The Kansas City Chiefs rookies continue to be under the spotlight, especially Mansoor Delane and Kahlil Benson.
The Kansas City Chiefs are making changes all over the field, and the rookies continue to be the ongoing focus as training camp opens. The latest reports are about top pick Mansoor Delane, who is struggling to get up to full speed right now, while offensive tackle Kahlil Benson is making an unexpected bid to either start or get playing time.
Delane is probably the more significant player, so let’s start there. He’s been wearing the yellow contact jersey as a precaution, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN, but he’s still playing, which indicates his importance to the Chiefs.
"He wants to do everything, but we're not allowing him to use that [right] arm," Reid said of Delane. "He's out there playing kind of one-handed. We're keeping an eye on him. It's great for him because he's got to work his feet and techniques. It actually works to his benefit in the long run."
The cornerback is the centerpiece of a revamped Chiefs secondary, so this is an important development to monitor for the next few days. Not having Delane on the field would be a serious blow given his draft status, so it will be interesting to see when he can get back on the field.
Benson, meanwhile, is in a slightly different situation. He showed out in minicamp enough for the Chiefs to give him playing time at right tackle, and now he’s getting more time in actual training camp.
Reid wants to see how he can perform against the Chiefs top defensive ends and edge rushers like George Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte, R Mason Thomas and Felix Anudike-Uzomah during padded practice.
"Can you pound through those 2½-hour practices in the heat with the pads on?" Reid said. "And then, you've got the preseason game. How do you handle that? It's a long road, but we'll see how he does. But up to this point, my hat goes off to him."
While some of this is a typical camp test, what’s interesting is what it could mean for right tackle Jaylon Moore. He’s been identified as a make or break player who needs a big year, so his situation is intriguing to watch as well.
The Chiefs are doing better on defense along the line, however, where they have new talent that’s also playing well. Defensive tackle Chris Jones lauded defensive tackle Peter Woods and edge rusher R Mason Thomas, both of whom are expected to make big contributions this season.
