Chiefs 2024 Roster Projection 1.0: Tough Calls for Reigning Champs

With Kansas City Chiefs training camp now in full swing, it's time to take a look at who could make the team in an initial 2024 roster projection.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore (24) against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the dust has settled on the NFL offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs are back to work preparing for their title defense.

Rookies and veterans have reported to St. Joseph, Missouri for training camp, and the back-to-back Super Bowl champs have plenty to sort out. How will the club take shape with pads coming on at camp and the preseason on the horizon? Two members of the Chiefs on SI crew take a crack at outlining Kansas City's roster in an initial 2024 projection.

Quarterback (2)

Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz

Jordan Foote: Not too much to see here. Wentz might be the most talented backup the Chiefs have had since, ironically, Mahomes back in 2017. The former MVP candidate-turned-journeyman is ready to make the most of his new opportunity as a second-stringer, which is a refreshing arc for his career to take. In an ideal world for the Chiefs, he doesn't see the field in the regular season until a Week 18 game in which the starters are resting. Because of the stability at spots one and two (as well as the NFL's emergency QB rules), Chris Oladokun finds himself on the practice squad but still around the organization.

Running back (3)

Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Keaontay Ingram

Joshua Brisco: This group — notably missing converted rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit — has a chance to change significantly once pads come on. Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire seem safe as the top duo, but Ingram gets our narrow nod as a pass-catching veteran who may be able to pick up some of what was lost when the team moved on from Jerick McKinnon. Rees-Zammit, Deneric Prince, Carson Steele and Emani Bailey all have a chance to get a roster spot or land on the practice squad, and the Chiefs could even keep four backs. However, if they're serious about giving the ball to Kadarius Toney more often, perhaps he could be RB3.5.

Wide receiver (7)

Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore

Foote: The top four here, in whatever order, is relatively set in stone. Rice returns after a stellar rookie season and despite some speculation from the outside world on a potential suspension, the Chiefs said they haven't heard anything new. He's joined by Brown and Worthy as the team's primary trio, but don't forget about Watson, who's developed nice chemistry with Mahomes in recent years.

The tougher decisions come at slots five and six (and, in our case, seven). Hardman, the Super Bowl LVIII hero, appears to have the edge. Toney being RB3.5 is a great idea, which could land him the WR6 spot. Despite how little Moore has contributed and how much he's struggled to begin camp, it's hard for me to see KC giving up on him just yet. He sneaks in as the club's final receiver, costing the exciting Nikko Remigio a roster spot.

Tight end (4)

Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jared Wiley, Irv Smith Jr.

Brisco: After keeping only three tight ends last year, it makes sense to start with four in 2024. The Chiefs seemed to have a plan for Smith when they signed him early in free agency, but Wiley is now clearly the guy KC would like to see develop into their next big pass-catching target. Since Wiley is a rookie and Smith is a vet, they'll likely carry four until Wiley shows that he can be fully relied on in the offense. If Smith does miss the cut, he'd be an easy practice squad candidate.

Offensive line (9)

Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris, Jawaan Taylor, Lucas Niang, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Mike Caliendo, Hunter Nourzad

Foote: The Chiefs' top six, assuming the backup left tackle is the final member of that group, should all contain the same names. The only question is who starts on that left side, but both Suamataia and Morris are firmly entrenched in a top-two slotting there. We're banking on Thuney, who's dealing with a pectoral injury recovery, being back in time for Week 1.

Niang edges out Godrick for the fourth tackle spot, which isn't too much of a surprise given how rough the latter still is around the edges and his International Player Pathway Program designation. On the interior, the Chiefs view Nourzad as a potential Nick Allegretti replacement and Caliendo has more experience than Hanson. The final call was the toughest but in edition 1.0, the seventh-round pick starts on the practice squad.

Defensive line (9)

George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Malik Herring, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton, Mike Pennel, Neil Farrell Jr.

Brisco: This is an open-and-shut case, barring something shocking. The Chiefs are bringing back their entire first- and second-string defensive line from 2023, without any new names at EDGE and a pair of UDFAs at defensive tackle, Alex Gubner and Fabien Lovett, who could be practice squad candidates. With Omenihu starting on the PUP list and BJ Thompson on the NFI list, the biggest stories from the depth of this group will be about if Anudike-Uzomah and Farrell can find larger roles in 2024.  

Linebacker (6)

Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, Leo Chenal, Jack Cochrane, Cam Jones, Curtis Jacobs

Foote: Even with Willie Gay Jr. no longer on the team, the Chiefs still figure to have a formidable linebacker trio leading the way. Chenal is the X-factor of the group but continues to show flashes of being a lethal weapon for Steve Spagnuolo. Speaking of Spagnuolo, he's been giving Cochrane plenty of love this offseason. Jones is a trusted special teams piece who should crack the rotation.

A sixth linebacker, Jacobs, enters the fold to begin the year. The priority UDFA pickup was singled out by general manager Brett Veach as someone who could make the team, and that was way back in May. Considering KC's love of linebackers, Jacobs sticks around here. Having Cole Christiansen as a practice squad candidate is a testament to the club's linebacker depth.

Cornerback (6)

Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Joshua Williams, Nazeeh Johnson, Nic Jones, Kamal Hadden

Brisco: The cornerback room is talented, interesting, and crowded, as is so often the case in Steve Spagnuolo's defense and Dave Merritt's defensive backfield. While Watson and Johnson have current injury concerns, the top four (along with McDuffie and Williams) seem mostly set. Former Dallas Cowboys second-round pick Kelvin Joseph narrowly missed the cut in our projection, falling to Hadden, a 2024 sixth-rounder, and Jones, a 2023 seventh-rounder. If Joseph or former K-State UDFA Ekow Boye-Doe made the roster, I wouldn't bat an eye. This group has room to fluctuate, but Spagnuolo and Merritt have earned the expectation that they'll get the position right.

Safety (4)

Justin Reid, Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner, Jaden Hicks

Foote: Reid is the obvious leader of this safety unit and one of the go-to guys on the entire defense. While a quad injury could see him possibly miss the majority of training camp, questioning his Week 1 status feels premature at this juncture. Cook returns from a scary late-season ankle injury and should resume his post as safety No. 2. Conner's usage remains one of the hottest discussion points on the defense but regardless of where or when he plays, he'll help make Hicks a more niche player as the Day 3 draft pick eases his way in. Bush, like Christiansen and others mentioned in this opening projection, is worthy of a roster spot but simply falls victim to the numbers game at his respective position.

Specialist (3)

Harrison Butker, Matt Araiza, James Winchester

Brisco: While there was briefly an apparent punter battle earlier in the offseason, the group is set now. Butker, Araiza and Winchester are the only rostered players at their respective positions. That level of job security isn't surprising for Butker or Winchester, but the Chiefs are also treating Araiza like a veteran who has secured the job, despite the fact that he hasn't punted in a game since the 2022 preseason.

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