The Kansas City Chiefs are now defending champions for the second straight year. Part of the territory that comes with winning the Super Bowl is that other teams want your players and their championship pedigree. After all, the NFL is a copycat league.
Because of that, the Chiefs lost some key contributors in the offseason. They have a pricey roster which has made it hard to retain all of their superstars.
Even so, no one would be surprised if Kansas City became the first team in NFL history to three-peat in the Super Bowl. Doing that would be incredibly difficult, but the Chiefs still have arguably the best roster in the league. Kansas City even added some high-level contributors of their own in the offseason. They had a fantastic draft and made some splashy moves in free agency.
Even after losing noteworthy players like L'Jarius Sneed and Willie Gay Jr., the Chiefs still have a deep and talented roster, and it will make NFL cut day a difficult one for the team.
Cut day is on Aug. 27 this year, and in this article, we are going to predict what decisions the Chiefs' front office will make on that day when it comes to constructing the roster. Here is our 53-man roster prediction for the Chiefs.
Quarterback (2):
Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz
When you have Patrick Mahomes on your team, there is no need to carry three quarterbacks. Mahomes is the clear-cut best player in the NFL. Now, he has a better backup quarterback than he has ever had before.
Even with all of the fun Chad Henne was when he filled in for Mahomes, he was never as talented as Carson Wentz. While Wentz isn't the player he once was, he is a former MVP-caliber quarterback, and he is talented enough to keep the boat afloat if he has to fill in for a game or two for Mahomes.
Running back (3):
Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Deneric Prince
For years, the difference between Kansas City's passing game and rushing attack was night and day. That changed when Isiah Pacheco was drafted in 2022. The former Rutgers star has given the Chiefs a much more balanced attack offensively.
While Pacheco exceeded expectations as a seventh-rounder, he is backed up by someone who disappointed for their draft slot. Clyde Edwards-Helaire hasn't lived up to his first-round billing. Even so, he has more pure talent than your average backup running back, and he is a major threat when catching the football out of the backfield.
Some fans might want to see Louis Rees-Zammit take the final spot at this position because of his unique story as a player transitioning from rugby. However, his lack of football experience makes him raw, so he would benefit from a year on the practice squad. Meanwhile, Deneric Prince has been one of the standout performers throughout training camp.
Undrafted players always have an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but Prince is incredibly fast and brings another dynamic presence out of the backfield.
Receiver (7):
Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman
Carrying seven receivers on the active roster is incredibly rare, but when your passing attack is as strong as the Chiefs is, it could make sense. Keeping an extra receiver on the 53-man roster works for other reasons as well.
Firstly, the Chiefs are incredibly deep here, so keeping seven receivers would eliminate at least one tough decision on cut day. Additionally, Kansas City dealt with injuries at this position throughout the years.
Even free agent acquisition Hollywood Brown was injured in the team's first preseason game. The team would prefer not to have to place Brown on the PUP list, but if he is forced to miss a game or two, having another receiver on the roster would be helpful. Besides Brown, Rashee Rice showed off tons of talent as a rookie, and the Chiefs still drafted Xavier Worthy in the first round. The receiver from Texas broke the combine 40-yard dash record, and Kansas City is hopeful that he can replicate some of the stuff that Tyreek Hill did for them during his time with the team.
Justin Watson is a sure-handed pass catcher, and Justyn Ross has played his way onto the roster during training camp. Ross has become a fan favorite ahead of the regular season because he has made a number of highlight-worthy catches at camp. He even mossed a Jacksonville Jaguars defender in the Chiefs' first preseason game.
Skyy Moore is certainly on the roster bubble, but he was a second-round pick only two seasons ago. We gave the final spot on the team to Mecole Hardman. The receiver deserves the benefit of the doubt, as he has had some big moments throughout his career with the Chiefs, and Patrick Mahomes certainly trusts him.
Even with seven receivers on the team, we were still forced to cut Kadarius Toney. As a former first-round pick, Toney is extremely talented, and he even scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl XVII. However, he has struggled with drops and drama during his time with the Chiefs, and that costs him a roster spot. Toney is one of the biggest names on the roster bubble throughout the entire NFL.
Tight end (4):
Travis Kelce, Jared Wiley, Noah Gray, Irv Smith Jr.
With seven receivers making the 53-man roster, we came close to only keeping three tight ends. However, the Chiefs have been utilizing more 12 and 13 personnel in recent seasons. Travis Kelce is still the best tight end in the NFL, and Noah Gray has thrived as his backup in recent seasons.
