5 Chiefs Playing for Their Job in Preseason Week 1

4. Lucas Niang, OL

It's been over four years since the Chiefs drafted Lucas Niang with the 2020 draft's 96th overall pick and it's safe to say that his career has been a rollercoaster thus far.

After sitting out of his rookie season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Niang immediately became a big part of the Chiefs' offensive line, starting in nine of his dozen 2021 appearances. Although his first taste of professional action didn't go horribly, the former TCU blocker appears to have fallen out of the coaching staff's favor.

Niang has played just 21 games without a start in the last two seasons. He's played just 67 snaps on offense compared to 95 on special teams during that stretch, further illustrating that he's done nothing to work his way back into a starting role.

Unfortunately, it isn't as if the 25-year-old offensive lineman has made the most of his limited opportunities. According to Pro Football Focus, Niang has surrendered five pressures while taking a penalty across 37 passing downs in the last two seasons. In other words, he's allowing a defender to get at Mahomes once every seven snaps, which is inexcusable.

Niang has been busy this offseason as the Chiefs staff has been deploying him both as a tackle and a guard. He'll need to stand out at either position during the preseason if he wants to convince the coaches (and fans) that he deserves to be a part of a potential three-peat, though.

Niang is still young enough to stick around for a long time, so let's hope he can realize his potential as early as the first exhibition game.