Kansas City Chiefs rookies will arrive in St. Joseph, Missouri at Missouri Western State for 2024 training camp before you know it.
Coach Andy Reid is known for running the toughest camp in the league, which pays dividends later in season. This year will be no different as the Chiefs attempt to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
Beginning today and over the next several days leading up to the start of camp, we'll be bringing you position-by-position previews. We'll begin with the offensive line, which will feature the biggest battle of camp.
Chiefs offensive line overview ahead of training camp
Who are the expected starters:
Left tackle- Kingsley Suamataia
Left guard- Joe Thuney
Center- Creed Humphrey
Right guard- Trey Smith
Right tackle- Jawaan Taylor
Who is currently hurt:
Joe Thuney is still recovering from a torn pectoral injury that he suffered in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills. While he is expected to be ready to go when the Chiefs kickoff the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens, how much he'll participate in training camp is currently unknown.
Who is on the trade block:
Fifth-year tackle Lucas Niang has never become what the Chiefs envisioned when they drafted him in 2020. He's becoming lost in the shuffle on the depth chart and it's increasingly looking like he won't be much of a contributor. However, he' still just 25 years old and has a lot of appealing athletic traits, which could be enticing for other teams.
Biggest Chiefs training camp battle: Wanya Morris vs. Kingsley Suamataia
Solving the left tackle situation:
After the Chiefs drafted Suamataia, they stated that there would be an open competition throughout the offseason between he and second-year man Morris. Last season Morris started four games for K.C. and did a solid job for a rookie who was suddenly thrusted into action.
Left tackle is the biggest question mark on the team this year and it will be crucial for one of these two young players to step up and play if the Chiefs are going to make another championship run.
Who has the edge:
The Chiefs would probably prefer that Suamataia wins the job convincingly. They were high on him throughout the draft process, and he has the bigger athletic upside. The Chiefs view Morris as more of a swing tackle who can come off the bench and play both sides as well as some guard if needed, similar to what Nick Allegretti provided over the last several years.
Biggest training camp sleeper: C Griffin McDowell
With Creed Humphrey heading into a contract year, the center position is an interesting one to watch in Kansas City. McDowell is a college tight end, turned offensive tackle, turned center. His athleticism is something that will get him serious consideration in an NFL offense. A good training camp and preseason could also see him challenge for a backup role on the offensive interior quicker than expected.
Related: Chiefs' Xavier Worthy is being slept on as a legitimate Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate
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