohi Gilman and his playmaking are stepping into Cook's shoes, in addition to Chamarri Conner moving from the nickel to his more natural position of safety. The X-factor here might be Jaden Hicks, who has a year of fun rookie play and poor second-year production on tape.

There are so many moving pieces here, which creates excitement but also anxiety. If everyone jells together in St. Joe, that may be a good omen.

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