Rising
Isiah Pacheco, running back
The Chiefs have to be hoping that months from now, they’ll look back at camp as the time Pacheco, a rookie who was selected in the seventh round of the draft, started showing he was capable of becoming a star.
Known for his speed and toughness, Pacheco has impressed the coaching staff and the personnel department. The best quality Pacheco has demonstrated to coach Andy Reid is his reliability as an additional receiver out of the backfield. The Chiefs have had Pacheco run routes from the slot, and he showed a strong stiff-arm against linebacker Willie Gay during a team period Sunday.
“He’s got a little juice,” Reid said Wednesday of Pacheco. Reid added Saturday: “The things you’re guaranteed of are that he’s going to run hard. Will he have to learn the different schemes and how they work against certain defenses and at times be patient? He’ll learn that. But he’s going to run hard. He’s a good catcher. The rest of all that, we can work with, and he’s doing that now. He’s learning the feel of it.”
Perhaps Reid’s highest endorsement of Pacheco occurred Sunday. Pacheco was on the field next to Patrick Mahomes for several of the reps during the long-drive team period, which featured 16 consecutive plays.
The Chiefs are optimistic that Pacheco can be dynamic in the preseason as the primary kickoff returner and all-around back with the second-team offense. If Pacheco performs well in the three preseason games, the Chiefs likely will be forced to keep at least four running backs on their 53-man roster.
“He’s a tough kid,” offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Sunday of Pacheco. “Obviously we’ve got a lot of good players in that (running backs) room. Right now, he’s doing some good things.”
Justin Watson, receiver
The Chiefs started camp with four spots secured on the receivers depth chart with Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and rookie Skyy Moore. The battle for the fifth spot — one that solidifies the player will be on the roster in case the Chiefs don’t carry a sixth receiver — was supposed to be one of this camp’s most intense.
Instead, rookie receiver Justyn Ross’ season ended before camp started because of his lingering foot injury. And considering he’s getting first-team reps, Watson appears to have distanced himself from all the other candidates, such as Josh Gordon, Daurice Fountain, Cornell Powell and Corey Coleman.
A fifth-year veteran who previously played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Watson has been consistent with his performance in camp; his routes have been clean and his breakaway speed noticeable against the second-team defense. Meanwhile, special teams coordinator Dave Toub has loved working with Watson, who offers the ability to be a four-phase contributor. Even in his limited first-team reps, Watson has had a nice connection with Mahomes.
“Pat’s been awesome to me,” Watson said Wednesday. “I signed as a futures contract (in early February), and (for Mahomes) to reach out to me and invite me in the offseason, before we ever met, to go down there and work meant a big deal. It definitely showed me he wanted to get to know who I was and wanted to see what I had. He has a great setup down there in Texas (for throwing sessions). We went back after OTAs, and hopefully that can be a thing going forward.”
Elijah Lee, linebacker
This might surprise some fans, but rookie linebacker Leo Chenal shouldn’t be asked to be a starter on opening day when the Chiefs face the Arizona Cardinals. Instead, Chenal should be reliable on special teams and offer a nice boost in either clear pass-rush downs or in short-yardage situations.
Lee, however, has been a competent addition to the roster alongside younger linebackers such as Nick Bolton and Willie Gay. Lee hasn’t blown assignments, and his talents offer a good mixture of coverage ability while being a solid tackler in the open field. The Chiefs will likely be in nickel a ton throughout the season, so Lee’s role could be as a rotational piece, which should allow Chenal, whom the Chiefs selected in the third round, to develop at a more normal pace.
“You relish it,” Lee said last week of his opportunity to be a starter. “I don’t know how this thing is going to shake out. Some people say that I have just always been best on special teams, but at the same time, early on in my career, I was relied on to play early. I know what it takes to be in that position and take advantage of the role.”
George Karlaftis, defensive end
No longer considered a projected starter after the addition of veteran Carlos Dunlap, Karlaftis has progressed quickly throughout camp. Several of the one-on-one reps against an offensive lineman have finished with Karlaftis, whom the Chiefs selected in the first round, gaining the advantage with his strength. In Sunday’s practice, Karlaftis used his powerful bull rush in one team period to beat right tackle Geron Christian before stripping the ball from Mahomes.
The Chiefs appear to have four quality edge rushers in Dunlap, Karlaftis, Frank Clark and Mike Danna.
“George is a sponge,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said Thursday. “He’s over there asking me questions, he’s asking (defensive line assistant) Joe (Cullen) questions, he’s asking (assistant defensive line assistant) Terry (Bradden) questions and every vet that he can. He’ll text coach Cullen questions. That’s a pretty good trait, right?”
