KC Chiefs vs. 49ers: Three players who can cement their stock

Trey Smith, Offensive Lineman

In our progression of young player profiles, we’ve moved from “could make the active roster” to “could vie for solid playing time” to “could start from Week 1.” In fact it already looks as if rookie Trey Smith is penciled in as the opening day starter for the Chiefs at right guard.

The Chiefs nabbed Smith in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft after he fell due to medical concerns, although the Chiefs insist they were pleased with his medical check-up when they drafted him and that all signs are still positive despite a history of blood clot concerns.

Smith was always a scout’s favorite as a mauler at Tennessee, and he’s been the same sort of imposing presence up front for the Chiefs in camp, which is why they’ve already handed him the keys to the car despite knowing other competitors being around like Andrew Wylie and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.

For now, Kyle Long and LDT are both injured, which means if Smith can look good in his first reps as a starter for the Chiefs, he could go ahead and seal up this competition with plenty of training camp left. If Smith looks rocky in his first official outing against San Francisco, you’re going to start to hear talk about readiness and whether the team might want to begin the season with a veteran there amid other rookies playing up front like Lucas Niang and Creed Humphrey.