KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs are down to their preseason finale with the regular season on the horizon.
The team will need to make a roster decision by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26. Then, the team will be able to create the practice squad sometime after 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27.
Here is a look at my 53-man roster prediction.
Quarterbacks (2): Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew
Practice Squad: Chris Oladokun
Waived: Bailey Zappe
The Chiefs will need the numbers for either wide receiver or tight end, so they keep two on the active roster, with Oladokun on the practice squad.
Zappe struggles to read defenses and place the ball where it needs to go, while Oladokun has the athletic ability to buy himself time and make plays.
However, Oladokun believes a little too much in his arm. That can lead to some interceptions in windows he doesn’t have the velocity for.
Running Back (3): Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt and Brashard Smith
Practice Squad Potential: Carson Steele
Released: Elijah Mitchell
Waived: Michael Wiley
Smith has value as a running back, returner and wide receiver. He provides great value and has the best speed among the position group.
Mitchell has struggled to find the burst he previously had before his hamstring injury last season.
Steele gets caught in a numbers game and could end up on the practice squad because of his special teams impact.
Wide Receiver (7): Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Royals, Tyquan Thornton and Jason Brownlee
Practice Squad Potential: Nikko Remigio, Elijah Badger and Key’Shawn Smith
Waived: Skyy Moore, Mac Dalena, Hal Presley and Jimmy Holiday
Rice’s suspension timeline forces the Chiefs to keep seven early on.
Thornton is likely going to be the sixth receiver. It is just a question of Brownlee or Remigio.
Brownlee gives the Chiefs an element Mahomes hasn’t had in the red zone with his ability to elevate for fades and time back shoulders perfectly. The chemistry between those two has been tough to ignore.
Remigio’s impact comes from his ability to return the football.
If the Chiefs can find a better returner in Thornton, Royals or Smith, then Remigio will have a tough time getting on the 53.
Tight End (4): Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Robert Tonyan and Jared Wiley
Injured Reserve: Jake Briningstool
Practice Squad Potential: Tre Watson
Waived: Geor’Quarius Spivey
Tonyan forced his way onto the 53 with steady play from the first week of organized team activities to the second preseason game. He can provide reliability as the third tight end.
Wiley appears to be getting closer to the burst he had before his ACL injury, but he still likely has a couple more months before he can potentially regain that form.
Briningstool missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury.
Offensive Line (9): Josh Simmons, Kingsley Suamataia, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Jawaan Taylor, Jaylon Moore, Hunter Nourzad, Mike Caliendo and Esa Pole
NFI : Ethan Driskell
Trade Candidate: Wanya Morris
Practice Squad Potential: Jason Godrick, Dalton Cooper and C.J. Hanson
Waived: Joey Lombard
The Chiefs will likely need to pull a number from this position group to add their fourth tight end or seventh wide receiver.
Morris could make the roster over Pole. Pole’s size and athleticism are risky to expose to the waiver wire, but Morris could allow the Chiefs to find running back or cornerback depth.
Driskell’s appendectomy could potentially make him eligible for the non-football injury list. He hasn’t regained his form from the last training camp.
Defensive Line (9): Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu, Mike Pennel, Omarr Norman-Lott, Ashton Gillotte, Mike Danna, Jerry Tillery and Malik Herring
Practice Squad Potential: Nate Matlack, Fabien Lovett and Coziah Izzard
Waived: Marlon Tuipulotu and Owen Carney
The Chiefs' pass rush could use additional help with an additional defensive tackle. The defensive end spot is likely set.
The placement of former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah allowed Herring to make the roster.
Linebacker (6): Nick Bolton, Leo Chenal, Drue Tranquill, Jack Cochrane, Jeffrey Bassa and Cam Jones
Practice Squad Potential: Cooper McDonald and Brandon George
Waived: Cole Christiansen and Xander Mueller
The Chiefs will likely be making the final linebacker decision with the following in mind: Can Bassa backup Bolton? If so, then Cochrane becomes less valuable and allows the team to keep Jones and McDonald on the 53.
Cochrane's ability to execute the scheme and impact on special teams keep him on the 53.
Cornerback (5): Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Kristian Fulton, Nohl Williams and Nazeeh Johnson
Trade Candidate: Joshua Williams
Practice Squad Potential: Kevin Knowles and Jacobe Covington
Waived: Melvin Smith, Ajani Carter and Azizi Hearn
The Chiefs' top five cornerbacks should be set if they can remain healthy before the 53-man roster decision.
Joshua Williams has been buried with the third team defense since May. He can arguably play in the league, but Williams just likely needs a change of scenery.
Safety (5): Jaden Hicks, Bryan Cook, Chris Rolland-Wallace, Chamarri Conner and Mike Edwards
Practice Squad Potential: Major Williams and Glendon Miller
The Chiefs may need the sixth cornerback spot traditionally for their hybrids in Rolland-Wallace and Conner. This gives the Chiefs maximum flexibility for their coverage packages and special teams.
Specialist (3): Harrison Butker, Matt Araiza and James Winchester
The three remain the same with no competition.
Team Needs Remaining:
1. Running back depth
2. Defensive tackle depth
3. Cornerback depth
The Chiefs play their final preseason game Friday. You can watch that game on KSHB 41, your home of the Chiefs. Kickoff is set for 7:20 p.m. with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 p.m.
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