The Kansas City Chiefs will soon make their way to St. Joseph, Missouri, where they'll take over the campus of Missouri Western State University for their 2024 training camp .
For several players on the 90-man offseason roster, the impression made on coaches and front-office executives over the next several weeks will determine their futures with the organization. Even some of the most established veterans in Kansas City will have something to prove as a fresh wave of rookies joins the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Their performances in the eyes of evaluators could be the difference between making the 53-man roster come final cuts or finding themselves with a different team during the 2024 NFL season.
Here's a quick look at seven Chiefs players who need to have a strong performance during the upcoming training camp:
WR Skyy Moore
No player on the Chiefs' roster needs to have a strong training camp like Moore does. The former second-round draft pick from Western Michigan is entering his third year with the team and he's yet to record a season with over 22 receptions, 250 yards, and a single receiving touchdown. Sure, he's dealt with some injury troubles along the way, but he needs to prove that he's part of the solution and not part of the problem at the wide receiver position in Kansas City. Right now, he's a bit of a wild card because you just don't quite know what you're going to get this year. It certainly feels like this could be a sink-or-swim moment for No. 24 and it all starts with his performance in training camp.
OT Wanya Morris
Morris entered the offseason with the potential to earn the starting left tackle job. He filled in nicely for an injured Donovan Smith at times last season, with about the performance you'd expect from a rookie. This offseason, he's locked in a heated battle with second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia for the starting left tackle spot ( and potentially some others ). It feels as if Suamataia will be given every shot to prove he should be the starter. However, if Morris can show year-over-year improvement, he'll give himself the best opportunity in Kansas City. If that's not enough to earn the starting job, he'll at least cement himself in the team's plans as a valuable depth piece along the offensive line.
WR Kadarius Toney
Toney seems to have all the talent in the world, but he's failed to remain reliable during his tenure with the Chiefs. There is no denying the impact he had in Super Bowl LVII, but he regressed in a big way last season. He missed practically all of training camp last season due to a knee injury suffered on a kick return drill. When he returned, he was wholly ineffective and struggled with drops. This year, Toney needs to stay healthy through training camp to have a chance. There is simply too much competition at the wide receiver position for him to miss time with injury. If you combine that with a failure to perform, he might have a problem on his hands. It doesn't matter how talented Toney is if he can't stay on the field. Andy Reid insists the team hasn't lost faith in Toney , but as they say, "The best ability is availability."
CB Kamal Hadden
Cornerback might be the most competitive position for the Chiefs' 90-man offseason roster. You have a dozen players at the position vying for a half dozen roster spots at a maximum. For a late-round rookie like Hadden to make the 53-man roster, he's going to have to have an impressive performance during both training camp and the preseason. He'll likely bump another former late-round cornerback off the roster. Players like Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams are probably safe, but guys like Nazeeh Johnson, Nic Jones, and Ekow Boye-Doe better watch out for Hadden, who has been likened to former Chiefs CB Bashaud Breeland . The rookie was highly productive at the University of Tennessee before suffering a season-ending injury last year. He could be the right type of hungry to push for a roster spot.
DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
No Chiefs rookie in 2023 had a more disappointing season than the former first-round draft pick out of Kansas State. That might have simply been a matter of expectations being too high for a 21-year-old selected at the bottom of the first round. The best way for Anudike-Uzomah to prove himself is to show some real progress from his rookie season during the upcoming training camp. He made the right moves this offseason working with his teammate George Karlaftis and Chiefs legend Tamba Hali , but he'll have to show the strides made between the hash marks in St. Joe.
RB Deneric Prince
Prince was a standout during OTAs last season before falling completely flat during training camp and losing playing time to former Chiefs RB La'Mical Perine . This year's running back group is even more competitive with several hungry rookies in Louis Rees-Zammit, Carson Steele, and Emani Bailey. There's also the likes of a veteran newcomer in Keaontay Ingram to contend with. Prince can't afford to have another year like his rookie season. He needs to carry over the momentum from OTAs and prove to the coaching staff that he's ready for the responsibility of a bigger role on the offensive side of the ball. If he can't do that, this season might mimic 2023 for Prince.
S Trey Dean III
Safety is quietly one of the strongest positions on the roster in Kansas City, which makes things all the more difficult for a player like Dean to make the 53-man roster. He joined the practice squad in 2023, shortly after the conclusion of the regular season after spending the year on the New York Jets' practice squad . With players like Justin Reid and Bryan Cook as clear starters, Deon Bush as a veteran depth piece, plus a pair of recent draft picks in Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks, it feels like an uphill battle for Dean to crack the 53-man roster. He's going to need a performance of epic proportions during training camp (or some injuries) if he's to make this team.
Related: Chiefs rookies, quarterbacks to report to training camp for headstart on Tuesday
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