A to Z Sports

One thing each Chiefs rookie must accomplish in training camp to make an impact in 2024

By Charles Goldman,

30 days ago

As Kansas City Chiefs rookies report to training camp on Tuesday , they'll be getting their first real taste of life in the NFL.

Andy Reid is known for having one of the most rigorous and demanding training camps in the league. He's proven that the effort exerted is not for nothing as it gets players prepared for an 18-game season and an extended postseason run.

Several Chiefs rookies will be vying for playing time with the reigning Super Bowl champions. Training camp will be their first true opportunity to prove they're worthy of it. What will each player have to do to earn the opportunity to make an on-field impact in 2024? Let's dive in.

Xavier Worthy must build chemistry with Patrick Mahomes

It's no secret that Xavier Worthy is a little behind after missing the majority of Phase III of the offseason program due to a hamstring injury. Thankfully, he's the fastest man in football and should be able to make up for lost time quickly. The biggest thing that Worthy must accomplish during training camp is building on-field chemistry with star QB Patrick Mahomes. OTAs and mandatory minicamp are typically the times when that chemistry is forged, but they'll have the headstart for rookies and quarterbacks to get some kinks worked out . Worthy has to learn what Mahomes wants and likes in various routes, schemes, and plays. Mahomes must learn what Worthy's good at right now to know how he can best help him to have success in his rookie season.

Kingsley Suamataia has to prove he's run-game and schematically ready

Offensive tackles coming out of the college game are actually more prepared than ever to hold up in the passing game than they were when Chiefs OL coach Andy Heck was a player. Sure, Suamataia is going to have to get used to going up against the league's best pass rushers consistently, but the area of growth that he'll need to display in training camp is elsewhere. He'll need to show expertise in the ground game and also between the ears when it comes to learning various blocking schemes. That will go a long way to earning the trust of the coaching staff and his quarterback . He's competing for the starting left tackle job and I get the sense that the Chiefs will give him every opportunity to earn it, but showing that he's a complete player is going to be key to ensuring he wins the job over Wanya Morris.

Jared Wiley needs to soak in all he can from Travis Kelce

Wiley has already left a strong first impression on the coaching staff , his teammates, and media members during Phase III of the offseason program. He's going to have a continued opportunity to learn from the best tight end in football when he hits the practice fields in St. Joseph, Missouri. Wiley needs to be a sponge during his time at camp this year, learning every little tidbit of information that he can from the future Hall of Famer. Wiley is going to have opportunities this year in 12-personnel and 13-personnel looks, but how he takes advantage of those opportunities remains to be seen. He'll give himself the best shot to be successful if he can find small things he can adapt from Kelce's game to his own.

Jaden Hicks must showcase his versatility

The Chiefs worked Hicks at free safety early on during rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp , but I think he'll get moved around a bit more during training camp. The safety position is quite competitive in Kansas City with Justin Reid and Bryan Cook taking the two starting spots. When they have a third safety on the field, will Hicks be the guy to get that opportunity? Last season it was Chamarri Conner at times. Late in the season, Deon Bush saw some opportunities. There is also a talented second-year player in Trey Dean III, who shouldn't be slept on. I feel like if Hicks can show during training camp that he can wear many hats in the secondary in Year 1, he'll have a much better chance of contributing in a crowded room.

OL Hunter Nourzad must narrow down his home

Unlike his teammate on the defensive side of the ball, Jaden Hicks, I think that Nourzad will have his best chances of contributing in 2024 if he's able to narrow down a single position to focus on during training camp. One of the reasons that Nick Allegretti became such an asset to the Chiefs over the years is that he started working at center when he first arrived. After he mastered that position, he then moved on to play more guard in camps, knowing that he could also slot in and get repetitions at center. Putting Nourzad on a similar track, where he can focus on mastering a single position, with the idea that he can eventually learn a different spot feels like a natural progression for the rookie.

Kamal Hadden has to separate himself from the competition

The cornerback position isn't just the most competitive and talented on the team, but it might be historically great for the franchise from a sheer depth standpoint. Trent McDuffie is a surefire starter, but beyond that, the Chiefs could wind up using any combination of players. Jaylen Watson and Josh Williams are sure to be in the mix after making contributions in each of the past two seasons. Chamarri Conner and Nic Jones are competing to play the nickel corner spot in sub packages. Where exactly does Hadden slot in as a rookie? He needs to separate himself from guys like Nazeeh Johnson, Ekow Boye-Doe, Kelvin Joseph, and Miles Battle if he's to contribute on defense, let alone make the 53-man roster. One way that he might be able to do that is by playing special teams for Dave Toub.

OL C.J. Hanson must prove he can hang in the NFL

There's a reason that Hanson was the first Holy Cross Crusader to be drafted since the Chiefs selected Rob McGovern back in 1989. The school hasn't historically produced a lot of NFL talent, let alone consistently. Even Hanson never thought the NFL was a real possibility for him until the first four weeks of the 2023 college football season. He's coming from a small private Jesuit school in the FCS, which means he's a bit disadvantaged just in terms of the competition that he's faced leading up to his time in the NFL. This is going to truly be Hanson's first opportunity to prove that he belongs and can hang in the league, even if he might need some more developmental time to reach his ceiling as an NFL player.

Undrafted free agent and international player bonus round

Louis Rees-Zammit needs to stay afloat: Rees-Zammit is one of the most interesting stories to follow during training camp because he has absolutely no experience playing this game. The expectations for the Rugby star need to be simple — don't drown. He's going to be learning so much that it's going to be like drinking through a firehose, and he'll need to stay afloat to have any chance at making the team and making an impact in 2024.

Carson Steele and Emani Bailey need to show he has what the Chiefs lack: Running back is a fascinating position for the Chiefs right now because Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire have a stranglehold on the top two spots. For Steele and Bailey to make an impact (and make the team), they need to show that they can be whatever it is the Chiefs lack in Pacheco and CEH. Pass protection will be key, but so will pass-catching, short-yardage, and goal-line situational football.

Curtis Jacobs and Swayze Bozeman must let their athleticism shine: Making an impact as a linebacker in Kansas City will be tough with Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, and Leo Chenal as a stalwart trio. However, when you've got athleticism like Jacobs and Bozeman showed in pre-draft testing, the sky is the limit. Let that show during camp and good things will happen.

Fabien Lovett Sr. and Alex Gubner must stand out from the vets: The Chiefs have a lot of veteran bodies on the interior defensive line, but they only have a pair of rookies in the position group. What they lack in experience, they need to show that they make up for it in youth and their developmental trajectory. Prove to the coaches that you have a high ceiling worth developing.