The Kansas City Chiefs will begin rookie minicamp this weekend, and the conclusion of it should give fans a clearer idea of what the 90-man offseason roster looks like, including which undrafted free agents will officially be with the Chiefs this summer.
Before we start predicting the undrafted rookies to find ways onto the roster, let’s look at how the seven draft picks will fit into Kansas City’s depth chart for the 2026 season:
Cornerback rotation
Projected starters before the draft
Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton
on the outside
Chamarri Conner OR Kader Kohou in slot (Nickel back)
Newcomers: First-round pick Mansoor Delane and fourth-round pick Jadon Canady
Who is getting squeezed out?
The Chiefs feel strongly about Delane as a top-tier, position-versatile cornerback in the mold of the role Trent McDuffie filled as he developed, as Vice President of Player Personnel Ryne Nutt talked about during a press conference on Monday.
Nutt’s comparison to McDuffie included the fact that the 2022 first-round pick started exclusively on the outside as a rookie; he first had a slot-dominant snap count in Week 16 of his first year. Delane should have a similar start, leaving the slot work to one of the handful of options in Kansas City.
By play style, Delane and Williams feel like a strong duo to be a team’s No. 1 and No. 2 corners; if Delane can earn the “shutdown” label, Williams’ off-man playmaking on the ball becomes a bigger asset if his side is being thrown at more against other teams’ No. 2 or No. 3 receiving options. Fulton is a quality first corner off the bench.
The Chiefs have options to man the slot role, depending on the situation. Conner has experience in the system, Kohou has NFL experience with coverage upside, but rookie Jadon Canady was talented in coverage as Oregon’s starting slot cornerback last year.
He is firmly in the mix to get playing time in this group, and if he can prove reliable around the line of scrimmage on run plays, Conner may finally be left to play a traditional strong safety role, his most natural position, whether as a full-time starter or third safety situationally.
Defensive line rotation
Projected starters before the draft
George Karlaftis and Ashton Gillotte on the edge
Chris Jones and Khyiris Tonga at the tackle positions
Newcomers: First-round pick Peter Woods and second-round pick R Mason Thomas
Who is getting squeezed out?
When it comes to first down, no one is getting squeezed out of the starting lineup. Tonga and Gillotte should be seen as reliable early-down players for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, especially compared to the rookies.
That said, Jones should not be playing as many first downs or neutral downs as he has in the past. The team needs to get the most out of his disruption by saving it for pass-rush situations. Those are the downs Thomas should be on the field as much as possible; his explosiveness off the edge, even if unrefined at first, is a boost to Jones and the other pass rushers on the field at the same time. He and Karlaftis should be the primary edge rushers for third and longs or end-of-half situations.
If Jones is less utilized on run downs, this is where Woods could make his presence felt right away. At Clemson, Woods was a very active, consistently balanced run defender who was always in control as he read and reacted to handoffs. If he can continue such an impact on run defense in the NFL, he and Tonga could be a solid interior duo in making up for Jones’ rest.
Running back rotation
Projected rotation before the draft
Kenneth Walker II as the lead back
Emari Demercado as a third-down or pass-down back
Brashard Smith as a general backup to either spot
Newcomer: Fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson
Who is getting squeezed out?
It feels clear that Smith is going to have a tough time maintaining his spot on the roster unless he tries to return to playing the receiver position.
Johnson should be the understudy to Walker in the lead-back role, and could work into third-down work and rotate with Demercado in those scenarios.
Rotation of receivers behind the top-3 starters
Projection before the draft
Jalen Royals and Nikko Remigio as the fourth and fifth receivers
Jason Brownlee, Jimmy Holiday and Andrew Armstrong are also on the 90-man offseason roster
Newcomer: Fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen
Who is getting squeezed out?
There is a talented crop of undrafted receivers to consider in filling out the team’s receiving position behind Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton. However, the 176th-overall pick Allen has a real chance to come in and take the fourth receiver spot before Royals ever had a shot.
Both are similar receivers in how the Chiefs could use them on short-to-intermediate throws over the middle, and Royals is starting from the basics with this coaching staff, just like Allen is.
It does feel like Remigio may be on his way out unless he turns up his receiving skills over the summer.
“Third-string” quarterback
Projected competition before the draft
Chris Oladokun and Jake Haener
Newcomer: Garrett Nussmeier
Who is getting squeezed out?
While some may call for Nussmeier to be flipped for a draft pick as soon as this preseason, it doesn’t make sense that an NFL team would pay any more for the quarterback than the round selection the Chiefs took him months earlier.
So I think Nussmeier is here to stay and will be the “third-string” quarterback on the practice squad, ready to be elevated to the gameday roster if needed. The return on this investment won’t be realized for at least a couple of years.
