At the Chiefs training camp, four plotlines merit more examination. They might be essential.
With fewer than two weeks until their opening preseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs are fully committed to their training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri. This week, I had the opportunity to observe the team for two days at camp. On Sunday, I attended their lengthy practice in full pads, and on Monday, I attended their shorter session in shells.
Since the Todd Haley days, I have attended Chiefs training camp, and I have discovered that there are two ways to view training camp. You have two options: either watch it like a game and enjoy seeing your favorite players warm up, or view it like a game tape and pay close attention to individual players’ appearances.
That’s what I did for the most part. This means that occasionally I’ll miss a highlight worthy of social media because I was focusing on another player, but overall I think I learn more that way.
After focusing on particular players for a few days, I had a few important conclusions and insights. Since we’ve only had two practice days, it’s possible that my thoughts on these matters will shift following the preseason games. But these are the things I felt most strongly about when I left camp.
Sold out on Suamataia 1.
I focused entirely on Kingsley Suamataia for about 95% of his on-field repetitions during Sunday’s padded practice. That day, my main attention was on him. He took all of the first-team reps that day, as has been reported. Based on other reports I’ve received, I think this was his third day in a row of doing so. That matters because the Chiefs usually alternate days or reps with players who are truly up for grabs.
Take a few minutes to read Price Carter’s excellent post on lowering expectations for Kingsley Suamataia if you haven’t already. I concur with his assessment that he will require time to develop and that tackles selected at his position in the draft usually aren’t elite players who start right away.
On Sunday, though, I witnessed a player who possesses the quickness out of his stance, lateral agility, and anchoring ability to play in the NFL immediately. Does that imply he won’t experience setbacks and growing pains? Naturally, there will be hiccups along the way. But a player improves more quickly with increased repetitions, and I saw enough in him to want to avoid postponing his progress.
This season, could Kingsley occasionally be a liability? Yes, but if the Chiefs re-signed him, Wanya Morris and Donovan Smith could also do so. I don’t think the slight increase in reliability that someone like Smith may provide would be worth sacrificing the potential growth that a player with more upside, like Suamataia, would receive from playing every week of the season.
When it comes to left tackles, the first thing I observe is how they step with their rear left foot during pass protection. They will constantly have difficulty keeping up with fast rushers if they have heavy or slow feet. Orlando Brown could get away with it to some extent because of his remarkable length, but he was weak in this area. In this aspect, I was pleased with Kingsley’s performance on Sunday. Considering his size, he moves really naturally as well.
How effectively a player anchors versus NFL-caliber defenders is the second item I consider. On Sunday, Suamataia and Mike Danna engaged in head-to-head competition for the majority of the day, and I don’t think I ever saw Suamataia lose control to the veteran. Danna consistently outperformed Suamataia in those reps because of her superior technique.
It is the primary area in which Suamataia will require improvement. I also witnessed one rep where Leo Chenal lunged full force into him. Suamataia was originally knocked back, but he was able to right himself and become better.
Suamataia only lost two reps to Felix Anudike-Uzomah (more on him in a moment) that I saw go badly enough to ruin a play. In those two reps, FAU first appeared to be heading outside before cutting back inside (once with a spin move, and once by simply cutting back across Suamataia’s face).
Even if it’s just two repetitions, if he keeps having trouble with speed rushers cutting back inside, it is something to keep an eye on throughout the preseason. I was quite positive about Kingsley Suamataia’s potential and his overall play level for a rookie even after those few reps. I’m eager to see him again during the preseason.
2. FAU might actually be a factor
As I just indicated, Felix Anudike-Uzomah outperformed Kingsley Suamataia with a pair of excellent pass rush maneuvers. He faced up against Wanya Morris with the second string squad for the majority of the Sunday. He also had some excellent reps against Morris.
Although he held up better in run support on Sunday than I saw from him last year, and I thought he performed a little bit better at disengaging from the tackle to get down the line towards a ball carrier, I’m still not quite sold on FAU when he needs to physically confront the tackle.
Mike Danna playing on the edge on early downs and FAU coming in on clear passing downs to allow Danna to either catch his breath or kick inside (where he is more effective as a pass rusher) seems like a smart plan, at least early in the season until Charles Omenihu is healthy.
