Kahlil Benson didn’t hear his name called in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that hasn’t slowed his rise one bit. The former Indiana offensive lineman signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on May 4, and after less than two weeks and a half of training camp work, he’s already putting himself in position to matter right away.
Benson has been taking first-team reps at right tackle during the first week and a half or so of camp, a strong sign that he’s trending toward a Week 1 starting job. That’s a notable jump for an undrafted rookie, especially on a team looking to keep Patrick Mahomes protected.
Kansas City left tackle Josh Simmons has noticed the push. “I think Kahlil is doing a great job,” Simmons said last week via via KQTV."
I think he's a very physical player. I think he should just add on to that.
I think you can't really teach effort. I mean, that's what he's giving out there, so that's really all I'm telling him right now is keep doing that effort."
For Indiana, Benson’s quick climb is another reminder of how deep that 2026 draft class really was. The Hoosiers had a program-record eight players selected, led by Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Names like Omar Cooper Jr, D'Angelo Ponds, and Elijah Sarratt headlined the group, but Benson’s emergence as an undrafted free agent adds another layer to the story.
At 6'6" and 319 pounds, Benson brought plenty of size to Bloomington and plenty of experience, too. He spent five seasons with the Hoosiers across different stops, playing in 24 games with 17 starts from 2020-23 before transferring to Colorado for the 2024 season. He appeared in nine games with four starts there, then came back to Indiana in 2025 and became a key piece of the Hoosiers’ National Championship run.
Last season, Benson played in all 16 games and made 12 starts at right tackle. He helped Indiana’s offense put up historic numbers while keeping Mendoza upright during his Heisman-winning season.
There’s still time before Week 1, but Benson has already made his case. Right now, the Chiefs’ starting right tackle job looks like his to lose. And if he gets there, he’ll join a growing list of Hoosiers making their NFL debuts this season under Cignetti’s leadership.
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Curt Cignettis Blunt Indiana Take Shows How Much Changed
Curt Cignetti did not need much time to understand what he had walked into when he arrived at Indiana. He recently spoke candidly about his early frustrations with the programs facilities and the atmosphere around the team, a blunt assessment that says as much about the challenge in front of him as it does about the expectations he brought with him.
The striking part is how quickly the picture changed from there. Indiana turned around under Cignetti in a big way, making a College Football Playoff appearance in his first year before reaching the sports summit with a national championship in 2025, and now the program enters 2026 trying to prove that run was the start of something lasting rather than a one-year surge. [Read more 🡒]