Another week, another Kansas City Chiefs victory. Fresh off a bye to rest up but still nursing some injuries, KC hosted the Los Angeles Chargers and didn't have much trouble en route to a 22-6 victory in front of a raucous crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.
With the win came plenty of positive contributions from young players. Others, however, are raising questions of whether they've plateaued for the time being. Week 7's showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on the road should help us learn plenty about the true colors of Kansas City's youngsters.
Following Week 6, let's break down the Chiefs' rookies and sophomores by ranking each qualifying 53-man roster member in tiers. Be sure to return to this series each week to see who's moving and shaking.
Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott isn't included due to him currently being on the physically unable to perform list.
The young standout tier
- CB Nohl Williams
- CB Mansoor Delane
- DE R Mason Thomas
- DT Peter Woods
- OT Kahlil Benson
- DE Ashton Gillotte
This list contains plenty of usual suspects, headlined by the cornerback duo of Nohl Williams and Mansoor Delane. The former had a brilliant Sunday, making multiple pass breakups and also flashing his ability as a tackler. The latter did have one terrible rep on a deep pass, although it served as one of the few low points in his debut campaign to date.
Along the defensive line, second-round edge rusher R Mason Thomas continues to win quickly. The sack numbers may not be there yet, but there's no denying his raw talent that simply must always be accounted for. First-round tackle Peter Woods is quiet in the box score for the most part but did earn the first half-sack of his career in Week 6.
Moving up a tier this week are a rookie and a sophomore. At the left tackle spot, Kansas City continues to game plan around having undrafted man Kahlil Benson in the lineup, but he shored up his play a bit coming out of the bye. He still has the occasional lapse — head coach Andy Reid alluded to one on Monday — but he's faring better than expected. Even if he isn't a clear-cut starter, he deserves props.
On the other side of the ball, defensive end Ashton Gillotte appears to be putting his plantar fascia injury behind him at least a little bit. He got a sack on Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert on Sunday and, per Pro Football Focus, has three pressures in consecutive games.
The to-be-determined tier
- RB Emmett Johnson
- WR Jalen Royals
- TE Jake Briningstool
- WR Cyrus Allen
- DT Bryson Eason
It brings me no joy bumping fifth-round rookie halfback Emmett Johnson down here, but his last few games haven't been very productive at all. In Weeks 4-6, he's toted the ball nine times and managed just 23 yards. That's despite combining to play 48 offensive snaps. Johnson's time should still be coming — this feels like a temporary demotion.
2025 fourth-round receiver Jalen Royals got targeted four times in the passing game with Rashee Rice (hamstring) out, recording a pair of receptions for 24 yards. He also played 45 snaps, marking the second game in a row his share has increased. Elsewhere as far as pass catchers are concerned, Jake Briningstool's elevation stems solely from workload (his snaps have increased by two in Weeks 4 and 6) and rookie wideout Cyrus Allen recorded his first two NFL catches over the weekend.
UDFA defensive tackle Bryson Eason isn't a primary special-teamer (he hasn't played there at all) but he also isn't seeing the field much on defense. He's somewhere in the middle, albeit not in his own tier.
The Josh Simmons tier
- LT Josh Simmons
There still isn't anything to see here. Simmons is making progress as he works his way back from a bulging disc, and Reid was noncommittal about his playing status on Monday. If the 2025 first-round pick isn't back this Sunday, look for Week 8 as a potential season debut spot.
The primary special teams tier
- S Xavier Nwankpa
- RB Brashard Smith
- LB Jeffrey Bassa
Safety Nwankpa feels like he might be on the verge of increased playing time, although it might require an injury before he's unleashed on the defensive end. Running back Brashard Smith makes sense as a candidate to take special teams opportunities from wideout Nikko Remigio, who struggled once again against Los Angeles.
Jeffrey Bassa is turning himself into a trusted core player for coordinator Dave Toub on teams. Similar to Nwankpa, though, he's buried on the depth chart on defense.
The game day inactive tier
- CB Jadon Canady
- QB Garrett Nussmeier
- OT Diego Pounds
- DE Jack Pyburn
Since playing 47 special teams snaps in the first three weeks of the season, fourth-round rookie cornerback Jadon Canady hasn't been active for a game. He's got to come down a tier.
Elsewhere, the trio of quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, tackle Diego Pounds and defensive end Jack Pyburn can be classified as organizational depth for now.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google