Orlando Brown Jr., left tackle
Although he earned a Pro Bowl nod last season, Brown has been a much-improved player, especially pass blocking, in camp from what he showed at this point last year. It looked early on that Brown could be absent from camp in the aftermath of he and the Chiefs not agreeing on a lucrative contract extension last month before the NFL’s deadline for franchise-tagged players. Instead, he reported a week ago and has been effective in team periods.
Listed at 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds, Brown appears to be at least 20 pounds lighter than he was last season. Brown said he prepared for camp by having workout sessions in Miami with trainer Pete Bommarito, playing tennis on a clay court and swimming twice a week. Those workouts, along with Brown’s understanding of the Chiefs’ playbook in his second season, appear to have him in position to perform better this season, which could lead to his earning more guaranteed money next offseason if he does sign an extension with the Chiefs.
Joshua Williams, cornerback
As the early surprise of camp, Williams has continued to take most of the first-team repetitions across from fellow rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds, Williams has length and speed, which should give him a chance to see the field this season earlier than expected. Williams likely will be the fourth cornerback on the depth chart once veteran Rashad Fenton fully recovers from his shoulder injury. But strong performances in the preseason should earn Williams a spot in the Chiefs’ dime package.
Falling
Josh Gordon, receiver
For a six-year veteran, Gordon has had too many mental lapses in camp. Gordon has had drops in the individual and team periods. In Saturday’s practice, Gordon flashed his speed on a long completion from Mahomes, but too often, Gordon’s reps have been with the second- or third-team offense. The Chiefs don’t appear to have a role on special teams for Gordon, and Mahomes has built a strong connection with Watson.
“Josh has got a great attitude, and he’s working hard,” Reid said Wednesday. “There’s competition. One day he’s working with the ones, the next day with the twos and threes. It’s a little bit of a juggling act, but he’s doing a nice job.”
The biggest deciding factor as to whether Gordon makes the Chiefs’ roster is the upcoming preseason games. Gordon will need to show better consistency when he’s on the field with backup quarterback Chad Henne.
Jody Fortson, tight end
Fortson’s talent is not the problem. The issue, however, is Fortson’s strained quad, an injury that has kept him from the Chiefs’ last six practices, five of which were with full pads. A second-year player returning from a torn Achilles’ tendon, Fortson wanted to re-establish himself as an effective weapon for Mahomes, but on the sideline, Fortson has watched the Chiefs’ other tight ends — star Travis Kelce, Blake Bell and Noah Gray — perform well.
Unlike last year, the Chiefs could start the season with four running backs and three tight ends. If that occurs, Fortson might be without a roster spot.
Darian Kinnard, right tackle
Sometimes camp can provide more clarity on a young player. As the Chiefs’ fifth-round pick, Kinnard projects to be more of a project than a plug-and-play option. In pass-blocking repetitions, Kinnard has shown inconsistency with his technique and footwork.
One of the projected battles in camp was expected to be Kinnard pushing veteran Andrew Wylie. But Wylie has taken the majority of first-team reps while Kinnard has split time with the second and third teams. Kinnard could one day be a starter, perhaps later this season or in 2023. His rookie season should be about him focusing on cleaning up his technique and footwork, a developmental process so he can combine those skills with his above-average strength and athleticism.
Lonnie Johnson, cornerback
In early May, the Chiefs executed a small trade with the Houston Texans to acquire Johnson, a four-year veteran, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick. But in camp, Johnson has yet to take a rep with the first-team defense. When Johnson has been on the practice fields, he has done pretty well with his assignments.
Similar to Gordon, Johnson will need quality snaps in the preseason to secure his roster spot as the fifth or sixth cornerback. He appears to be in a tight battle with Chris Lammons, a third-year veteran, and rookie Jaylen Watson.
Jermaine Carter, linebacker
Carter, a five-year veteran, is expected to make the roster, but his role likely will be limited to special teams. With a better performance in camp, perhaps Carter could have been in line to be the projected starter instead of Lee, but Carter has struggled at times in coverage.
Injury update
Fenton (rehabbing from shoulder surgery), Fortson (strained quad), right tackle Lucas Niang (rehabbing from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee), receiver Gary Jennings (concussion protocol) and defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth (knee contusion) didn’t participate in practice Sunday.
“He’s doing well,” Reid said Saturday of Fenton. “I can’t give you a date (as to when Fenton will return). We’re in that part of camp where it’s going fast and furious. When we bring (Fenton and Fortson) back, they have to be at that level. We’re trying to get them back to speed here.”
