Breaking down the Kansas City Chiefs training camp battles to watch heading into 2024.
The Kansas City Chiefs will come into the 2024 season as the defending, back-to-back Super Bowl champions. The roster will look very similar to what the team rolled out last season, which worked out pretty well in the end. However, there are a few key positions that they will have to replace production at. Left tackle and cornerback are two of the most important positions in football. The Chiefs will likely have some heated training camp battles to decide who gets the nod at those positions when Week 1 rolls around. Here are who those two battles will feature, plus one other battle to watch in training camp.
Left Tackle: Wanya Morris vs Kingsley Suamataia
The left tackle position was a roller coaster for the Chiefs last offseason. They signed Jawaan Taylor to a four-year, $80 million contract. It seemingly made him the immediate front runner for the starting left tackle spot. Then they drafted Wanya Morris in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Initial thoughts were that he would compete with Lucas Niang for the right tackle spot and serve as an emergency left tackle if Taylor couldn’t handle the spot. He had played right tackle the first four years of his NFL career. If that weren’t enough, the Chiefs then signed veteran Donovan Smith, who played left tackle for his entire eight year career.
By the time Week 1 rolled around, they flipped Taylor over to right tackle and put Smith in at left tackle. Morris slotted in as his backup. Smith was a solid starter before suffering an injury in Week 13. Morris stepped in and showed flashes of being a solid left tackle in the four games he started to finish the regular season. With Smith no longer on the roster, the starting left tackle spot might be Wanya’s to lose. However, he will have to fend off second round pick Kingsley Suamataia to keep the job.
The Chiefs selected Suamataia with the 63rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and expect him to compete right away. However, he is a bit of a project tackle and could take some time to find his footing. With only four career NFL starts between the two of them, there might be a learning curve at the spot early in the season. The ceiling, however, is higher than it was last season. Ultimately, protecting Patrick Mahomes is the most important thing the team can do outside of keeping him on the team. This is by far one of the biggest training camp battles to watch for the Chiefs.
Cornerback: L’Jarius Sneed Replacement
Last season, L’Jarius Sneed was one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league, allowing a completion on just 51-percent of passes thrown his way. He was instrumental in both of the Chiefs Super Bowl runs the past two seasons. However, Sneed signed with the Titans this offseason, leaving a big hole in the Chiefs elite defense. Luckily, the Chiefs have multiple options that can step up and take over the reigns that Sneed left behind. A pair of young, tall, and long players are the front runners going into training camp.
Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams have seen the most playing time of the players on the roster, excluding Trent McDuffie. Watson played 43-percent of defensive snaps and allowed a 56-percent completion rate last season. He also logged a pair of sacks. Williams played just 31-percent of defensive snaps, but allowed just 45-percent of passes to be completed. They’re both third year players in the league, so this could be a scenario just like the left tackle battle. There will be a learning curve as the two of them get acquainted with playing significantly more.
Some other names to look out for at cornerback are Chamarri Conner, Nazeeh Johnson, and Kamal Hadden. Conner started seven games as a rookie and will likely take over as the starting nickel back in 2024. Johnson was making a name for himself during training camp before tearing his ACL during an indoor practice session. He could usurp Watson and Williams as the starting cornerback, opposite of McDuffie. Hadden is a sixth round pick from this year who can do a bit of everything on the field. He likely won’t compete for a starting role, but having a versatile player available is nice to have at such an important position.
Tight End: Kelce’s Potential Successor
Travis Kelce has been the most consistent tight end in the league for the past decade. He has accumulated over 900 receptions and 11,000 yards since 2014. However, a knee injury just before the start of last season gave him trouble for nearly the entire regular season. He appeared to be back to normal in the playoffs after resting in Week 18, but it still poses a big question. How much longer can Travis Kelce be the player that he is? The Chiefs decided to get ahead of the issue by drafting Jared Wiley in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
Wiley was a First-Team All-Big 12 performer during his senior season at TCU. He amassed 520 yards and eight touchdowns on 47 receptions. The things that stand out about Wiley’s draft profile are his versatility, football IQ, and ability to find holes in the defense. Sound familiar? Obviously making comparisons to his future first ballot Hall of Fame teammate would be unfair. But Wiley has the tools to be a steady contributor in any passing attack. He should have a chance to compete for the backup tight end spot. First though, he will have to beat out a guy who has a three year head start in the Chiefs offense.
Noah Gray was a fifth round pick by the Chiefs back in 2021. He has turned into a reliable, albeit scarcely used, backup tight end. Gray has caught multiple passes in 20 games over the past two seasons, including the final three games of last season’s Super Bowl run. He is hardly ever a big performance type of player, as his career high in yards is just 45. However, he has been a steady presence behind Kelce.
Who wins the backup role will likely come down to how quickly Wiley catches on, especially given Reid’s complex offense. With his athleticism and versatility, he could jump Gray on the depth chart. While the backup tight end likely won’t be a season deciding position, it could be a bigger factor if Rashee Rice ends up serving his impending suspension this season.