Did Anudike-Uzomah’s performance in camp convince me that he deserves to be selected in the first round this season? Though I wouldn’t go that far, he does appear to be a useful situational pass rusher for this team who, if he plays frequently, may add 6–8 sacks. Yes, that is something I could live with.
3. It’s both wonderful and bad that Jared Wiley appeared to be a wideout.
Since OTAs, rookie tight end Jared Wiley has generated some buzz, so I was eager to see him perform during camp. The primary observation I have is that he is capable of being a reliable pass receiver right soon. Wiley has good movement for a 6-foot-6 person. He was already receiving some reps with the first team and demonstrated great hands.
The main reason I hesitate is that Wiley’s build is virtually identical to that of a wide receiver like Drake London or Michael Pittman rather than a tight end that can catch passes like Travis Kelce. He doesn’t appear to be a player you would want to start behind Blake Bell and Noah Gray in the lineup for the next few seasons.
To be fair, I had severe concerns about Gray’s blocking skills when he was a college student, but ever since he was selected, he has improved greatly in that area of his game. Wiley has the ability to accomplish that as well, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to say that Wiley will deny Gray a lot of snaps this season. I’ve already discussed Reid’s use of the second tight end in his offense, and I believe it holds true in this instance as well.
Gray proved last season that he’s prepared to put in the grunt work required at the number-two TE position in Reid’s scheme. This season, I believe Gray will remain in that role. Wiley might play more of a red zone role akin to that of Jody Fortson and let Travis Kelce take more rests on plays where the tight end is behaving more like a wide receiver.
This is a video I got of Wiley on Monday, taking a Mahomes throw. He is positioned as you can see on the left. It doesn’t help that he wears number 12, but he just strikes me as a tall wide receiver.
4. RB depth continues to be a worry
This lesson differs from the previous three, which were all largely favorable. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was absent from camp when I was there due to a sickness. Due to the Chiefs’ desire to spare Isiah Pacheco from as much wear and strain, Deneric Prince saw a lot of first team time. Prince appears to have the makings of a solid running back. He has a really muscular and powerful build. He also has a nice appearance when he is racing in the open field. To earn my faith, he still needs to consistently find gaps and break tackles at a high enough rate. I hope the preseason brings that to our attention. When it comes to pass protection, I think he is the best candidate competing for the #3 running back spot.
In relation to pass protection, Emani Bailey and Louis Rees-Zammit had a lot of difficulty with it on Sunday. Sadly, I didn’t witness enough impressive plays when they had the ball to justify a roster berth despite their inconsistent pass defense. Though from what I witnessed during my two days at camp, I’m not giving up on these two completely. It seems like they’re competing for a spot on the practice squad rather than a roster spot. Even though LRZ was receiving early kick return reps, he wasn’t really using them. Compared to those two, Carson Steele appeared more attractive. If nothing else, he had the build of an H-back who could cover guys on special teams.
After two days at training camp, if you had to force me to choose one position, running back would be it. I continue to believe that before the season begins, the Chiefs might need to sign a seasoned passing down back.
Quick Hitters: 1. Kelvin Joseph was unquestionably the second-best coverage corner during my stay at camp, as Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson were both sidelined. Joshua Williams was outclassed by him both days I was there.
2. Matt Araiza lives up to the hype about his leg strength. When the real games begin, I’m curious to see how accurate he can be.
3. Wide receiver Montrell Washington made a few big plays both days I was there, and I’m not sure whether he has a chance to make the active squad. I hope to see more of him in the preseason.
4. Justyn Ross never ceases to inspire me with confidence. Especially with Justin Watson down during my visit, his size at wide receiver was noticeable. I simply cannot let him go yet.
5. The Chiefs prioritized getting the ball out of the backfield to their explosive wideouts on Monday. I observed Mecole Hardman and Xavier Worthy working on reverses as Rashee Rice and Kadarius Toney were positioned in the backfield. I thought Rice looked very promising—almost like the Chiefs’ own take on Deebo Samuel.
6. Xavier Worthy lived up to the hype. Although he has exceptional speed and acceleration, he does appear quite thin. If the Chiefs make him a focal point of their offense, I’m concerned about how he’ll withstand hits on par with those in the NFL. This is a video I got of him escaping and taking a Mahomes throw on Monday.
8. I’m going to write a separate essay about my ideas on the new kickoff rules and why I believe we could be concentrating on the wrong thing there. For that one, come back soon to Arrowhead Addict.
