Chiefs’ offensive and defensive position battles

Chiefs WR Fred Williams catches his second TD of the night from Aaron Murray.

There is not a more hotly-contested position battle right now than the one for what most believe to be the final receiver spot on the roster. Fred Williams and Frankie Hammond Jr. have both had their moments in preseason games but Williams is consistently the one that ends up being more productive.

On special teams, Hammond definitely has an advantage as I have yet to see Williams on special teams at all. This will be a position battle that could come down to the last preseason game combined with injuries to the other Chiefs receivers. Williams seems to have a better ability to make plays but Hammond is getting the reps with the first team and contributes elsewhere on the team.

Another offensive battle is one that may be picking up steam headed into the last week of the preseason. On Saturday, I would have guessed that Ryan Taylor would be the third tight end and Harris would begin the season on the PUP list. With Harris being added to the active roster on Sunday it really shakes things up. Harris’ athletic ability is the reason the Chiefs have kept him around and given him a chance to develop. The next week could see Taylor cut as I think Harris provides more athleticism and knowledge of the offense headed forward.

The biggest battle throughout the offseason is on the offensive line. Left tackle, left guard and center appear to be locked down when Fisher returns from injury. Right guard and right tackle are still up in the air but everyone has an opinion who should play each position.

The most popular choice is Jeff Allen at right guard and Donald Stephenson at right tackle. Additionally, Zach Fulton, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Paul Fanaika could all end up on the team or any combination of the three could end up cut. LDT and Fanaika are probably the closest to locks to making the roster as you can get at this point. When you add Eric Kush that gets you to eight offensive lineman with the question of how many do you carry? If you only carry nine, Fulton would likely be that guy. If you keep 10, Jarrod Pughsley is a definite possibility as well.

Next: Chiefs Defensive Position Battles