The Kansas City Chiefs have Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill firmly entrenched at the top of the depth chart at the linebacker position. However, the offseason departure of Leo Chenal left an undeniable void. The veteran signed a three-year deal worth $24.5 million with the Washington Commanders. It was a piece of a wider reset for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit as they focused on adding younger talent that the front office hopes will turn back the clock on Super Bowl contention.
A piece of this was letting Chenal walk and understand the competition it invites at the position. Jack Cochrane, Jeffrey Bassa, Cooper McDonald, Cole Christiansen, and Wesley Bissainthe are all notable names heading into training camp fighting for a meaningful role. It is fair to point to McDonald and Bassa as favorites based on time in the organization and the cheap stability that either player could bring to the franchise long-term.
Still, nothing has been decided, with camp telling us a lot about how the Chiefs view the current competition. With a lot of focus understandably on the turnover in the secondary, the fight at the linebacker position is going a bit underrated.
Watching the depth chart after Tranquill and Bolton not only decides who the contributors are after two established starters, but also whether the franchise can survive any injuries at the position. Established names are still floating in free agency, leaving the ability to add if needed.
Chiefs fans should look forward to entertaining battle emerging at linebacker position
Hopefully, last-ditch additions won't be needed, and the team's current depth lives up to expectations. Jack Cochrane had only 16 combined tackles a season ago, but is by far the most veteran presence of the group, giving hope that an opportunity after years under Spagnuolo was all Cochrane needed to be able to fill the gap and become a worthy player.
Bassa was a fifth-round pick from a year ago, making the second-year defender an exciting option as well. Bassa played just 49 defensive snaps in the 2026 season, but looked good doing it and should provide above-average athleticism that Bolton and Tranquill don't carry at this point.
Both McDonald and Christiansan have been in the system for at least two years and have been solid special-team guys, but providing value on defense hasn't been their forte. Finally, the undrafted Bissainthe out of Miami, who many fans were excited about and could make some noise as early as training camp.
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