Three Players On the Bubble Making a Case For the Chiefs 53-Man Roster

Taking a look at some players trying to make Brett Veach's decisions even harder in a few weeks.

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The NFL Preseason for the Kansas City Chiefs is a time to ease into football shape and figure out the rotation for the 53-man roster. There are definitely “camp battles” that occur during this time that can shuffle around a couple of roster spots, but the way that Brett Veach has built this roster leaves few of those spots truly open for competition. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean that some of the “competition” in position groups isn’t quite as exciting as it could be for this roster.

With that said, there are definitely surprises each preseason and players that end up exceeding expectations — making the roster when it seemed they initially were just camp bodies. Tershawn Wharton is a prime example of a player that burst on the scene in the lead-up to the season and cemented himself as a valuable member of the rotation going forward.

Today we’ll take a look at several players that are largely thought of as roster cuts — or players on the bubble — that flashed in the first week of preseason and camp, and discuss how they could make the roster with some quality future performances.

Prince Tega Wanogho

Craig Stout @barleyhop

Prince Tega Wanogho flashed this week, showing great range in his pass sets and power in the run game. Checks inside on the 3T, then gains depth to help the TE up the arc on the first play. Shows finishing power on the down block and a great climb to the LB in the second.

After starting his NFL on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, Wanogho ended up in the same role with the Chiefs. A terrific athlete with good collegiate tape at Auburn, Wanogho’s limitations to date have largely been health-related.

However, when he is available and on the field, the athleticism is immediately evident at offensive tackle. He showcased that in Week 1 of the preseason with some dominant reps playing as the second-team left tackle. If the 24-year-old can stay healthy, his ceiling at the position is higher than others and well worth a roster spot.

However, Wanogho currently appears to be on the outside looking in with the offensive line rotation. He is listed as the fifth offensive tackle behind Orlando Brown Jr., Lucas Niang, Mike Remmers, and Andrew Wylie. Even if the Chiefs keep 11 offensive linemen, he would have to be the choice over two of a combination of Austin Blythe, Nick Allegretti, Kyle Long, and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. All of those players — as well as Remmers and Wylie — have a little more of the versatility Reid covets on his offensive line.

If Wanogho is going to claim a roster spot, the upcoming weeks have to be a clinic in offensive tackle play, forcing Andy Reid’s hand as one of his “best ten” on the offensive line. He definitely started well enough in preseason Week 1, and all eyes will be on him in week two.

Omari Cobb

Craig Stout @barleyhop

Omari Cobb flashed in preseason week one for the Chiefs defense while running with the 2's and 3's. He showed good stopping power in the gap against a cutback and terrific burst to come up with a sack. Positive plays for the second year linebacker out of Marshall.

Cobb joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of Marshall with few expectations. He made the Chiefs practice squad after cutdowns and was activated to the 53-man roster in Week 16 due to injuries at the linebacker position. The Chiefs liked him enough to sign him to a futures deal in the Spring, keeping him in the mix.

Cobb entered the game with the second team, rotating in at the SAM linebacker spot, and flashed immediately. He came up with a sack and made his presence felt in the run game, filling gaps and showing some serious stopping power. He also showed well on special teams in kick coverage duty, giving him a bit of a leg up on some other members of the group.

However, he’s definitely on the outside looking in for this linebacking corps. The Chiefs’ top four linebackers are written in sharpie on this roster at this point, and Darius Harris has shown the ability to play MIKE, SAM, and dime linebacker on this team.

That leaves Dorian O’Daniel — a phenomenal special teams player who hasn’t been able to routinely crack the defensive rotation. Cobb’s path to this roster will likely have to be in that O’Daniel spot, playing special teams at a high level. While it remains to be seen if he can make that kind of impact for Dave Toub’s group, if Cobb can get close to filling that role on special teams, his defensive capability might just be enough to earn him a spot on the 53.

Tim Ward

Craig Stout @barleyhop

Tim Ward just makes plays when he's on the field for the Chiefs. He once again was able to utilize his length to set the edge against the run, and he showed great snap timing to beat the tackle up the arc on a sack. He's making a case for a roster spot on this Chiefs squad.

Like Cobb, Ward made the Chiefs practice squad in 2020. However, the team didn’t just elevate Ward to the active roster for a singular game, they did so in late November and kept him on the active roster through the year. He was active for just one game — the Week 17 affair against the Chargers that I wrote about in June — but was able to lodge a sack.

In the first week of the preseason, Ward flashed once again, making multiple impact plays with the Chiefs second and third-team defensive front. Ward was able to utilize his length and terrific snap timing to live in the backfield and put Steve Spagnuolo’s defense in advantageous situations — giving him the opportunity to flex his dime defense more regularly than he may have expected.

Ward’s path to this roster will be difficult. While he possesses the typical traits for a Spagnuolo defensive end, he is stuck in a room with multiple veterans with those same traits. Frank Clark and Chris Jones will be the likely starters, and Mike Danna and Josh Kaindoh are virtual locks for the roster. If the team decides to keep six defensive ends to go with their four defensive tackles, Ward would have to beat out one of Alex Okafor or Taco Charlton to make the cut.

Ward has an uphill climb to make the active roster — and that’s ignoring a potential threat to his spot from Demone Harris — but he keeps making plays on gameday. If he continues to push through the remaining two preseason games — and Charlton or Okafor are unable to showcase enough juice to hold their spots — Veach and company may prefer the 24-year-old project over a veteran with an extensive injury history.