The Kansas City Chiefs are set to kick off training camp in just a few weeks, and with the annual trek to St. Joseph nearly here, we're going to spend the next several days examining every position group on the roster heading into camp.
We'll continue with the offensive line, where the Chiefs currently employ 15 players. Let's take a look at each, separated by offensive tackles and interior linemen. Many of these players possess the versatility to handle either role, but for the sake of this breakdown, each player will be sorted into where they've been primarily grouped so far this summer.
Offensive Tackles
Let's start with the Chiefs' starting left tackle entering this season, Josh Simmons, followed by the two players who will presumably compete for the starting job at right tackle: Jaylon Moore and Esa Pole. The rest of the Chiefs' offensive tackles are then listed alphabetically.
Josh Simmons
Simmons, the Chiefs' first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, earned the starting left tackle job out of camp last season and performed well in the eight games in which he played. The former Ohio State star suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 13, but now healthy, he'll have an opportunity to resume his duties as the Chiefs' starting left tackle in 2026.
Prior to joining the Chiefs, Simmons was in contention to be the first offensive tackle selected in the 2025 Draft before suffering a season-ending knee injury six games into the 2024 season for Ohio State. Simmons had allowed just one quarterback hurry – with zero hits or sacks allowed – on 158 pass-blocking snaps leading up to the injury.
It was a stellar start for Simmons, who yielded just 10 hurries, four hits and one sack on 443 pass-blocking snaps the season prior.
He went on to clearly demonstrate that immense talent during his eight games with the Chiefs last year, and he'll now have a chance to pick right back up where he left off in 2026.
Jaylon Moore
A major free agent signing ahead of the 2025 season, Moore went on to appear in 15 games (with six starts) in his first season with Kansas City.
He began the year as the Chiefs' primary swing tackle, and when starting left tackle Josh Simmons was unavailable from Week 6 through Week 9, Moore took over protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes' blindside. Moore returned to the swing tackle role once Simmons resumed his duties on the left, but injuries at right tackle later thrust Moore into action for three additional starts as the year continued.
Moore's versatility to play both tackle spots obviously proved valuable throughout the season, and now entering the 2026 campaign, he'll have a chance to compete for the starting right tackle role with former incumbent Jawaan Taylor no longer in town.
Prior to joining the Chiefs, Moore appeared in 55 games (with 12 starts) for the San Francisco 49ers over four seasons from 2021-24. He was starting left tackle Trent Williams' primary backup during his career in San Francisco, and while that meant limited opportunities, he played well when called upon.
Esa Pole
An undrafted free agent signee from a year ago, Pole emerged from those humble beginnings to appear in five games (with four starts) in 2025. Injuries along the offensive line forced him into action late in the season, and when given the opportunity, Pole – who didn't start playing organized football until 2021 – more than made the most of it.
Specifically, over the Chiefs' final five games last year, Pole yielded three or fewer pressures in all but one of them. Keep in mind, that included performances against teams such as Houston and Denver, which featured some of the top pass-rushers in all of football last season.
Pole's development was one of the few bright spots from an otherwise disappointing season in 2025, and his continued growth will be something to watch in camp. With a strong showing, he could make a push for the starting right tackle job.
Kahlil Benson
A rookie free agent signee, Benson earned himself a contract following a successful tryout at Rookie Minicamp back in May. He's continued to turn heads in the time since, too, earning some praise from Head Coach Andy Reid on June 11:
"[He's] big and strong and looks like he has some good athletic ability – [he has] good feet for a big fella like that," Reid said. "[He has] extremely strong hands. I look forward to seeing him in pads. It's hard to evaluate some of these guys if you haven't seen them in pads before. In these types of practices, there's not a whole lot of contact going on there, but he's been able to handle everything, and we'll see where it goes."
Benson is no stranger to high-level football, either. He started 12 games at right tackle for the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers in 2025, yielding 24 pressures on 382 pass-blocking snaps during that time.
Ethan Driskell
An undrafted free agent signee in 2024, Driskell – who made the Chiefs' roster out of training camp that year – underwent an appendectomy during the following training camp that ended his 2025 season.
A big man at 6-foot-9 and 329 pounds with 35-inch arms, Driskell is a developmental prospect who appeared in 48 games (with 26 starts at left tackle) at Marshall during his four years there.
The No. 18 overall offensive tackle in The Athletic's draft guide in 2024, prospect guru Dane Brugler projected Driskell to be a fifth or sixth-round selection. Here's more from Brugler:
"Overall, Driskell has towering size, and leverage will always be an area of emphasis for him, but he displays the functional movement skills and encouraging power to earn meaningful snaps in the NFL…He has a realistic chance to grow into a swing tackle."
Chukwuebuka Godrick
Godrick is back with the Chiefs for a fourth season after appearing in four games (with three starts) in 2025. An alum of the NFL International Pathway Program, Godrick was thrust into action late last season due to injuries along the offensive line. He went on to log at least 35 offensive snaps in each of the Chiefs' final four games, yielding seven total pressures in that time.
It was a major opportunity for Godrick, who spent multiple years on the Chiefs' practice squad before finally earning a chance to see the field in 2025. He'll now look to build on that progress heading into 2026.
Matt Waletzko
A "Reserve/Future" signee back in January, Waletzko is a former fifth-round pick who appeared in 11 games for the Dallas Cowboys from 2022 through 2024. He then spent time on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad in 2025 before signing with the Chiefs' practice squad in early December.
The 6-foot-8, 305-pound Waletzko, who played collegiately at North Dakota and earned All-America honors as a senior, was the No. 20 offensive tackle prospect in Dane Brugler's 2022 NFL Draft Guide. Here's a portion of what Brugler wrote about Waletzko:
"Overall, Waletzko has length that cannot be coached along with functional foot/body quickness, but he must continue developing his strength and stature before he is ready for live NFL reps. He has legitimate NFL upside but will require patience."
