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As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs are once again the favorites to top the NFL in 2023. Patrick Mahomes continues to be the key to Kansas City's success, but the Chiefs' underrated defense could be the deciding factor during a possible playoff run this year.
With preseason and training camp in full swing, the focus now is on which players can crack the starting lineup and who can make the final 53-man roster. In Kansas City, the battle between young, homegrown talent and veteran free agents will determine many of these roster slots and have a major effect on the Chiefs' depth chart. KC has a reputation for being able to rebuild with relatively unknown players drafted by the franchise, and a few of them are slated to step up into starting roles in 2023. Can these youngsters stick with the first team or are they in danger of losing their starting roles? Find out below.
Chiefs first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2023 NFL season
Skyy Moore
After a rookie year in which Skyy Moore finished sixth among Chiefs wide receivers in yards per game (22 catches for 250 yards overall), Moore surprisingly enters 2023 as Kansas City's number three wideout. KC did lose JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency, but this is still an incredible amount of trust in a player who saw the field on just 29% of offensive snaps last season.
Moore will face stiff competition for his starting spot as well. The Chiefs' number four receiver is 2023 second-round pick Rashee Rice — a second-team AP All-American for SMU — a talented receiver with great upside. Kansas City also has Richie James, who finished second among New York Giants players with 569 receiving yards in 2022, as well as returning Chief Justin Watson, a versatile wideout known for his ability to break off big plays (21 yards/catch last year).
Moore could very well be the next homegrown player to break through for the Chiefs (see Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Mecole Hardman just among pass-catchers alone), but he will need to secure a starting role first.
Bryan Cook
Like Skyy Moore, Bryan Cook is another young Chiefs player the franchise tentatively elevated to starter status in 2023. Cook played just 32% percent of defensive snaps for Kansas City a year ago but was a prominent player on special teams. The second-year safety will be tasked with replacing Juan Thornhill, who left for Cleveland after starting 52 games over the last four years.
Cook's backup at the moment is Mike Edwards, joining from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a one-year deal. Edwards recorded 82 tackles last year and has a trio of pick-sixes to his name over the last two campaigns. The 27-year-old had a bit of a down season in 2022 but maintained a 67.9 passer rating against when in coverage in 2021. If Edwards can return to his playmaking ways, he will be a key member of the Chiefs' secondary in 2023. His veteran experience (four years in the NFL) also gives him a major advantage over the young Cook.
Bryan Cook is still the starter for now, but the free safety position in Kansas City will not be a one-man job. At the very least, Cook will cede a decent number of snaps to Edwards, and could possibly lose a starting job he never really had.
