Training camp is here, and the Kansas City Chiefs are ramping up practices in St. Joe, Missouri. During the first week of camp, the Chiefs practiced with no pads, but the team strapped up on Monday to kick off the physical portion of training camp.
Within the 90-man roster, some players can see their stock fall, while others can rise to the occasion.
It may just be practice, but camp performance can set the tone for how a player’s season will go, whether it is in a positive direction or negative. Let’s
look at three players with the most to gain in training camp.
Defensive end Ashton Gillotte
Entering camp after a fairly unproductive rookie season, Gillotte will have a chance to show he has improved from year one to year two and earn more snaps. The Chiefs are in desperate need of pass rush help, and a thin edge-rushing unit means the young players in the group need to step up.
Last season, Gillotte played primarily on run downs and finished with only 1.5 sacks on the season. While he was a stout run defender, any improvement in his pass rush could help him see his snaps jump significantly.
Entering training camp listed on the second team, Gillotte will compete with players like Felix Andudike-Uzomah and rookie R Mason Thomas for more playing time. This trio of players is fairly unproven, and any player who can show a consistent impact in the pass rush game will likely find themselves taking most of the snaps opposite of George Karlaftis in 2026.
Unfortunately, a hamstring injury sidelined Gillotte for the first few days of pads. Hopefully his medical status improves so that he can find his way back to the field soon.
Cornerback Kristian Fulton
Like Gillotte, Fulton did not participate in Tuesday’s practice, which is unfortunate because he has a lot to gain from a solid camp and the preseason.
After signing a two-year deal with the Chiefs last offseason, Fulton missed half the season and did not see regular snaps until the second half of the season. When he was on the field, he played well, but the Chiefs’ cornerback room has gotten a bit more crowded this offseason despite the team trading All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie this offseason.
The Chiefs cornerback room will be comprised of Mansoor Delane, L’Jarius Sneed, and Nohl Williams, with Kader Kohou able to play in a hybrid role between cornerback and Nickel. Fulton will have his work cut out for him, but with Delane yet to participate in camp, these are practices where he can show he can play consistently at corner for the Chiefs.
If Fulton can push himself ot get back on the field, he could find himself earning more snaps headed into the regular season.
Offensive tackle Esa Pole
Last season, Pole turned heads as an undrafted free-agent tackle with solid performances in camp and the preseason, and by the season’s end, he found himself starting at left tackle for the final three games.
It is clear that the staff likes what they have seen so far from Pole during his time in Kansas City, and headed into this training camp period, he is in a great overall spot. At worst, a “win-win situation”: Pole will likely reprise his role as one of the team’s reserve tackles, while he will still have a chance to compete for the starting right tackle job as camp progresses.
So far in camp, newcomer Kahlil Benson has been the talk of camp, taking nearly every snap at right tackle over both Pole and Jaylon Moore.
Despite this, camp is still in the early stages, and anything can happen between now and the regular season opener.
Pole is still just as much in the competition as Benson or Moore to find the field, but another solid camp and preseason could not only help him find a starting role, but also lock up his status as the team’s swing tackle for the near future.
