7 under-the-radar Kansas City Chiefs players who could be a big surprise during 2026 NFL training camp in St. Joe
Every year, there’s at least one under-the-radar player to emerge from the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp. Chris Roland-Wallace. Cooper McDonald. Who will be this year’s player?
The Kansas City Chiefs will soon head to Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, for their 2026 NFL training camp.
There are a lot of known commodities on the team’s 90-man offseason roster, but there are also still a lot of questions left to be answered. Every year in St. Joe, there’s a relatively unknown player who flashes, carries that success into the preseason, and makes the 53-man roster. In 2024, it was DB Chris Roland-Wallace and OT Ethan Driskell. In 2025, it was LB Cooper McDonald.
Who could be one of those under-the-radar players to make that happen this year? Here’s a look at seven potential players.
CB Kevin Knowles II
While special teams might be the most important thing for his chances, Knowles feels a bit like the forgotten man in the Chiefs’ slot cornerback competition. Yes, the team brought in Kader Kohou and L’Jarius Sneed, plus drafted Jadon Canady. They also have Chris Roland-Wallace as a slot option. That competition is fierce, but I think Knowles has a proven advantage.
Last season, Knowles played 83 defensive snaps for K.C. as the year wrapped up. In that limited work, he recorded five tackles, two stops, one pass defended, and allowed just four receptions in coverage. Opposing QBs throwing into his coverage were held to just a 42.4 passer rating. That type of performance will play, whether he makes the club’s 53-man roster as depth or a starter.
TE Tre Watson
This former UDFA out of Texas A&M spent the entire 2025 NFL season on the practice squad in Kansas City. Watson earned first-team repetitions during OTAs with a few absences and injuries at the tight end position. He took advantage of his opportunity and flashed, which could give him more opportunities down the line. Watson recently spoke to our friends Marcus Dash and Jason Dunn at Chief Concerns. One of the most exciting things from that interview is that he’s spent his offseason training alongside former Ravens and now-Giants TE Isaiah Likely.
“A lot of vets come back to Dallas to train,” Watson said. “So, being able to kind of learn from them. A big one is (New York Giants TE) Isaiah Likely. I’ve gotten to do a lot of work with him and kind of train with him all offseason. This is my second offseason training with him. So, that’s been big for me and just kind of getting some knowledge from him as we go. It’s been a lot of help.”
If someone emerges from the Chiefs’ tight end room this offseason, Watson seems to have the leg up.
OG C.J. Hanson
Hanson enters his third season with the Chiefs in 2026 after being selected as a seventh-round pick out of FCS-level Holy Cross in the 2024 NFL Draft. I thought that during training camp and the 2025 preseason, Hanson had done enough to earn a 53-man roster spot. He was waived during final roster cuts and wound up on the practice squad for the second consecutive season.
The Chiefs promoted Hanson to the active roster late in the year due to injuries. He’s appeared in just four games across two seasons, but this feels like a year where he can make a jump and earn a role as a depth interior lineman. I’d be surprised to see K.C run it back with Mike Caliendo as IOL4. After three years of NFL strength and conditioning, Hanson might finally be ready to take that spot.
WR Andrew Armstrong
An undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2025, Armstrong was a reserve/future signing with K.C. this past January. He led the SEC in receiving (1,140) and receptions (78) in his senior season with the Razorbacks. He’s 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds and ran a 4.51s at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine with a 37.5 vertical. Armstrong turned some heads during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, with a few standout plays, notably for his size and speed.
Armstrong’s biggest advantage in the wide receiver competition is that he’s a body type they just don’t have right now. Jeff Caldwell and Jason Brownlee are the only other players with that type of size. He could be a true X receiver for Kansas City. The biggest challenge in making the team for Armstrong is that this wide receiver room already has quite a few bodies. He’ll need to do more than just play the wide receiver position, so endearing himself to Dave Toub as a multi-phase special teams player could be the key.
DE/LB Ethan Downs
There’s a lot of talk about the pass-rusher competition heading into camp. Downs feels like the logical option to emerge behind guys like Ashton Gillotte, R Mason Thomas, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The former UDFA out of the University of Oklahoma spent the majority of last season on the practice squad in Kansas City before being promoted to the active roster late in the year.
He’s viewed as a bit of a hybrid player by the Chiefs’ staff, with the ability to play off-ball, on the line, and on special teams. At 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, he’s got the requisite size for Steve Spagnuolo. He only played 11 defensive snaps last season in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders. However, he forced a fumble on special teams in that game, which was recovered by Jack Cochrane.
LB Wesley Bissainthe
Bissainthe remains one of the biggest question marks amongst the Chiefs’ UDFA class of 2026. He didn’t practice during OTAs or mandatory minicamp because he’s dealing with an undisclosed injury. The only other addition to the Chiefs’ linebacker room this offseason was reserve/future signing Kam Arnold. It just feels like there’s an opportunity here for a player like Bissainthe to supplant a veteran holdover in Kansas City.
Bissainthe was with the national champion runners-up in the Miami Hurricanes in 2025, recording a career-high 71 total tackles. He’s a bit undersized by NFL standards at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds. He has great instincts for diagnosing plays, but has struggled with missed tackles at times (14 in 2025). Where Bissainthe really excelled last season was in coverage, allowing just a 64.2 passer rating with 21 receptions on 33 targets for 172 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.
RB E.J. Smith
The Chiefs’ running back room is suddenly a little bit crowded after being void of talent just a season ago. While Kenneth Walker and rookie RB Emmett Johnson are locks, there’s a lot more competition left to play out in the room.
One thing to consider is that everyone outside of Brashard Smith was brought in with new RBs coach DeMarco Murray and OC Eric Bieniemy in the fold. I could see a scenario where Brashard shifts his focus back to wide receiver (which he played in college). That could open an opportunity for a player like E.J. Smith.
He’s the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame RB Emmitt Smith, but he might have to make his mark on special teams before making an impact in the running game. Dave Toub previously identified Smith as a potential kick return specialist for Kansas City.