Context Is Key When Assessing the Chiefs’ Unofficial Depth Chart
Over the weekend, the Chiefs released their unofficial depth chart in anticipation of Saturday's preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
Again, unofficial.
As soon as the depth chart was released, social media instantly reacted with heaps of joy, confusion, anger and everything in between. While some fan favorites ended up ranking higher than expected, other known commodities found themselves in backup roles. There were certainly a few interesting position groups on the list.
With that said, context is important. Although the season hasn't officially started yet, multiple players are working their way back from injuries. Others have benefitted from health and good fortune. Things aren't always as cut and dry as they appear on the surface and that's what Sam Hays of Arrowhead Report joined me to talk about on today's Roughing the Kicker podcast.
Take safety Juan Thornhill, for example. After declaring himself fully healthy just over two weeks ago, the third-year defensive back has been nursing a new injury — a groin ailment — and finds himself as the backup free safety heading into Saturday's game. At his best, Thornhill is undoubtedly the Chiefs' best option at the position. Health is a major factor that affects unofficial depth charts, and Thornhill is no different here.
On the other side of the football, Lucas Niang is listed as the team's starting right tackle. All offseason, it appeared that veteran Mike Remmers was slated to assume that role. After suffering a back injury that he's still working to recover from, Remmers will be the Chiefs' backup left tackle against the 49ers. Did Niang separate himself from the pack, or is Remmers simply not 100% healthy yet? That question must be considered when taking in a first-edition depth chart.
Now, that isn't to say that unofficial rankings for Week 1 of the preseason don't bear any significance. The Chiefs' right guard, linebacker and cornerback rankings are all telling. Rookie Trey Smith's trajectory continues to ascend along the right side of the offensive line, second-year athletic specimen Willie Gay Jr. has a much better grasp of the defense and offseason acquisition Mike Hughes has impressed at camp. As a result, all three players find themselves listed as starters. Even then, injuries are playing roles in these rankings as well. Context is key.
After the Chiefs head to Levi's Stadium this weekend and release a new depth chart a day or two later, things will undoubtedly change. That's the beauty of football. With that in mind, don't get too high or too low on the team's initial list. The current order, in its entirety, won't be what takes the field in September for the regular-season opener. While an outline now is helpful in a pinch, it's almost surely written in pencil. There's so much left to be erased and rewritten.
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