The Kansas City Chiefs won their first preseason game of 2019 on Saturday.
During the game there were standout players all the way down to the fourth string unit. While most of these players are unlikely to make the 53-man roster, keep in mind that starting left guard Andrew Wylie was once playing tackle with the third string. It’s not impossible to make the roster as a sleeper, you just have to keep pushing and earn it during the preseason.
Here’s a look at four sleepers with a shot to make it after the first week of preseason play:
TE Nick Keizer
The most surprising performance of the night on Saturday’s preseason opener came from TE Nick Keizer. He’s a player that recently joined the Chiefs after being released by the Ravens. He spent the entirety of 2018 on the Ravens practice squad.
Keizer recorded three receptions on four targets amounting to 24 yards receiving. On special teams, Keizer recorded a fumble recovery on a muffed punt. That play ultimately led to a scoring drive for Kansas City.
I don’t know if Keizer can beat out Blake Bell and Deon Yelder straight up, without a little luck, or perhaps some help from the injury bug. But should he continue to perform as he did against the Bengals, he won’t make the decision easy on Brett Veach. He should at the very least be a strong candidate to make the practice squad in Kansas City.
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CB Herb Miller
Undrafted free agent CB Herb Miller was the most productive corner for the Chiefs on Saturday. Miller recorded three tackles, a pass defended and notched an interception, which he returned for 67 yards. That production all came on 38 defensive snaps. He also contributed on special teams for nine snaps.
On Monday, Miller was getting repetitions with the second team alongside Mo Claiborne and other DBs. It’s not the first time he’s received repetitions with the second team either. When Bashaud Breeland was out, Miller was running with the second team, while D’Montre Wade filled in for Breeland.
Miller is making a strong push for the 53-man roster, and with Wade currently sidelined with a knee contusion, he might just rise up on the depth chart.
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OT Dino Boyd
I actually picked Dino Boyd to make the team in my first 53-man roster prediction for the Chiefs. As it turns out, he’s one of the better offensive linemen the team brought in this offseason.
Boyd’s performance earned notice in the PFF Team of the Week, with a 81.5 overall grade on just 29 snaps. His 17 snaps in pass protection were perfect, allowing no sacks, hits or hurries. Additionally he looked strong in the run game, generating movement and looking good in space.
Versatility is probably going to be the thing that keeps Boyd off the 53-man roster. The Chiefs seem to like guys that can play a few positions and I’m not sure that Boyd can. It’s just so hard to find NFL caliber tackles, and Patrick Mahomes’ protection is the utmost importance for this team. I’d like to see Boyd get a shot against some tougher competition and if he thrives, the Chiefs might have no choice other than to keep him.
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CB Dakari Monroe
We know that the Chiefs have been pressing to find a backup slot corner behind Kendall Fuller. We also know that Dakari Monroe has been mentioned as one of the options along with fifth-round draft pick Rashad Fenton. Fenton played a lot more snaps that Monroe, but he didn’t find as much success in Week 1 of the preseason.
According to PFF, Monroe had 14 snaps in coverage and one snap as a pass rusher against the Bengals on Saturday. During his coverage snaps he accounted for a pass defended and two tackles. Monroe also played five snaps on special teams and earned an assist. He passed the eye test during the game as well.
PFF isn’t exactly gospel, but it’s an interesting perspective on a player that had limited snaps. Look to see what Monroe does during Week 4 of the preseason, when the reserves play basically all of the snaps.
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