Training camp has just begun for the Kansas City Chiefs, with two days of practice already in the books. Today we look at one player on the 90-man roster at each position that you should be watching during training camp.
Quarterback: Kyle Shurmur
Chiefs fans will hope not to see much from Shurmur during the regular season, but the backup quarterback battle is an interesting one to watch.
Shurmur’s main competition is second-year QB Chase Litton, and they’re probably only competing for the No. 3 spot — which might not even be on the active roster, but the practice squad instead. Last season the Chiefs’ backup quarterback was Chad Henne, and it’s going to be difficult to change that heading into 2019 without a standout performance from either Litton or Shurmur.
Shurmur is an undrafted free agent from Vanderbilt, where he improved every year. Shurmur leads the Commodores in career passing yards with 8,865 and passing touchdowns with 64. Shurmur is the son of New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmer and shows it on the field with his ability to read defenses and his knowledge of the game.
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Running back: Darwin Thompson
A sixth-round draft pick this year out of Utah State, Thompson will be looking to make the roster and possibly have a role behind starter Damien Williams. His main competition for the backup position is Carlos Hyde and Darrell Williams.
Thompson spent one year with Aggies and had over 1,000 yards rushing with 14 rushing touchdowns. Thompson might be a smaller running back at 5 feet 8, but he’s displayed great contact balance. He even got his weight down around 190 pounds and has looked a bit more explosive in training camp.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach previously compared Thompson to Tennessee Titans running back Dion Lewis because of their similar type of toughness.
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Wide receiver: Cody Thompson
Thompson is an undrafted receiver out of Toledo, where he had more than 3,000 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns. He has already turned some heads this offseason and is a favorite by some to make the 53-man roster. The Chiefs already have a strong wide receiver group with Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman. Thompson can make the roster by showing he can be effective in the offense and have an impact on special teams.
Thompson is known for his ability to track the ball in the air and get open downfield. Will that translate to the NFL? He’s connected for a few big plays this offseason and could earn an opportunity over the next few weeks.
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Tight end: John Lovett
Lovett is a former Princeton quarterback who is attempting to transition into a hybrid H-back/tight end. Lovett is learning from scratch on what it takes to be a NFL tight end, having never played the position before. Turning quarterbacks into tight ends is something that the Chiefs have found success with in the past.
Ideally, Lovett would land the backup job to All-Pro Travis Kelce after the departure of Demetrius Harris to the Browns this offseason. Lovett’s competition for the position is Deon Yelder and Blake Bell. Kelce recently talked about Lovett’s high intellect, but he’ll need to impress more than just Kelce in order to make the squad.
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Offensive tackle: Pace Murphy
The Chiefs have done a good job developing offensive linemen in-house. Murphy spent most of the 2018 season on the practice squad, but now he’s primed to earn a role as a backup offensive lineman. Murphy has yet to see the field for the Chiefs, but with a strong training camp that could change, and he could possibly find himself as a swing tackle this season.
Murphy has good upper-body strength and lateral agility for the tackle position; he could even play some guard too. He’s got some competition to make the roster, but right now he’s working at second-team right tackle.
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Interior offensive line: Kahlil McKenzie
McKenzie is a 2018 draft pick by the Chiefs and a former defensive tackle at Tennessee.
He’s the player to watch for at interior offensive line for the Chiefs because they’ve been hyping him up since he joined the team. Recently he was even a focus of an episode of the Chiefs’ documentary series, “The Franchise.” McKenzie’s position change led to his rookie year becoming a redshirt season, spent learning the new position. But the Chiefs fans should expect more from his this season with a year under his belt.
McKenzie has yet to play in a regular-season game for the Chiefs but could see playing time as a backup this season. He spent this offseason with Pro Football Hall of Famer and Chiefs legend Will Shields, working on learning how to play offensive line. The Chiefs have him playing third-string because they want him getting snaps at center. The goal is for him to become a multi-tool interior offensive lineman this season.
