KC Chiefs: Six training camp matchups we can’t wait to watch
By Scott Loring
4. Noah Gray vs Tyrann Mathieu
Tyrann Mathieu is the key to this defense. He is the ultimate leader, the most reliable tackler on what is actually a pretty good tackling unit, and versatile enough to give opposing quarterbacks fits. You just never know where he’s going to be.
As the Chiefs prepare to head for St. Joe, all eyes are on Mathieu and his pending contract extension. After some questions surrounding a few things that were said on Twitter, Mathieu set the record straight at his most recent press conference, making it clear that he wants to remain a Chief for the rest of his playing career (my co-writer Lyle Graversen unpacked what a realistic extension might look like here).
What I’m most interested to see is when Mathieu is assigned to cover rookie tight end Noah Gray. The Chiefs’ 5th round pick enters with no expectations to start at tight end anytime soon. That seems so obvious I shouldn’t even have typed it, but it allows Gray to enter camp with less pressure. We should see some plays designed to go to the 6’3″ 240-lb. former Duke Blue Devil, because Reid and Veach clearly wanted Gray enough to trade up for him the draft.
It also could be a part of a bigger plan.
The key to Hardman winning WR2 is Noah Gray.
— Scott Loring (@ChiefsChannel) June 27, 2021
Without a dependable X, Reid could deploy Kelce & Gray in a big chunk of snaps, allowing both Hill & Hardman to line up off the LOS.
Otherwise there’s just no other path for Hardman to be WR2 like so many people want him to be.
In that discussion, it all boils down to this. X receivers are not the same as Z receivers. It’s no different from saying that defensive ends are different from defensive tackles, or that shooting guards are different from point guards. Mecole Hardman is not an X receiver. He’s got the tools to be the kind of player that Reid wants to use in motion, and that’s where he’ll play. Without an X receiver, the only way to get both Hill and Hardman in position to be used in motion is with two tight ends (which Reid has shown he likes to do from time to time).
If Gray gets the best of Mathieu, it will be the talk of the town. “The TE2 we’ve always wanted,” or “Travis Kelce’s eventual replacement.” Whatever you want to label him as, Gray will see a lot of one-on-one opportunities in this offense, and has a great opportunity to lock in a big role for himself.
Mahomes tends to make the players around him better, so it is entirely possible that we see the Chiefs third-day pass catchers (we’ll throw Cornell Powell into the discussion as well) making plays at camp and, hopefully, beyond.
In the next matchup, we look to the Chiefs’ last two top picks, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Nick Bolton.