Kansas City Chiefs 2023 Roster Preview: Linebackers Entering Training Camp

Kansas City's 2023 linebacker unit is headlined by a potential three-headed monster, but one member of the group could be under immense pressure.

Jan 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs middle linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (50) reacts before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Wild Card playoff football game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have consistently poured premier assets into their linebacker room, and it paid off for the most part in 2022.

Not only did 2021 second-round pick Nick Bolton emerge as the best linebacker in Steve Spagnuolo's unit at the second level of the defense, but 2020 second-round pick Willie Gay Jr. continued to inject athleticism and range into the group as well. Darius Harris provided depth as needed, and so did Leo Chenal during his rookie campaign. With Harris out of the picture and a new face entering the fold this spring, though, things could look a bit different.

As 2023 Chiefs training camp comes into focus, Arrowhead Report will be previewing each of the team's position groups. This precedes a roster projection once training camp is in full swing, allowing for in-depth analysis and observations of the roster general manager Brett Veach has put together. The series continues with linebackers.

The starters: Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill and Willie Gay Jr.

Bolton, as mentioned, is the heartbeat of the linebacker room in Kansas City. He recorded a whopping 180 tackles in his sophomore campaign and added three passes broken up and a forced fumble to his stat line as well. The former Missouri Tigers standout has some limitations in man coverage and may not be the best athlete, but he's consistently in the right spots and has the complete trust of the coaching staff. The same may not be able to be said for Gay, who is a tremendous athlete but routinely got pulled off the field on some drives in favor of players like Harris. 

Gay missed four games in 2022 due to being suspended, and that didn't help his case for elite playing time. He did see his overall snap share jump from 57% to a career-high 69%, although the addition of Tranquill could very well eat into that total. Tranquill is coming off a very productive season with the Los Angeles Chargers and can do just about everything on defense with proficiency. If the newcomer has a good camp and preseason, don't be surprised to see him earn snaps over Gay early in the season. 

The key backup: Leo Chenal 

Some viewed the Chenal pick at 103rd overall last year as a reach, but a quick look at his athletic testing numbers silenced some of the skeptics and got them to buy into the long-term picture. The former Wisconsin Badger played just 23% of available defensive snaps as a rookie, but he was a key special-teamer with a 61% snap share there. He played no fewer than 21 defensive snaps in any of the team's final four regular-season games and proceeded to log 18 in the Super Bowl, potentially indicating that the club was ramping him up a bit. If that's the case, even with three players ahead of him on the depth chart, Chenal will still get on the field in year two. 

The intriguing pieces: Jack Cochrane, Cam Jones, Isaiah Moore and Cole Christiansen

Cochrane was a popular name as a special teams option last year, and he was on the field for 262 snaps in that area (65%) as a rookie. That gives him a clear floor at the NFL level, but the duo of Jones and Moore offers some intrigue and also some notable guaranteed salary numbers ($150,000 and $148,000, respectively) considering that they were undrafted free agents. With that in mind, they are prime practice squad candidates. Christiansen has spent his professional career in the AFC West and if he sticks around after training camp, he is also a possible practice squad body.

Read More: Drue Tranquill Details Chiefs’ Free Agency Recruitment