Waletzko will now have an opportunity to continue his development in Kansas City.
Interior Offensive Linemen
Next, this breakdown of the Chiefs' interior offensive linemen begins with the starting trio of right guard Trey Smith, center Creed Humphrey and left guard Kingsley Suamataia. The rest of the Chiefs' interior offensive linemen are then listed alphabetically.
Trey Smith
One of the steals of the 2021 NFL Draft, Smith has grown from his status as a sixth-round pick into one of the league's top offensive guards. The 27-year-old Smith has started 79 games over the last four seasons, logging more than 1,000 regular-season snaps in all but one of those years.
Injuries held Smith to just 12 games in 2025, but his performance still earned a Pro Bowl nod for a second-consecutive year.
Creed Humphrey
Humphrey enters his sixth season as a professional after finishing the 2025 campaign as Pro Football Focus' top overall ranked center. It was the fourth time in his career that Humphrey topped PFF's grading scale.
The 27-year-old Humphrey also landed at No. 94 overall in the NFL Top 100 rankings last week.
Kingsley Suamataia
The Chiefs' starting left guard in 2025, Suamataia logged 1089 snaps at that spot last season as he made the transition from tackle – where he primarily lined up in 2024 – to the interior. In fact, Suamataia was one of only three guards across the NFL to tally more than 700 pass-blocking snaps over the course of the year.
A second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Suamataia – at still just 23 years old – will now have a chance to build on that experience in 2026 as the Chiefs' starting left guard.
Mike Caliendo
Caliendo enters his fifth season as a member of the Chiefs' organization after appearing in all 17 games (with four starts) for a second-straight year in 2025.
Originally an undrafted free agent signee out of Western Michigan in 2022, Caliendo paid his dues on the Chiefs' practice squad for a year before earning a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of the 2023 campaign. He's appeared in 42 games in the time since, logging significant time at left guard (391 snaps) in 2024 and right guard (384 snaps) in 2025.
Caliendo, who has shown the ability to also play center in addition to either guard spot, is a great example of a rookie free agent who has grown into a contributor over time.
C.J. Hanson
A seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Hanson is entering his third year with the Chiefs after making three appearances last season. He logged 12 total snaps in those three games, 11 of which took place on special teams.
Prior to being drafted, Hanson played in 43 games at Holy Cross, which included 38 consecutive starts at right guard. He earned all-conference honors in both 2021 and 2022 before garnering FCS All-American recognition in 2023.
Hunter Nourzad
A fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Nourzad has appeared in 28 games over the course of his two years in Kansas City. He took the field for 11 games last season, logging significant snaps at center in Week 7 (16) and Week 18 (64). He also recorded 43 special teams snaps over the course of the year.
Prior to joining the Chiefs, Nourzad recorded starts at right tackle (20 games), center (13 games), left guard (7 games) and right guard (1 game) during his collegiate career, including 13 starts at center in 2023.
He'll have a chance to continue carving out a role as a Swiss Army Knife of sorts heading into 2026.
Pete Nygra
An undrafted free agent signee, Nygra is an experienced player who logged at least 750 snaps at center in each of the last four seasons between Northern Illinois (2021-23) and Louisville (2024-25). He allowed just two sacks in that time.
Nygra checks in at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds.
Josh Thompson
A rookie free agent signee from LSU, Thompson started 12 games at right guard for the Tigers last season, allowing just seven total pressures (and zero sacks) across 786 total snaps.
Prior to transferring to LSU, Thompson was a two-year starter at Northwestern, where he began his career as the Wildcats' starting right tackle. Thompson recorded 731 snaps at that spot in 2023 before moving to guard for the 2024 campaign.
Thompson stands at 6-foot-4 and 304 pounds.
The Bottom Line
The Chiefs elected to keep nine offensive linemen for Week 1 last year, and in the two seasons prior, Kansas City kept 10. So, with that in mind, history tells us that it's highly likely at least nine offensive linemen – and potentially 10 – will make the Chiefs' roster to begin the 2026 season.
That group will surely include the four returning starters in Trey Smith, Creed Humphrey, Kingsley Suamataia and Josh Simmons, plus the primary contenders for the right tackle spot in Jaylon Moore and Esa Pole.
The inclusion of those six players on the roster leaves potentially three to four spots remaining for the other nine offensive linemen currently on the team. Guard Mike Caliendo seems like a good bet to make the roster considering his versatility and experience, as does fellow guard Hunter Nourzad. A strong camp by both players could push the number of available spots on the roster to just one or two.
As for those final spots, a battle worth watching at tackle will be the competition between Chu Godrick and Kahlil Benson. Godrick is a veteran of the Chiefs' offensive system and earned some valuable playing time last year, while Benson – despite some humble beginnings as a tryout signee – was a standout of the offseason training program.
Additionally, even if Benson doesn't make the team out of camp, players such as Caliendo and Godrick have demonstrated the value of earning a spot on the Chiefs' practice squad as part of a long play toward eventually making an impact.
It's all to say that the Chiefs enter 2026 with one of the best starting offensive lines in all of football, a reality that couldn't play out a year ago due to the extensive injuries that took place throughout the unit. The quartet of Simmons, Suamataia, Humphrey and Smith is as good as any in the NFL, and if either Moore or Pole can emerge as a viable option at right tackle, this group as a whole – when healthy – has a chance to be very good.
Aside from right tackle, the depth of this unit is what will primarily be decided up in St. Joseph, and considering that the true evaluation of offensive line play can't really begin until the padded practices get underway, the major contenders for those final few roster spots should begin to emerge as camp kicks into full gear.
