Projected Kansas City's Final 53-Man Roster, Training Camp Edition

Farzin VousoughianJun 8, 2018

The Kansas City Chiefs are ready to put their 2-14 season behind them and take on the challenge ahead this year. With Andy Reid as the new head coach, the Chiefs look to establish a new identity to try and compete in a very competitive AFC West division.

As the Chiefs look to rebound, they want to build off the talent they have. Despite a bad season, the Chiefs did not send six players to the Pro Bowl on accident. Along with some newcomers, the Chiefs appear to have compiled a more relevant team in 2013.

Here is the projected 53-man roster for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Quarterbacks (3)

1 of 10

Alex Smith, Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray

The three quarterbacks the Chiefs had last year have been swapped with three new ones.

Alex Smith will get a fresh start in Kansas City. If Smith struggles or suffers another injury, Chase Daniel will have an opportunity to show he can play in the NFL.

Keep a close eye on Tyler Bray, who could take Ricky Stanzi’s spot on the team.

Running Backs (4)

2 of 10

Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, Cyrus Gray and Shaun Draughn

There are no surprises here. Jamaal Charles is the best player on the offense and he will serve a unique role with Reid as his coach. Charles has also had to carry the ground game due to a lack of production from Thomas Jones and Peyton Hillis.

Charles hopes Knile Davis can come in and make an impact as a rookie.

Fullbacks (1)

3 of 10

Braden Wilson

The fullback position is a tossup between Braden Wilson, Toben Opurum and Anthony Sherman. But since Wilson was drafted by the team, it would be best if he came out on top in training camp. It is likely that Opurum or Sherman stay on the practice squad.

Wide Receivers (6)

4 of 10

Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery, Jon Baldwin, Dexter McCluster, Devon Wylie and Terrance Copper

The receiving corps in Kansas City is thin. Behind Dwayne Bowe, there isn't a lot of fire power. Hopefully the Chiefs receiving game will improve with Smith throwing the football and with the addition of Donnie Avery.

Bowe showed that he can be one of the best receivers in the league and he’d like to show he can do it again.

As for Jon Baldwin, this could be his make-or-break season.

Tight Ends (3)

5 of 10

Anthony Fasano, Tony Moeaki and Travis Kelce

Anthony Fasano brings a lot of experience with him to Kansas City and can help Tony Moeaki carry the load. The Chiefs also have a viable tight end in Travis Kelce, who is a rookie out of Cincinnati.

In the end, don’t be surprised if all three tight ends get significant playing time in 2013.

Offensive Line (9)

6 of 10

Starters

LT Branden Albert

LG Jeff Allen

C Rodney Hudson

RG Jon Asamoah

RT Eric Fisher

Backups

T Donald Stephenson

G Geoff Schwartz

G Ryan Durand

C Eric Kush

Outside of the left guard spot, the starters on the offensive line should be obvious. The tackles are solidified while Jon Asamoah continues to impress at guard.

The biggest concern is Rodney Hudson and specifically, if injuries cause him to go down again. If so, the Chiefs will be using some inexperienced offensive linemen and perhaps might need to shift players to different spots. The Chiefs have some versatility in backups Donald Stephenson and Ryan Durand if they need help.

Defensive Line (6)

7 of 10

Starters

LE Tyson Jackson

NT Dontari Poe

RE Mike DeVito

Backups

NT Jerrell Powe

NT Anthony Toribio

DE Austen Lane

Tyson Jackson improved in the second half of last season while Mike DeVito comes in to help the defensive line. Keep an eye on Austen Lane, who joined the team over the summer. Lane will rotate with the defensive ends and could impress a lot of people.

As for the interior defensive line, it is Dontari Poe’s spot. Poe has Jerrell Powe and Anthony Toribio behind him, but they haven’t done much in the past.

Linebackers (8)

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Starters

OLB Tamba Hali

OLB Justin Houston

ILB Derrick Johnson

ILB Akeem Jordan

Backups

OLB Mike Catapano

OLB Edgar Jones

ILB Nico Johnson

ILB Zac Diles

The Chiefs will for sure start Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, all returning players who made the Pro Bowl last season.

Akeem Jordan could get the edge because of his experience and knowledge of Reid’s defense, but expect Nico Johnson to get on the gridiron quite a lot this season to try and help the defense. At some point during the season, Nico Johnson could soar as the starter on the team.

Defensive Backs (10)

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Starters

CB Brandon Flowers

CB Sean Smith

S Eric Berry

S Kendrick Lewis

Backups

CB Dunta Robinson

CB Neiko Thorpe

CB Jalil Brown

S Sanders Commings

S Tysyn Hartman

S Husain Abdullah

Sean Smith might beat out Dunta Robinson because of his unique height advantage for a cornerback, but both players will see a lot of playing time.

For the defensive backs, they should collect a lot of interceptions this year. The outside linebackers, plus a few other players, are capable of applying pressure and will force opposing quarterbacks to throw ill-advised passes. This allows the defensive backs to get some interceptions, which will help the team immensely.