e the 53-man roster shakes out." FanpostsFanshotsCommunityAboutStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteSeries Dixon’s MailbagStagner ThingsSummer of SpagsLottery Tickets ’19Training Camp NotebookTailgatesLatest News Fanposts Most recentMost activeFanshots Community Community GuidelinesContactAbout StubHub ✕Chiefs 53-man roster projection 1.0New Replica Darwin Thompson Jersey ,151commentsWe have five weeks to training camp. Here’s how I believe the 53-man roster shakes out.CDTKansas City Chiefs offseason workouts have come and gone, and training camp is set to begin in about five weeks, around July 24. The first practice officially open to the public is July 27 at 3:30 p.m. Arrowhead Time (full schedule here).With not much set to change between now and then, it’s time for an initial 53-man Chiefs roster projection. Keep in mind: this is like NCAA’s March Madness.There is little to no chance this will be the final cut on August 31, and it is nearly impossible to account for players who are to be released from other rosters.My projections are based upon things I’ve seen, heard and hypothesized.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="pHIk4D">Offense (24)<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="smrwHU">Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY SportsQuarterbacks (2): Patrick Mahomes, Chad HenneAt the beginning of his career, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid would elect for his team to receive the ball if he won the toss at the start of games. He eventually realized deferring gave you a slight statistical advantage, so he went with that. Reid and the Chiefs went with three rostered QBs from 2013 to 2017 (as you can see below if you scroll all the way down) and then only kept Mahomes and Henne last year—and it worked out. The winner of Chase Litton and Kyle Shurmur goes to the practice squad, with the unofficial QB3 nod going to John Lovett (see below) or Travis Kelce, who often participates in the QB contests at training camp.Running backs (4): Damien Williams, Darwin Thompson, Carlos Hyde, Darrel WilliamsDamien Williams has already been named the official 2019 starter by the Chiefs, making him a lock here. The next-safest running back in this room is rookie Darwin Thompson, who the Chiefs attempted to trade up for in the draft before he fell to them in the sixth round, anyway. The situation behind Damien and Thompson is a bit more muddled. Though Hyde will need to prove himself to make the roster, I anticipate he does, given his ability to mesh with all the ways Reid likes to use his running backs. I also think the Chiefs see potential in Darrel Williams, the undrafted free agent from 2018 whose style reminds me a lot of Spencer Ware and is a nice changeup from the other three backs in the group.Fullback (1): Anthony ShermanDeath, taxes and The Sausage making the Chiefs.Wide receivers (6): Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson, Mecole Hardman, in special-teams snaps, is back with the team thanks to the Dave Toub push. Thompson barely beats out Gehrig Dieter in a training camp depth battle, but the dream only lasts approximately two to six weeks. Thompson is sent to the practice squad once Tyreek Hill comes off the suspension list.Tight ends: Travis Kelce, John Lovett (2)Reid sounded almost oddly high on Deon Yelder, and because of that, I believe he is indeed the favorite to win the TE2 position right now. But I don’t think it lasts. Roster spots are too valuable, and when Reid sees something he likes, such as New Orleans Saints “Swiss army knife” Taysom Hill Stitched Darwin Thompson Jersey , he’ll want his own. H-back John Lovett will provide that. Lovett will be listed as a tight end, but the former Princeton quarterback can do it all, and that includes an incredible knack for catching the football. As training camp breaks, Anthony Sherman, who caught a 36-yard touchdown from Mahomes Week 1 last year, will be the No. 2 tight end. Fans are calling for a cornerback addition, but make no mistake, if the Chiefs upgrade one position via trade, look at a move for a viable TE2.Offensive linemen (9): LT Eric Fisher, LG Andrew Wylie, C Austin Reiter, RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, RT Mitch Schwartz, Nick Allegretti, Kahlil McKenzie, Cameron Erving, Ryan HunterThe first eight players on this offensive line list are virtual locks to make the club. I doubt the starters change during training camp, even when Erving is healthy and ready to go. Allegretti will get an opportunity at center after his college tape caught the Chiefs’ eye, but I’d expect him to be the backup—and we’ve seen in Kansas City how important that role is. McKenzie continues his transition from defense and plays a swing interior role for the Chiefs once they deem him ready. Hunter, who we have viewed as one of the better developmental projects on the Chiefs’ roster in the past, rounds out the OL room. The health of Fisher and Schwartz is imperative in 2019.Suspended list (1): WR Tyreek Hill (2-6 games)Even with no criminal charge, I anticipate the league suspends Hill between two and six games.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="Uy0RT9">Defense (26)<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="QptmvW">Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty ImagesDefensive linemen (9): Alex Okafor, Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Frank Clark, Breeland Speaks, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Khalen Saunders, Justin Hamilton, Emmanuel OgbahWith the offseason switch to the 4-3 from the 3-4, the Chiefs’ defensive linemen and linebacker numbers swap Darwin Thompson Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , and I have the Chiefs holding onto nine defensive linemen. Jones, Nnadi and Clark are known commodities, but I think the six-year veteran in Okafor surprises. The Chiefs will continue to try and make their former second-rounders work—Speaks working along the interior and Kpassagnon more so as an end. Early in the offseason, I thought Kpassagnon might already be a Cleveland Brown, but I think Spagnuolo has taken on the challenge of turning him into a contributor. The Chiefs keep Hamilton—for his, err, motivational qualities—and because he’s a cheaper backup for Nnadi than Xavier Williams. Ogbah, who the Chiefs swapped Eric Murray for, provides depth at defensive end.Linebackers (6): Damien Wilson, Reggie