Over the course of the offseason — or at least what's left of it — the Kansas City Chiefs will learn plenty about their 90-man roster. The list eventually has to be whittled down to 53, but in the meantime, general manager Brett Veach can evaluate individuals and groups alike.
Speaking of the latter, there's no denying that the Chiefs have a hierarchy of pretty defined positions when it comes to talent. Certain rooms have top-end standouts, whereas others are more unproven but may be brimming with upside.
With organized team activities (OTAs) on the horizon at the end of the month, let's take a look at the Chiefs' roster and rank every position group in three separate tiers.
Tier 1: Great
This tier typically would contain a star or superstar-level player great enough to carry the group to premier status. If not, it'd take a supreme assortment of high-end depth to crack tier No. 1.
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes
Justin Fields
Garrett Nussmeier
Chris Oladokun
Whenever you have one of the top five best quarterbacks to ever play the sport, it's hard to view the entire group as anything but great. Patrick Mahomes is progressing well following an ACL and LCL tear late last season, and the Chiefs added Justin Fields to be a high-end backup this offseason.
Toss in a sneaky-good pickup of LSU's Garrett Nussmeier in round seven of the 2026 NFL Draft, and you get one of the best quarterback assortments in the sport.
Interior offensive line
Kingsley Suamataia
Creed Humphrey
Trey Smith
Mike Caliendo
C.J. Hanson
Hunter Nourzad
Center Creed Humphrey is widely regarded as the best player at his position. Right guard Trey Smith is a road-grading, tone-setting right guard who's paid to be elite, thus forming one of the best one-two punches in the game.
2024 second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia couldn't have had a worse rookie season at the left tackle spot. Kansas City pulled the plug on that experiment and shifted him to left guard, and it worked wonders.
Running back
Kenneth Walker III
Emari Demercado
Emmett Johnson
Brashard Smith
The 2024 and 2025 Chiefs may have had football's least explosive or frightening running back room. Gone are Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, and in is reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker following his departure from the Seattle Seahawks. Former Arizona Cardinals chunk-runner Emari Demercado and fifth-round NFL Draft pick Emmett Johnson also join him.
Fixing the run game goes beyond just finding a talent of Walker's caliber, although this is a heck of a start. Walker needs to live up to the hype to justify his lucrative multi-year contract.
Interior defensive line
Chris Jones
Khyiris Tonga
Peter Woods
Omarr Norman-Lott
The Chiefs knew this offseason that they needed an early-down partner for All-Pro Chris Jones, and they got just that by signing Khyiris Tonga. Tonga is a reliable run-stuffing tackle who can play heavy snaps if needed, but the first-round selection of Clemson's Peter Woods adds a new wrinkle.
Woods' long-term upside is tremendous. He slots into a room that also has 2025 second-round pick Omarr Norman-Lott coming back from a torn ACL. As is, this is the best interior defensive line crop the Chiefs have had in years. The potential is significant.
Tier 2: Quality
This tier features plenty of veterans who either are no longer stars anymore or haven't developed to that point just yet. It has players that fans should feel solid about if they play major roles in 2026-27.
Specialists
Harrison Butker
Matt Araiza
James Winchester
Are the days of Harrison Butker challenging for the crown of best in the world long gone? After making 94.3% of his field goal tries in 2023, he dropped to 84.0% in 2024 and was up just 86.8% a year ago. He also missed four extra point tries, his most since 2018.
Elsewhere, Matt Araiza ranked 14th in punter EPA in his second year as a Chief. Long-snapper James Winchester is also back on another one-year deal, setting the team up for continuity this coming campaign.
Tight end
Travis Kelce
Noah Gray
Jared Wiley
Jake Briningstool
John Michael Gyllenborg
Reports of Travis Kelce's demise in 2024 were overstated. The future first-ballot Hall of Fame man bounced back last season, finishing third in total EPA at the position, via SumerSports. If this is his last hurrah, it might just see him experience a similar effort as he soon turns 37 years old.
The true floor and ceiling of this group could reside with the output of Noah Gray, who was excellent in his No. 2 role two years ago but regressed in a major way in 2025. Keep an eye on undrafted rookie John Michael Gyllenborg, whose athletic profile alone is worth monitoring.
