When the Kansas City Chiefs host the L.A. Rams on Saturday to open their preseason slate, the eyes of the casual fan will be on what few stars are actually allowed to play—if at all—before likely tuning out in the second half due to a lack of recognizable players. But the players down the depth chart are the ones worth watching.
Playing against the Rams in a contest like this actually gives the Chiefs' front office a very real chance to evaluate opposing players in a meaningful way. And that's important given how one position is shaping up for the Rams: tight end.
Rams' loaded tight end room could push Davis Allen out
At the present time, the Rams are particularly loaded at tight end. The depth is impressive, but the team has been steadily adding talent via the draft and free agent, which puts general manager Les Snead in a challenging spot. After all, the Rams can only keep so many tight ends on the active roster.
Veterans Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee take up two spots on the depth chart as reliable pass weapons in the passing game. From there, the Rams sunk a second-round choice in 2025 in Oregon's Terrance Ferguson, then did so again in 2026 in Ohio State's Max Klare. All of those players deserve playing time and that itself is a complicated problem, but that also means that Davis Allen could be the odd man out.
Allen was the Rams' fifth-round pick in 2023, which means he's coming into a contract year with no real way to exhibit what he can do. He's stuck in traffic at this point, which means that the Rams will either be forced to place him on waivers or attempt to at least get something in return via a preseason deal.
Just what sort of value would Allen provide to a new team like the Chiefs? We reached out to Bret Stuter, site expert for Ramblin' Fam and a man who has covered the Rams for five seasons, to tell us a bit more.
"While not the home run hitter, Allen has been better than his late Round 5 draft selection might suggest; he has been victimized by too few targets among an ever-increasing crowd of tight end teammates," said Stuter. "He has hauled in 40 of 57 targets in the past three seasons for 342 yards and four touchdowns.
"The problem with Allen is twofold. He is simply too good at blocking to be featured as a pass catcher in this offense. And he is competing with five players who are at least as talented as he is, or better. And so, the fifth player is unlikely to make this roster, and will surely be claimed on waivers if he is earmarked for a practice squad role."
Davis Allen could offer more than his numbers suggest
This could be good news for Kansas City, because what's missing within the unit as currently constructed is a plus blocker. Travis Kelce is an obvious magnet in the passing attack. Noah Gray has plus hands as well as TE2. Jared Wiley is hoping that some distance from a rookie season lost to injury will yield greater production. But the Chiefs went all-in on rebuilding the ground game and they lack the tight end to truly take that over the top.
The Chiefs haven't had a solid blocker since Blake Bell hung on the roster as the third tight end. Perhaps they feel that Gray and Wiley are skilled enough in other ways to balance out the roster, but if K.C. were interested in filling the void, they're going to get an up-close look at Allen on Saturday. The Chiefs, of course, will use their first preseason game to scout their own players, but you'd best believe they're also going to be watching the Rams closely for a player or two who could help the cause. That might include Allen.
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