One of the more concerning storylines coming from the Kansas City Chiefs' 16-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 preseason action last night was the glaring lack of depth along the offensive line. From the start to the finish of the game, no matter who was in at quarterback for the Chiefs, the pocket kept collapsing quicker than the ball could get out.
Coming into the 2026 season, hopes for the starting five up front were high. And quite, frankly, they still should be. Creed Humphrey is the league's best center, and it's not necessarily close. Trey Smith is a top-five right guard, and enters the season fully healthy. And Kingsley Suamataia and Josh Simmons are young, building blocks on the left side of the line.
Right tackle is where the training camp battle has continued for months now between the incumbent veteran Jaylon Moore and the young UDFA bull Kahlil Benson. To be completely honest, in both preseason games where Benson has appeared at right tackle, he's looked slow-footed, unsure of himself, and completely overwhelmed.
When Moore has been in, he hasn't looked good by any means, but he loses slowly, which is sometimes the best you can ask for from your worst starting-level offensive linemen. But the fact that, throughout training camp, Benson has made this a competition speaks volumes, perhaps about how poorly the coaching staff believes in Moore's ability.
Jaylon Moore and Kahlil Benson remain in battle for the right tackle spot, but is either actually a good option?
Moore started a handful of games last year for the Chiefs at both left and right tackle. He's versatile, which is good, but that doesn't mean he prospers in any particular role. In fact, Moore actually started on the left side last night, while Benson started on the right side, and the truth of the matter is that both of them lost more reps than they won.
At 6'6", 320 lbs, Benson is certainly the bigger of the two. In the run game, he is a bowling ball who can get upfield and move bodies. Not to say Moore at 6'4", 310 lbs can't, but physically Benson is far more imposing. Which may well matter more this season than the year's past as Kansas City looks to get back to a semblance of offensive balance between run and pass with the addition of Kenneth Walker III.
However, Patrick Mahomes is still the beacon of light for this franchise. And protecting him will always be the first priority. Especially coming off a torn ACL. Moore's pass protection chops are more balanced, consistent, and technically superior to Benson's, who is slow and choppy.
The debate for the Chiefs seems to be ongoing about who will start at right tackle in the Chiefs' home opener versus the Denver Broncos on Sep. 14. But in my mind, from what I've seen, the choice to go with the experienced Jaylon Moore is an easy one. This way, Kahlil Benson can continue to develop his game behind the scenes, be a backup swing tackle this year, and head into the 2027 season ready to take the job full throttle.
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