The team drafted Jared Wiley in the fourth round this year, and he is looked at as the future of the position for the team. Irv Smith Jr. is the most likely to not make the final roster, but the tight end has too much talent to justify cutting.
Offensive line (9):
Jawaan Taylor, Kingsley Suamataia, Joe Thuney, Trey Smith, Creed Humphrey, Hunter Nourzad, Lucas Niang, Wanya Morris, Mike Caliendo
The Chiefs' offensive line has been much improved in recent seasons after their disastrous attempt to protect Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV. They did have a massive hole at left tackle coming into the offseason, but they drafted Kingsley Suamataia to plug and play at the position. Jawaan Taylor, Joe Thuney, Trey Smith, and Creed Humphrey round out the starting lineup, the latter of whom is arguably the best center in football.
Lucas Niang and Wanya Morris will be the backup tackles, while Mike Caliendo will be the backup guard. Hunter Nourzad is a rookie who can play any of the interior positions on the offensive line. His versatility will allow the Chiefs to only carry nine blockers this season.
Defensive line (9):
Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Tershawn Wharton, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Mike Pennel, Derrick Nnadi, Neil Farrell, Malik Herring
After a season where he dealt with contract disputes, Chris Jones was finally paid his much-deserved long-term contract to stick in Kansas City. Jones has a rare ability to get after the quarterback on the Chiefs defensive interior, and he is a big reason why the team has improved on that end in recent seasons.
Tershawn Wharton, Mike Pennel, and Neil Farrell will all be in the rotation at defensive tackle as well. Although Derrick Nnadi has fallen down the Chiefs' depth chart, we still think he has done enough to remain on the team's active roster.
George Karlaftis is Kansas City's best defensive end and one of many draft hits for the team in this era. He will line up on the opposite side of Mike Danna to start the year. Felix Anudike-Uzomah was the Chiefs' first-round pick in 2023, so they are hoping that he will take a leap during his sophomore campaign.
Charles Omenihu will start the season on the PUP, which will open up a spot for Malik Herring to make the roster, especially considering BJ Thompson is on the Non-Football Illness list right now.
Linebacker (6):
Drue Tranquill, Nick Bolton, Leo Chenal, Jack Cochrane, Curtis Jacobs, Cam Jones
Drue Tranquill, Nick Bolton, and Willie Gay formed a solid linebacker unit last season, but Leo Chenal will have to step up and fill Gay's shoes, as the linebacker signed with the New Orleans Saints. Jack Cochrane, Curtis Jacobs, and Cam Jones will serve as the backups at the linebacker position.
Cornerback (5):
Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, Jaylen Watson, Nic Jones
Kansas City's decision to trade Sneed was controversial, considering the cornerback was fantastic in the postseason. We've seen the Chiefs not miss a beat after trading away superstars, though (á la Tyreek Hill), so perhaps this decision won't hurt the team. Even so, it is surely risky for Kansas City. Trent McDuffie seems more than capable of stepping up into the number one cornerback spot, but it is the players behind him that are worrisome.
One of Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, and Jaylen Watson will need to step up and hold down the fort opposite of McDuffie. Nic Jones also seems like a good bet to make the roster. Kelvin Joseph has played on four teams since he was a second-round pick in 2021 because of injuries, and those injury concerns are what keep him off of the Chiefs roster in this prediction.
Safety (5):
Justin Reid, Bryan Cook, Jaden Hicks, Chamarri Conner, Tyree Gillespie
Carrying six cornerbacks is usually the standard, but Chamarri Conner has the cornerback/safety versatility that will allow the Chiefs to carry one less defensive back. Justin Reid has impressed in Kansas City over the last two seasons.
They are joined again by Bryan Cook in the Chiefs secondary. Jaden Hicks was a draft-day steal who fell way later in the draft than expected, and Tyree Gillespie deserves a roster spot after making a number of big plays during training camp.
Specialist (3):
Harrison Butker, Matt Araiza, James Winchester
While some view the Chiefs' specialists as controversial, there is no doubt that they are talented. Harrison Butker is one of the best kickers in the NFL, and Matt Araiza was viewed as one of the best punting prospects in recent memory before he was involved in gang rape allegations.
The charges have since been dropped, so Kansas City is giving Araiza a second chance. James Winchester is the Chiefs long snapper.
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