Chiefs Rumors: Jonathan Taylor trade, XFL star signed, Danny Shelton at risk?

Chiefs rumors: Danny Shelton looking to make the 53-man roster

While the wide receiver room is an area of concern for the Kansas City Chiefs on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage, the defensive line is an area worth watching on the opposite side. The team moved on from Frank Clark after the 2022 season, and now, are trying to bring star defensive tackle Chris Jones back from his holdout, as he seeks a long-term contract extension.

Given Jones' absence, the defensive tackle position is getting much more attention, as the players on the roster had to fill in this preseason. They do have a veteran presence on the depth chart in Danny Shelton, who was part of the team last year on their practice squad. This time around, he's looking to make it onto the 53-man roster for the first time since 2021, when he was with the New York Giants.

Shelton spoke to reporters on Monday and spoke about how the entire defensive line is competing this preseason, as they all look to make it onto the Week 1 roster.

“I just felt great being out there. Running with the guys. You know, we had a great group of guys, young guys, everybody’s competitive,” Shelton said, h/t Chiefs Wire. “I was telling Coach Cullen during training camp, I was impressed with just how everybody came prepared during training camp and just upped the competition level. So being out there, it was fun to compete with everybody.”

On the Chiefs' unofficial depth chart, Shelton is listed as a second-string defensive tackle, sitting behind Jones and Derrick Nnandi. Sitting next to Shelton on the second string is Daniel Wise, with rookie sixth-round pick Keondre Coburn listed as the third string.

In the team's preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints, Shelton recorded two total tackles (one solo, one assisted), one sack, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit in the 26-24 loss. This past Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals, Shelton recorded one solo tackle in the 38-10 victory.

Shelton has one more game, ironically against one of his former teams the Cleveland Browns, to show the coaching staff he's deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster.