Three Chiefs In Need Of Strong Training Camp Performances

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It is hard to believe that NFL training camp is already here. Some teams have already begun practices. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs will have their rookies and quarterbacks report today, July 22nd. Other veterans will report eventually and begin their work next week.

There are always certain items that are synonymous with the start of NFL training camps. Hope and excitement is filled to the brink throughout every fan base. On top of that, the anxiousness of seeing tremendous plays in training camp work to create a sense of overzealousness about a practice. It also breeds hope for newcomers to the team. In Kansas City, the Chiefs are filled with plenty of those this season, as they take St. Joseph, Missouri over once again.

Some players have their roles etched in stone on the depth chart. Elsewhere, the Chiefs have some questions that need to be answered at specific positions. Who wins the starting job at right tackle? How many rookies make the team and start right away? Plus, do the Chiefs make any surprising veteran cuts at the end of training camp?

Piggybacking off of that last question, we draw our attention to some seasoned players on the Chiefs roster. Which ones could be among the final cuts at the end of the preseason? Who is facing stiff competition during the course of their position battle? Today, we will list three Chiefs players who are in need of strong training camp performances, in order to make the team. Let’s kick it off.

Criteria

There are a few criteria that were met to make this list. Surely, more names could be in the same boat when practices open up in St. Joe. However, these three all have some things in common. The competition at their given position may be the most fierce and stingy of any position battle on Kansas City’s roster. Moreover, this player has either had an up and down track record with the team or in their career, lacking consistent results. Finally, there may be definite questions about the long-term upside that this player may bring to the fold for the Chiefs. With that in mind, let’s get to our first player.

Lucas Niang- Offensive Tackle

Lucas Niang has not gotten out to the most desirable start to his NFL career. Some of the unlucky moments that he has endured have been due to no fault of his own, however. You cannot blame his personal choice for opting out of the 2020 season, citing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, controlling his health and maintaining adequate technique has been a work in progress. That has been stunted even further with the injuries that he suffered last season.

Because of those items, Niang has fallen behind the eight ball, so to speak. The TCU product was one of the more productive right tackle blockers in college. He was even seen as a bit of a steal for the Chiefs in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Yet, Niang has not been able to hang when given the opportunity. Kansas City has seen better results at right tackle from Andrew Wylie. And now, Darian Kinnard comes in as a motivated rookie who fell to day three of the 2022 NFL Draft. If Niang cannot show signs of improvement technically, the writing could be on the wall for his time with the Chiefs.

Khalen Saunders- Defensive Tackle

Khalen Saunders has seen a fairly similar career arc to that of Niang. Also a former third-round pick, the Western Illinois product has seen various injuries derail his potential push at defensive tackle. He actually moves quite smooth for his size. To boot, Saunders has the ability to defend against both the run and the pass. Beyond the injuries, Saunders has been a healthy scratch throughout too many gamedays over the last two years. He has actually only played in 10 games the last two years. That comes after making 12 appearances as a rookie in 2019. Up and down results for him individually, combined with sudden stops and starts for playing time has continued to give him a career decline.

Overall, the depth at defensive tackle is rather scarce for the Kansas City Chiefs. An opportunity to make an impact is there for the taking, as a result. Meanwhile, Saunders may have the second-best upside among Chiefs at the position, when it comes to his ability to rush the passer. It would not be surprising to see a tweener like Tershawn Wharton gain more defensive end snaps compared to defensive tackle snaps this season. Most of the other defensive tackles are simply just run stuffers or in need of plenty of technical refinement. If Saunders cannot show something in training camp and throughout the season, his time in Kansas City may be done after his rookie deal expires after this year.

Josh Gordon- Wide Receiver

Josh Gordon‘s path to Kansas City was certainly different than either of the aforementioned Saunders or Niang. The veteran wide receiver was looked at as a possible Sammy Watkins-esque replacement last season. Beginning out on the practice squad, Gordon was eventually elevated to the Chiefs active roster. He was seen as someone who could possibly impose his will on underneath routes, while still being able to quickly get on top of defensive backs vertically.

It became apparent that more seasoning and mesh was needed between the Chiefs offense and Gordon. He appeared in a few games late in the year. Against the Las Vegas Raiders, he caught his only touchdown pass of the season. That success was quickly spurned, however. Gordon was eventually a healthy scratch in the regular season finale and early in the postseason. The team eventually waived him, before ultimately re-signing Gordon to the practice squad.

It is no secret that plenty of worthy competitors are looking to punch their ticket for the last couple of spots on the Kansas City depth chart at wide receiver. For Gordon, there may be plenty of items that he must check off of his list during training camp. The Chiefs will need to see if he is physically ready to lock down a spot. On the other hand, Andy Reid will look to see how he performs in the intermediate to deep passing game. Can he stake his claim with the Chiefs in a crowded wide receiver room?

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles in the coming days. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.