Offensive tackle
Josh Simmons
Jaylon Moore
Wanya Morris
Esa Pole
Ethan Driskell
Chukwuebuka "Jason" Godrick
Parting ways with Jawaan Taylor sets the Chiefs up for a new right tackle, but this is part of the reason they signed Jaylon Moore to a two-year deal. Even if he doesn't thrive in a contract year, he should be effective enough to keep the right side of the offensive line afloat.
On the left side, first-round pick Josh Simmons flashed Pro Bowl traits when on the field. The problem was that he couldn't stay available due to one reason or another. The 100th-percentile outcome at tackle could help form a top-five line in the sport. The median outcome is still respectable.
Linebacker
Nick Bolton
Drue Tranquill
Cooper McDonald
Jeffrey Bassa
Jack Cochrane
Cole Christiansen
Linebacker Leo Chenal is now a member of the Washington Commanders, but folks may be making a bit too big of a deal about his departure. The starting SAM linebacker in the Chiefs' scheme typically won't play much more than 40% of available snaps. While Cooper McDonald profiles for that role right now, he shouldn't sink the overall ship.
Nick Bolton is as steady as ever in his role, even with limited range and coverage chops. Drue Tranquill seemed to improve after a slow start to the year and took a pay cut to return for another year. As far as depth is concerned, can 2025 draft pick Jeffrey Bassa find a role in year two?
Safety
Alohi Gilman
Chamarri Conner
Jaden Hicks
Chris Roland-Wallace
Losing Bryan Cook to the Cincinnati Bengals hurts, but the Chiefs figure to be fine at the safety position. Alohi Gilman is an experienced vet signing who can fulfill multiple duties for coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and Chamarri Conner being taken out of the slot and put back in a traditional safety role could save the arc of his career in a contract campaign.
Chris Roland-Wallace is a versatile chess piece who can play corner or safety. The name to remember is Jaden Hicks, who took a step backward in his sophomore effort but is just two years removed from drawing hefty praise from team scouts.
Tier 3: Questionable
The final tier isn't inherently a bad one, but someone's got to bring up the end of the list. The first two groups have upward mobility to prove to be quality during the regular season. The jury is still out for the final position in a major way.
Cornerback
Mansoor Delane
Kristian Fulton
Nohl Williams
Kader Kohou
Jadon Canady
Kaiir Elam
Kevin Knowles
This is one of the more new-look groups on the Chiefs. It's completely intentional, too, as the club traded Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and then watched Jaylen Watson sign with the same team.
Moving up to No. 6 in the first round for LSU's Mansoor Delane signaled a concerted effort to build up the cornerback room. The jury is still out on whether Kristian Fulton's late-season revival was real, and rising 2025 draft pick Nohl Williams showcased some impressive physicality and coverage ability as a rookie.
Kader Kohou has the inside edge on the starting slot job, yet don't leave rookie Jadon Canady out in the cold. There are many moving pieces here, which is why the cornerback room must prove that it's quality before being deemed just that.
Wide receiver
Rashee Rice
Xavier Worthy
Tyquan Thornton
Jalen Royals
Nikko Remigio
Cyrus Allen
The optimal success path for the Chiefs' wideout room is pretty clear. It features Rashee Rice delivering in the biggest season of his career, Xavier Worthy staying healthy and making a leap, as well as Tyquan Thornton showing that last year wasn't a fluke.
With that said, this group is skating on extremely thin ice. There isn't enough plus depth behind the top three, nor is anyone in that hierarchy a foolproof bet to contribute. An external acquisition makes some sense — perhaps former New England Patriots standout Stefon Diggs?
Defensive end
George Karlaftis
Ashton Gillotte
R Mason Thomas
Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Ethan Downs
Tyreke Smith
This is unequivocally the Chiefs' worst position on the team, and that's after picking Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas in the second round of the draft. Don't get it twisted: George Karlaftis is a formidable starting defensive end for any NFL club. The problem is that there isn't anything behind him on the depth chart.
2025 draft selection Ashton Gillotte could earn the second starting job due to his fine run defense. Thomas and 2023 first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah aren't traditional Chiefs-style ends, but they do offer some juice and theoretical upside. Downs and Smith can easily be improved upon.
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