Chiefs’ top position battles heading into training camp

The Chiefs have 90 players on their roster for training camp, which starts Tuesday when rookies and quarterbacks report to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.

Camp, however, really gets going with the first full-squad workout Saturday, and the roster will shrink to 53 before the season opener Sept. 11 against the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.

Here’s a countdown of the top five position battles entering camp:

5. “X” receiver

With Jeremy Maclin penciled in as the starting “Z” receiver and unquestioned No. 1 target, whichever receiver starts opposite him probably won’t see the ball much, especially because tight end Travis Kelce will get a fair share of touches. Albert Wilson, a third-year pro, was the Chiefs’ third-leading receiver a year ago with 35 catches for 451 yards and two touchdowns, but he spent more time in the slot this spring during organized team activities, which meant more reps on the outside for gifted 2015 third-rounder Chris Conley. Wilson and Conley each took a positive steps forward this offseason but must still be more consistent. If not, veteran Rod Streater could easily step into the role.

4. Kick/punt returner

Special teams definitely matter to Chiefs coach Andy Reid, and he has one of the best coaches in the business spearheading that effort in Dave Toub. The man who once coached return legend Devin Hester during his glory days in Chicago has put together some solid units over the last three years, and the returners have been a key part of that. Knile Davis is a solid option on kicks, as evidenced by his 106-yard touchdown in the Chiefs’ playoff win over Houston in January, while De’Anthony Thomas has a punt-return touchdown to his credit in the NFL and has flashed ability on kicks, too. The status of both players is fairly uncertain as Davis was shopped this offseason and Thomas was absent down the stretch last year because of unexplained circumstances. The Chiefs hedged their bets with the fifth-round selection of Tyreek Hill, a talented blur with an ugly off-the-field incident on his record. Hill shined throughout OTAs, however, and if he proves to be the real deal in camp, the Chiefs could eventually afford to part with Davis or Thomas. To that end, it’s worth noting that Thomas — who can return both kicks and punts, and play both receiver and running back — has more much positional versatility than Davis.

3. Left guard

Third-year pro Zach Fulton opened OTAs as the starter, but fourth-round pick Parker Ehinger took over the position early in the spring and never relinquished it. Fulton boasts brute strength but is better in the phone booth than he is on the move, while Ehinger plays with good technique and has good size (6 feet 6, 310 pounds) but he needs to get stronger. The Chiefs seemed pleased with Ehinger’s development and upside, but you never quite know how a rookie will hold up in the trenches until the pads come on. If Ehinger wears down or is ultimately not up to the job, Fulton or Jah Reid — a starter at right tackle a year ago who spent OTAs as a backup tackle — could conceivably step in.

2. Right cornerback

The Chiefs might ultimately be right for refusing to pay a big, 29-year-old corner like Sean Smith $40 million over four years as Oakland did, but they will almost certainly be worse off for the decision in 2016. Smith’s teammates loved his personality, and his experience was also a plus, and with him gone, the Chiefs will now have one of the youngest cornerback groups in football. Teams might also start avoiding Marcus Peters, the reigning defensive rookie of the year, unless one of the front-runners to replace Smith — third-year pro Phillip Gaines or second-year pro Steven Nelson — prove they can hold up under fire. The good news is that Gaines looked good before a season-ending knee injury last September, while Nelson is coming off a very strong spring after a nondescript rookie season. And if neither works out, the Chiefs can turn to a young veteran entering a contract year in Marcus Cooper, or one of the three corners they selected in this year’s draft: third-rounder KeiVarae Russell, fourth-rounder Eric Murray or sixth-rounder D.J. White. There could be some growing pains along the way here, but there’s plenty of upside and options.

1. Backup quarterback

This might end up being the most important battle of camp, because in the NFL, it only takes a split second — the time it takes for the starting quarterback to get hurt — for a promising season to turn into a dumpster fire. The Chiefs had a very good No. 2 quarterback the last three years in Chase Daniel, but he left for Philadelphia in free agency this offseason to compete for a starting job. That leaves three youngsters: fourth-year pro Tyler Bray, third-year pro Aaron Murray and fifth-round rookie Kevin Hogan. The No. 2 quarterback will also assume the role of on-field confidant for quarterback Alex Smith, as Daniel — a diligent film watcher — often helped him prepare for upcoming games. Smith trusted Daniel’s suggestions, and the holdovers will now have to earn that same trust. On the field, Bray — who boasts the strongest arm of any of the quarterbacks on the roster — outperformed Murray during OTAs and seemed to improve over the last few practices, particularly in hurry-up situations. But no one was good enough to take a sizable lead on the job, and the overall inconsistency of the group remains a concern heading into the season.

This story was originally published July 24, 2016 at 12:24 AM with the headline "Chiefs’ top position battles heading into training camp."