After the Tyreek Hill deal, the Kansas City Chiefs offense will be different this year. The Chiefs’ first preseason game against Chicago Bears saw the release of their first depth chart. There aren’t too many surprises right now. However, players’ performances in Chief training camp and the preseason games could result in a Chiefs roster shakeup prior to Week 1. Here are two first-stringers who could lose their starting jobs in the event that this happens.
First-stringers at risk of losing their starting jobs in 2022
The Chiefs roster now features offseason additions JuJu Schist (from Pittsburgh Steelers), MarquezValdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore (from Western Michigan).
Smith-Schuster is the No. 1 and Valdes-Scantling the No. 2. Chiefs roster has 1 and 2.
According to all reports, Smith-Schuster appears to be Patrick Mahomes’ favorite wideout target for this season. Moore is improving and while Valdes-Scantling didn’t do much wrong at camp, Moore looks better every day.
Skyy Moore isn’t Tyreek Hill but he’s a smaller receiver that can play inside, outside or at running back — which Andy Reid is using to line him up in camp at times. USA Today reports the rookie is making highlight-reel plays and “earning trust from his quarterbacks.”
Moore will continue to perform well at Chiefs training camp and will be more likely to earn more reps.
According to Sharp Football Stats, Kansas City had three WRs at 67% of their games in 2021. This was one of the highest percentages in the league. No matter who the Chiefs roster “starts”, at least three wideouts will be playing a lot.
Marquez Valdes–Scantling is likely to lose his No. 1 spot on the team’s roster. Skyy Moore is his second target.
RB Clyde Edwards Helaire
Clyde Edwards Helaire is a talented back and the Chiefs selected him in the first round 2020 NFL Draft. This was to ensure that the Chiefs have a long-term solution for the position.
Edwards-Helaire had solid numbers in his playing career (1,320 rushing yards and 55 catches for 426 yards), but he has missed 10 games in the past two seasons. Even though he was a former LSU star, he can be inconsistent in passing.
Jerick McKinnon II and Ronald Jones II are currently listed below Edwards-Helaire on the Chiefs depth charts. The real threat to running back’s job is rookie seventh-rounder from Rutgers Isiah Pacheco.
Chiefs training camp’s breakout star has been Pacheco, a 5-foot-10, 216-pound back. Although Pacheco is not on the Chiefs roster at this point, he could be a star in Chiefs training camp if he plays as well in preseason games than he did in camp.
The NFL’s RB position is a volatile one. The NFL seems to have a wide range of talent. There is always a player younger, more dynamic and more durable behind the star ball carrier.
Even as a first-round selection, Edwards-Helaire doesn’t make that much money. The team could still save just over $2 million by cutting Edwards-Helaire next year.
Andy Reid and his company will offer both on-field as off-field incentives to help Isiah Pacheco rise to the starting position and decrease the veteran’s snaps if he proves to be the bell-cowback that Clyde Edwards Helaire isn’t.