Ragland, Anthony Hitchens, Darron Lee, Dorian O’Daniel, Ben NiemannThe Chiefs will keep the top four linebackers on this list, with the final two spots as question marks. Wilson, Ragland and Hitchens are the starters in the base, while the Chiefs hope Lee, the former first-round pick, finds new life, especially in passing downs, thanks to a change of scenery from the New York Jets. O’Daniel provides depth as a weak-side linebacker, and I think Niemann can work at all three positions. Both O’Daniel and Niemann were critical to special teams last season, so they will have Toub on their side at the bubble.Cornerbacks (6): Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, Charvarius Ward, Keith Reaser, Rashad Fenton, Mark FieldsThe first three cornerbacks are locks to make the roster, and I think Keith Reaser is the first cornerback off the bench given the Chiefs would have kept him last year without the injury and he was the best defensive player in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. Fenton will provide the Chiefs special-teams depth while developing, and I think the undrafted Fields edges out Tremon Smith thanks to his raw upside — and now that Hardman has taken Smith’s role as kick returner.Safeties (5): Tyrann Mathieu, Juan Thornhill Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys Stitched , Daniel Sorensen, Jordan Lucas, Armani WattsMathieu and Thornhill are your day-one starters at strong and free safety, respectively. Many people think Sorensen might be a cap casualty, but this isn’t last year. The Chiefs have enough room to keep a veteran they absolutely love. The Lucas Locomotive continues to develop while Armani Watts, the “most clutch” player in the 2018 draft, gets a makeup on his rookie season after injury.Injured reserve: DL Tim WardPUP list: LB Darius HarrisMore on injured players ahead of camp here.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="r1dlnp">Specialists (3)<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="3hsCmP">K Harrison Butker, P Dustin Colquitt and LS James WinchesterColquitt is the only possible question here with a legitimate battle brewing thanks to undrafted rookie punter Jack Fox. Toub said the Chiefs graded Fox high, but I don’t think the Chiefs want a rookie punter to cost them a title in a Super Bowl-or-bust season.Chiefs position quantities at the 53-man cutdown since 2013Here’s a look at Chiefs position quantities throughout the years since Andy Reid took over the Chiefs in 2013. AP user Chiefwanka recently wrote a nice fan post analyzing historical position quantities. Offensive position quantities since 2013YearQBRBWRTEOLFBTotalYearQBRBWRTEOLFBTotalDefensive position quantities since 2013YearDLLBCBSTotalYearDLLBCBSTotal*Eric Berry had a roster exemption at the 53-man roster cutdown in 2016 and was included in most cutdown listings. There is always the off chance the Chiefs opt to move their first-round pick."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Kansas City Chiefs NewsOpen ThreadsFull ArchiveLibrary Community GuidelinesContact InformationOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁昇FL Mock Draft: if the Chiefs trade down, out of the first roundNew,56commentsThere is always the off chance the Chiefs opt to move their first-round pick.CDTShareTweetShareShareNFL Mock Draft: if the Chiefs trade down, out of the first roundMatthew O’Haren-USA TODAY SportsWe get a lot of draft scenario questions thrown at us when we ask for questions on the AP Laboratory. This week we decided to discuss a few of them we’ve seen frequently and the ramifications of making the move. It’s a good exercise for all of us to step out of the usual speculation and explore scenarios that aren’t as top of mind. We’ll explore two other scenarios this week, but we start with this:What if the Chiefs trade out of the first round? We get asked this question a lot. The discussion organically always shifts toward trading up in the draft because of general manager Brett Veach’s aggressive tendencies, but what if the board falls terribly for them and they can’t afford to move up? What if they don’t like the pool of players available at 29 and think they can find value by moving a few spots back?Fair value for pick 29 (actually slightly unfavorable to the Chiefs, per the modern trade chart) aligns with San Francisco’s capital at 36 and 104. Trading back seven spots gives the Chiefs an early fourth-round pick. The Chiefs could spread value across five picks in the top 105 and give themselves an additional chance to get a solid contributor. It also gives them flexibility to move up in the second or third round. Here’s who we took, keeping all five of those selections on this week’s episode of the AP Laboratory.36. CB Amani Oruwariye, Penn StateThe Chiefs miss on the first wave of cornerbacks and select a long, athletic defensive back with ball skills.61. WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, StanfordAnother weapon for Patrick Mahomes who wins in contested catch situations. The Chiefs added Kelvin Benjamin late as a big body receiver and Arcega-Whiteside has some inside-outside ability and is large target for the reigning MVP.63. LB Mack Wilson, AlabamaWith an extra top-105 selection, the Chiefs have the ability to swing for a linebacker who has fallen down boards through the process. Wilson could turn out to be good value with some development and flexibility and depth at a pain point for the defense last year.92. EDGE Joe Jackson, MiamiIf you’re waiting this long to address the defensive end position, Jackson is the kind of guy you can expect out of the first two rounds. He fits the prototype of edge players that Steve Spagnuolo has historically coveted.104. S Marquise Blair, UtahThe extra selection gives the Chiefs depth and solid value at the safety position. Blair is flying under the radar, but boasts a good athletic profile and plays with great energy. KC Draft GuideI wrote about draft trade scenarios and their value in the first-ever edition of the KC Draft Guide launched this week! You can purchase it for only $9.99! We have over 225 prospect write-ups on prospects (including the players we discussed in this article), including breakdowns of all of these players, with specifics about how prospects fit the Chiefs. There are more than 300 grades on players, mock drafts, positional rankings and features — all specific to the Chiefs. Grab your copy by clicking here!Loading...