5 Chiefs Who Will Lose Their Roster Spot to a Rookie in the NFL Draft
By Jovan Alford
The back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are preparing for an exciting but tough offseason that might change their roster in 2024.
The Chiefs have to make a couple of hard decisions on top defensive players – Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed, who are due to receive a huge payday this offseason. Sneed was placed on the franchise tag Tuesday, but it’s not clear that he will be in Kansas City for the foreseeable future.
Along with those two stars, other players on the roster might not be starters or lose playing time to rookies next season. The Chiefs have done a great job of drafting recently, with the 2022 NFL Draft helping the team stay competitive and win two straight titles.
Therefore, we should expect the same thing to happen this year, especially if Kansas City wants to three-peat, which will be an incredibly tough feat. Below, we’ll discuss a few players who might lose their roster spot to a rookie in this year’s draft class.
1. Kadarius Toney
The Kadarius Toney era in Kansas City has been a bit tumultuous as the young wide receiver hasn’t lived up to his first-round expectations and was a net negative this season.
The former Florida Gator standout struggled with drops and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs, including the Super Bowl.
With the Chiefs not having an overwhelmingly talented wide receiver unit, many fans expected Toney to take that next step and become a playmaker this season. But that dream never came to fruition.
The former New York Giants wide receiver had 27 receptions (38 targets) for 169 yards and a touchdown in 2023. Toney is set to make $2.5 million next season but has a looming fifth-year option in the background. The Chiefs will likely not pick up that option and replace him with a rookie in the first or second round of the NFL Draft.
Most mock drafts have the Chiefs taking a wide receiver with the last pick in the first round, which is usually a sign.
Kansas City released veteran wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Wednesday. Therefore, don’t be surprised if Toney is out the door next.