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The Kansas City Chiefs have won six straight AFC West titles, reached the AFC Championship Game each of the past four years and played in the Super Bowl twice during that span. They also ended a 50-year championship drought when they won the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2019 season.
Now, Kansas City will again look to be among the NFL’s top teams in 2022. But if that’s going to be the case, it will need some players to step up and fill the voids left by some key departures.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill and safety Tyrann Mathieu were among the team’s top players in recent years, but they have moved to the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints, respectively. The Chiefs also lost cornerback Charvarius Ward this offseason, after he signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
Who will step up and fill those roles, as well as the other undecided spots on the Chiefs’ depth chart? That won’t be decided until after training camp and the preseason.
Here’s a look at some key position battles Kansas City will have heading into the 2022 season.
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The interior of the Chiefs’ offensive line should be set, with Creed Humphrey at center and Joe Thuney and Trey Smith starting at the guard spots.
Left tackle is taken care of, too, as Kansas City used the franchise tag on Orlando Brown Jr. this offseason, and he’ll start there even if he doesn’t work out a long-term deal.
The biggest question mark on the O-line is at right tackle. Andrew Wylie, who has played 54 games and made 42 starts over his first four seasons, is the likely front-runner to start there, but it’s not a lock. It’s quite possible somebody beats out the 27-year-old, who has mostly played guard in his NFL career.
Geron Christian Sr. and Lucas Niang are among the other tackles on Kansas City’s roster who will be looking to earn playing time. There’s also Darian Kinnard, a former Kentucky standout who was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft.
Kinnard, who is listed at 6’5″ and 345 pounds, likely profiles better as a guard. But he could have an opportunity to battle for the starting job at right tackle in training camp, and if he performs well enough, he may secure the role for Week 1.
At this point, it seems likely either Wylie or Kinnard will be Kansas City’s starting right tackle to open 2022. But much could change between now and September.
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After losing both Ward and Mike Hughes in free agency, the Chiefs will have plenty of playing time at cornerback up for grabs this preseason. L’Jarius Sneed should be one of their starters, but nothing appears to be set beyond that.
The Chiefs used one of their two first-round picks in the draft on Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, and he could be a Week 1 starter. Even if he’s not, the 21-year-old should get plenty of playing time early in his NFL career, considering the lack of depth Kansas City has at the position.
In addition to Sneed, other notable returning corners on the roster include Rashad Fenton and DeAndre Baker, and they could fill sizable roles in the secondary in 2022.
Kansas City needs some of these players to step up and have success this season, especially because it will be going up against strong passing offenses in its AFC West matchups.
If McDuffie endures some growing pains, the Chiefs may need to bring in a veteran to bolster this group because they don’t have a ton of depth at the position.
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Hill is gone, so the Chiefs won’t have a clear No. 1 wide receiver on their depth chart heading into training camp. They did bring in some playmakers to bolster the group, but it’s not entirely clear who will earn starting roles and who will get the most playing time in 2022.
Kansas City signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, and both should get considerable time on the field. Skyy Moore was selected in the second round of the draft and could make an immediate impact for the Chiefs in 2022.
The top returning receiver on Kansas City’s roster is Mecole Hardman, who could be in store for a breakout campaign. Josh Gordon and Daurice Fountain are among the other returners looking to earn as much playing time as possible during camp and the preseason.
One receiver to watch this summer will be Justyn Ross, the former Clemson standout who wasn’t taken during the 2022 NFL draft and then signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. The 6’4″ playmaker has a lot of talent and could win a spot on the roster and be a rookie sleeper.
With Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, there should be enough talent in the receiving corps for the Chiefs’ offense to continue to excel. But it will be interesting to see how the depth chart shakes out and which players emerge as his top targets for 2022.
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