Six Chiefs players every fan should be rooting for in training camp

The Kansas City Chiefs may be the two time defending Super Bowl champions, but they still have several questions regarding their roster as they enter training camp.

The salary cap makes it hard for any team to feel like they have the perfect solution for every spot on the roster, but if the Chiefs are going to feel great about their odds of completing a three-peat, they'll need a few players to step up in training camp this year and prove they are up to the task.

As the full team kicks off camp this week there are a handful of players that every Chiefs fan should be pulling for to lock down some of the open spots on the roster. So keep your eyes peeled for reports and updates about these six players as camp and the preseason move forward.

1. Louis Rees-Zammit - Running Back/Kick Returner

This is probably the least likely and necessary of the six players on the list, but if former rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit can prove himself to be an immediate NFL contributor it could help the Chiefs fill two possible needs on their roster. The Chiefs don't currently have a third NFL-caliber running back behind Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. In particular, they lost their primary pass catching back in Jerick McKinnon. The Chiefs will also be looking for someone to be their primary kick return man with the NFL's new kickoff rule set to change how returns work this season.

The kick return role is probably the spot where Rees-Zammit has the best chance to contribute as he tries to learn the game of football. Just earning the primary kick return job would make his first NFL season a success. What is highly unlikely is him being a reliable enough pass protector to be trusted with McKinnon's 3rd down running back role. However, if LRZ makes the team as the kick returner, we could see Andy Reid draw up a few plays per game to get the ball in his hands. So keep an eye on what they are doing with him on offense in camp as well.

2. Kingsley Suamataia - Left Tackle

If Louis Rees-Zammit is the least important player on this list when it comes to who needs to step up during training camp, Kingsley Suamataia might be the most important. The Chiefs need someone to claim the starting left tackle job. Protecting Patrick Mahomes' blindside is a critical job and Suamataia has a chance to come in as a rookie and prove he is both the current and future man for that job.

Suamataia will definitely have some growing pains, but he has the size/strength/athleticism needed to be the long term answer at the position. Mahomes proved last season that he can win games with just mediocre left tackle play, so Kingsley doesn't have to be perfect out of the gate, he just needs to not be terrible. Yes, the Chiefs have Wanya Morris competing with him, but Morris was just okay in his playing time last season and most would agree that he doesn't have the physical upside that Suamataia has.

If both Suamataia and Morris struggle in camp, the situation may cause K.C. to have to sign a veteran (like Donovan Smith) as a stop-gap at the position again this season. That would feel like a wasted opportunity in terms of development for Suamataia. If they're only going to get mediocre play at left tackle, they might as well have it come from a young player who has a chance to improve.

So as camp goes by, every Chief fan should be pulling for Suamataia to show enough promise to be trusted with the job.

3. Xavier Worthy - Wide Receiver

While we're talking about rookies, we might as well talk about KC's first-round pick, Xavier Worthy. This one is kind of a no-brainer. Obviously, fans are going to want the team's first-round pick to succeed and the fact that wide receiver was arguably the team's biggest problem spot last season only amplifies that. Typically, rookie wide receivers take a while to get integrated into Andy Reid's complex offense. Last season, Rashee Rice was an exception to that norm out of necessity. Will Worthy continue that trend?

Worthy suffered a setback during OTAs with a hamstring injury and the Chiefs still seem to be easing him into action to start camp. As long as Worthy is healthy, it seems like a safe bet that he'll have a role on offense this season. The real question is if he can handle being a full time wideout as a rookie or if he'll be more of a Mecole Hardman/Kadarius Toney "gadget" type weapon this season.

The Chiefs already have a lot of wideouts fighting for that kind of depth role player. What they need is someone who can play regularly. So fans should be less focused on whether Worthy is making occasional splash plays during camp and more focused on whether he seems to be consistently on the field with the first-team offense and is running a variety of different routes.

4. Marquise "Hollywood" Brown - Wide Receiver

Let's stay at the wide receiver position for one more player on this list. While fans should certainly be pulling for Xavier Worthy to earn a regular spot in the wide receiver rotation, he isn't the wideout that will likely have the biggest impact on the Chiefs three-peat this season. After not having a true NFL number one caliber wideout since Tyreek Hill left, Hollywood Brown has a chance to change that this season.

Brown has battled injuries and some occasional suspect quarterback play thus far in his career, but when he's been healthy and paired up with a healthy Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray he has produced like a top wideout. He now enters this season in the best offensive scheme and with the best quarterback he's ever had. In OTAs he appeared to hit the ground running and had an instant connection with Mahomes. If he can carry that over into training camp (and avoid injury) he has a chance to have a huge season with the Chiefs.

If Brown can come in and immediately claim the role of #1 wide receiver with the Chiefs, it not only makes them more dangerous right now, but it allows Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy more time to develop and increases the odds that they're ready to step up if the Chiefs don't want to spend the money it would take to re-sign Brown if he has a huge year this season.

5. Felix Anudike-Uzomah - Defensive End

We've already talked about the Chiefs 2024 first-round pick, but this training camp is even more important for KC's 2023 first-rounder, Felix Anudike-Uzomah. He was only a limited rotational player as a rookie, but with Charles Omenihu likely not being ready to go to start the season, the Chiefs are going to need FAU to be a much bigger contributor this season.

The Chiefs have George Karlaftis and Mike Danna set to be the starting edge players, but in today's NFL teams usually rotate at least four different players there throughout the game to keep their pass rushers fresh. Until Omenihu is ready, the Chiefs just don't have enough depth at the position for FAU to not be ready right out of the gate this season. The Chiefs don't need him to be amazing, they just need him to show some pass rush upside and the ability to not be a massive liability against the run.

If Felix can take a clear step forward in training camp it will be a huge step for both him and the defense. The potential to go into the playoffs with a rotation of Karlaftis, Danna, a healthy Omenihu, and a much improved Anudike-Uzomah would make their edge rotation incredibly strong, especially with a player like Chris Jones wreaking havoc on the interior.

6. Nazeeh Johnson - Cornerback

This name may surprise a few people, but Nazeeh Johnson has a chance to earn a key role in the secondary during training camp and help fill the hole left by the departure of L'Jarius Sneed. Last year during training camp Johnson was looking like he might overtake Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams in the cornerback rotation before he got injured.

Watson and Williams have both proven themselves capable of playing starter snaps on the outside. If needed, the Chiefs can get by this season with Trent McDuffie, Watson, and Williams as the top three corners, but if Johnson can prove he's their number two coverage corner in camp it gives the Chiefs much better depth at the position. Plus, while Watson and Williams are outside only corners, Johnson may have more ability to kick inside if the Chiefs want to have McDuffie matching up with number-one receivers on the outside.

Nazeeh Johnson will not be able to replace L'Jarius Sneed by himself, but with a solid training camp he can play a key part in them collectively filling the hole left by Sneed's departure. Fans should keep their eyes on how Johnson is doing, especially with Jaylen Watson starting camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

So there you have it Chiefs fans, the six players that everyone should be rooting for to have a great training camp. Do you agree that these six players could go a long way towards filling some of the biggest questions around this team as they try to pull off the NFL's first three-peat? Are there other players you think should have been on this list? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments below.