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Defensive tackle: Khalen Saunders
Known for his backflips, the rookie has quickly become a fan favorite for his off-the-field personality. Saunders is more than just personality, though — he was called the “Aaron Donald of the FCS” due to his relentless effort and playmaking at Western Illinois.
Picked in the third round by the Chiefs this year, Saunders has great athleticism to make plays in the backfield due to his strong hands and his ability to get through double teams. He has a chance to make an early impact on the new Chiefs defense, backing up players like Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi at defensive tackle. Saunders could be a replacement for Jones if the Chiefs cannot come to an agreement on a contract extension.
While at Western Illinois Saunders had 6.5 sacks and 41 tackles while also being part of their offense with a 3-yard touchdown catch and a 1-yard rush. The Chiefs could have their new “hungry pig” since the departure of Dontari Poe.
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Defensive end: Alex Okafor
With Frank Clark and Chris Jones looking to see a lot of attention along the defensive line, guys like Okafor will become all the more important. He’ll see a bunch of single team blockers and have opportunities to win 1-on-1 often.
Okafor started 16 games for New Orleans last season had a combined 36 tackles and four sacks. But the Chiefs are hoping for a more productive season out of Okafor. With his long frame, he can frustrate the passer by raising his arms into the throwing lanes, which should be an added bonus to his potent pass-rush abilities.
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Linebacker: Raymond Davison
A 2018 undrafted free agent signing, Davison finds himself in the mix to be a part of the 53-man roster. The starting linebacker positions are not set in stone, but Davison will be hard-pressed to make the roster. He’s a long shot, with several players having much more significant investment from the team in terms of draft capital or financial value. If he does make it, Chiefs fans can expect it to be related largely to his abilities on special teams, even though he’s impressed on defense too.
His great coverage ability flashed already this offseason, including multiple interceptions of Patrick Mahomes, one of which came during the team’s first closed training camp practice of the season. If Davison can keep up the great coverage play, he may have the opportunity to eventually earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
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Cornerback: Keith Reaser
The former Alliance of American Football star is back on the Chiefs’ offseason roster. Will he be able to make it past the 90-man roster this time around? Last season, Reaser was injured throughout training camp and didn’t have an opportunity to make the team.
Chiefs fans may not remember Reaser for the two games he played in during 2017. The first was Mahomes’ debut, and it wasn’t a bad showing from Reaser. In fact, it earned him an opportunity to play on special teams in the playoffs against the Tennessee Titans. Had the Chiefs won that game, he would have been remembered for a big play on special teams.
Reaser was one of highlights of the AAF, notching three interceptions in eight weeks for the Orlando Apollos. If Reaser can prove himself with the Chiefs again, expect him to make an impact in a very weak secondary.
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Safety: Jordan Lucas
Lucas saw infrequent playing time for the Chiefs last season even though he looked like their best safety at times. Lucas finished the season with one interception for 49 yards and 32 combined tackles. Now, in Steve Spagnuolo’s system, he’ll get a chance at a clean slate, but it won’t come without competition.
The Chiefs acquired Tyrann Mathieu and drafted Juan Thornhill to go with Armani Watts and Daniel Sorensen. There is a ton of competition at the safety spot, and Lucas yet again finds himself in a situation where he’ll be forced to fight for playing time. If Lucas can excel in the new defense and beat out newcomers and veterans alike, that’d be ideal. A position of weakness could quickly become a position of strength.
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Punter: Jack Fox
Fox may have the biggest challenge on making the 53-man roster. Dustin Colquitt is entrenched as the starter and he’s one of the best punters in the NFL. He’s approaching a season in which he can break the record for most career games played by a Chiefs player.
Dave Toub and the Chiefs have been able in the past to find great special team players in free agency, including Harrison Butker, to make an impact on the team, but Colquitt has been the longest-tenured Chief and is still very successful in the NFL. Colquitt is due a good chunk of money for the next two seasons, and we all know the NFL is a business. If Fox can somehow prove that he can be just as good or better than Colquitt, then Colquitt could find himself in trouble.
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