Kahlil Benson has gone from undrafted free agent to one of the most interesting names in Chiefs camp, and he’s not sneaking up on anybody anymore.
On Thursday at Missouri Western State University, Benson was working with the first team at right tackle, lined up with Josh Simmons, Kingsley Suamataia, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. For a player who signed as one of Kansas City’s undrafted additions this spring and summer, that kind of rep is a loud statement all by itself.
After practice, Humphrey was asked about Benson and didn’t hold back.
"Really hard worker," said Humphrey when asked about his perception of Benson's talents. "He’s a very hard worker.
You can tell it’s important to him. He shows up every meeting, every walkthrough, every lift, everything with the right mindset.
Really strong player, just from a physical standpoint. His punching power, things like that, he’s really strong and really technical too, so we’re really excited about him."
That kind of endorsement carries weight, and it fits the way Benson has shown up so far. He arrives in Kansas City with real college experience, having started at right tackle for Indiana over multiple seasons and also spending time blocking for Shedeur Sanders at Colorado in 2024. He won a title with the Hoosiers a year ago, then went unselected in April’s draft.
His draft slide wasn’t exactly a mystery. Dane Brugler of The Athletic pointed to his " sloppy tendencies" as part of the reason he went undrafted and said he projected Benson as someone who could eventually slide inside to guard.
The Chiefs, though, are keeping him at tackle. And they’ve already made roster moves that show how seriously they’re taking the position battle.
Kansas City traded Wanya Morris to the Atlanta Falcons after also releasing Jawaan Taylor with one year left on his contract. With Esa Pole, another undrafted signing from last spring, also emerging, the Chiefs felt comfortable enough to move on from a veteran and open the door for younger options.
Jaylon Moore is still listed as the starting right tackle for now, and in a contract year he has every reason to protect that job. But Benson’s quick rise has already made the picture less settled than it looked at the start of camp. Pole, Benson and the rest of the group are getting their chances, and the Chiefs are clearly willing to let the competition sort itself out.
No one should lock Benson into the starting lineup yet. It’s only the second day of training camp, and these early reps are exactly what they’re for. Still, Benson has done enough to force Kansas City to carve out room for him, and he’s already become one of the offseason’s biggest surprises.
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