Five KC Chiefs who need a strong preseason to save their jobs
Lonnie Johnson
This offseason the Chiefs traded a conditional 2024 seventh round pick to the Houston Texans for veteran defensive back Lonnie Johnson. Johnson was a second round pick that had struggled to find success in Houston after being given a shot at both corner and safety. However, he has the physical tools that the Chiefs look for in their outside corners so many (myself included) thought that the Chiefs might be hoping to find their next Charvarius Ward by acquiring a guy that they felt might do much better once he got in KC’s system.
With veteran Rashad Fenton starting off camp on the PUP list, I wrongly assumed that veterans like Johnson and the just released DeAndre Baker would get first team work while KC’s young rookies learned the system. While I was expecting first round pick Trent McDuffie to play early, the Chiefs have also thrown Joshua Williams in with the starters ahead of Johnson as well. Their willingness to let Williams learn on the job combined with the release of Baker signals that veterans aren’t going to be given preferential treatment just because they’re veterans.
At this point we know that L’Jarius Sneed, McDuffie, and Williams are locks to make the roster. If Fenton is healthy he will be the fourth man in that group. So where does that leave Lonnie Johnson? Will he be a regular special teams contributor and earn a roster spot that way? Can he prove in preseason games that he deserves to be kept over younger guys like Dicaprio Bootle (who can play in the slot), rookies Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson, and special teams ace Chris Lammons?
Johnson definitely has the size and raw tools the Chiefs like on the outside, but if he looks lost in the preseason moving back to corner and learning a new defense it may not be enough. Johnson either needs to prove that he’s valuable enough as depth at outside corner or an essential special teams player to lock up his spot. So keep an eye on Johnson on both defense and special teams.
Next up, let’s talk about an offensive lineman that needs to prove his prowess as a swing tackle.