Kansas City Chiefs release first unofficial depth chart for 2019 season
The Chiefs’ first unofficial depth chart of the season was released Sunday night, and there weren’t many surprises.
In the position battles at backup tight end and cornerback, Deon Yelder edged out Blake Bell as the second tight end, and Bashaud Breeland and Kendall Fuller are listed as the starting corners.
Yelder being listed as the second tight end is a bit of a surprise after special teams coach Dave Toub said Friday that Bell was taking Demetrius Harris’ vacated role on special teams.
In the cornerback competition, Fuller will still likely play slot exclusively, making Charvarius Ward the other outside starting corner. D’Montre Wade was listed as second-string behind Breeland.
Cornerback-turned-running back Tremon Smith was listed as first-team kick returner, solidifying his chances at making the 53-man roster — even with a new position.
None of the Chiefs’ 2019 draft picks were listed as starters, although lineman Nick Allegretti is behind Andrew Wylie at left guard, and wide receiver Mecole Hardman is second-string behind Sammy Watkins.
Safety Juan Thornhill is listed as the second-team safety behind Daniel Sorensen. The pair have split reps with the ones during training camp practice, and Andy Reid has used three-safety packages at times with Sorensen, Thornhill and Tyrann Mathieu.
2018 draft pick Derrick Nnadi is the first-team right defensive tackle alongside Chris Jones, while Justin Hamilton and Xavier Williams are backups for each position, respectively.
At SAM linebacker, Jeremiah Attaochu is listed as Damien Wilson’s backup.
Once considered a linebacker, Tanoh Kpassagnon is on the depth chart as Frank Clark’s backup right defensive end, while Breeland Speaks is Alex Okafor’s backup on the left side.
On offense, John Lovett is listed as the second-string fullback, but he’s also labeled as a tight end on the roster. He’s a versatile offensive weapon and has been working out with the running back position group in individual drills.
And, yes, Patrick Mahomes is still the first-string quarterback. Chad Henne is the backup, and last year’s practice squad quarterback, Chase Litton, beat out Kyle Shurmur for the third spot.
This story was originally published August 4, 2019 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Kansas City Chiefs release first unofficial depth chart for 2019 season."