Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chiefs are entering OTAs with a chance to rebuild after a disappointing 2025 season and 53 roster spots up for grabs.
- Veterans and rookies alike will need to stand out as the team looks to capitalize on depth and draft additions for a bounce-back year.
- One position battle in particular could see an unexpected name rise to prominence, shaping the offense’s depth chart for the fall.
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to rebound from an uncharacteristically bad 2025 campaign. After April's draft it looks like the front office did a decent job reloading for that bounce back.
With OTAs getting started this summer, everyone on the depth chart is going to have to prove to the coaching staff they deserve one of the 53 spots available at the end of August. Though as it always goes, there are going to be some veterans displaced by rookies and journeymen who edge out the inexperienced youngsters.
Kansas City has quite a few candidates for each category but we're going to identify a few players who are likely to capitalize on their opportunities and survive the final cuts.
RB Emmett Johnson
The Nebraska product was drafted in the fifth round as a low-risk, high-reward investment. Kansas City's running back room was thin last year but the arrival of Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker and former Arizona Cardinals backup Emari Demercado provide much needed reinforcement. Adding Johnson to that equation just makes the Chiefs' rushing attack that much scarier.
At 5-11 and 200 pounds, Johnson is just pure muscle with the role of complimenting the Walker-Demercado duo. But as we've seen with other late-round gems like Cam Skattebo, all it takes is one angry run to impress a coaching staff. Johnson is more than capable of breaking off a few of those. He rushed for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Cornhuskers last year, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Johnson doesn't have to be a Skattebo to earn his way onto the 53-man roster, he just has to be himself.
CB Kaiir Elam
Elam is on his fourth team in the last three seasons after splitting the 2025 campaign between the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. He recorded 33 total tackles in 14 appearances which isn't a lot but he impressively recovered two fumbles while in Nashville. There's still promise there for the journeyman.
Rookie first-round pick Mansoor Delanne has the inside track to the getting starter snaps at the position but his experience should earn him a roster spot anyways. He is the perfect candidate to mentor Delanne and step up on plays where the LSU product has to take a breather. If he can maintain his awareness in turnover situations, Elam remains a valuable asset to the Chiefs. The cornerback position is thin to begin with so depth should be a priority for the team here.
WR Cyrus Allen
The recent news of Rashee Rice's 30-day jail sentence for breaking probation puts the Chiefs and the NFL in a precarious situation. It doesn't look like the team is going to further punish him (wrongly) but the league would be well within its right to hand down a suspension for conduct detrimental. That would leave the Chiefs with just Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thorton as options for Patrick Mahomes. Those are hardly major offensive threats.
That would mean the door is wide open for a number of wideouts on the depth chart to step up and earn their keep (unless the team goes to free agency for guys like DeAndre Hopkins and/or Tyreek Hill). Out of the bunch on the list, rookie Cyrus Allen could be the most promising. He put up a career-high 13 touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bearcats last year and caught 51 balls for 674 yards. His 4.49-second 40-yard dash time offers promise for his downfield threat abilities and gives him a leg up on the rest of the competition. Don't be shocked if Allen becomes a fantasy flier in a potentially prolonged Rice absence.
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