The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, Aug. 22, in a preseason Week 2 matchup on the road.

Kansas City learned a lot about its roster in preseason Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. Now it’s a matter of stacking good performances for several young players vying for a spot. Roster cuts are just eight days away, and opportunities to impress the coaching staff are running out. A standout performance against the Bucs could go so far as to cement a roster spot for players on the roster bubble.

The Chiefs tend to follow the philosophy of keeping the best players regardless of position. That can lead to lopsided roster counts and the team going against historical preference at a specific position group. With that in mind, here’s a look at players who can cement their position in preseason Week 2.

WR Andrew Armstrong

Last week, Armstrong caught attention by playing through the whistle on multiple snaps as a perimeter blocker. Right now, the Chiefs don’t really have a player with the same style or build as Armstrong. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, and he plays with a sort of nastiness in the run game that Kansas City isn’t getting out of its other wide receivers.

The emphasis on the ground game this year means the Chiefs will need that type of perimeter blocking. I feel like as long as Armstrong can show that his Week 1 performance wasn’t a one-off, that alone will endear him to coach Andy Reid. If you’ll recall, Reid loves wide receivers who can block. That’s been the case since his days in Philly.

At the same time, you want to see a little more out of Armstrong in the passing game. He had a good catch-and-run and a target in the deep passing game last week. This week is the perfect opportunity. The Bucs’ secondary is depleted, but there’s a chance they could have CB Benjamin Morrison returning to the lineup. While it likely won’t be an extended test against the top-tier talent, it will be a test against players looking to stand out for Tampa Bay.

RB Brashard Smith

I maintain that Smith was on the roster bubble heading into training camp, and needs to fight his way out in the preseason. He’s the only player the RBs coach DeMarco Murray and OC Eric Bieniemy didn’t bring in at this position. He’s also a former seventh-round pick. The Chiefs asked a lot of him this offseason to reshape his body and get stronger for pass protection. By every indication, he’s done that. However, I’m not sure we’ve truly seen it on the field in the preseason yet.

“Yeah, I mean, the whole room has been really good, but (Brashard Smith is) one of the guys for me that I’ve been the most proud of for taking that next step, knowing that this is a big responsibility,” Murray told reporters this week. “We have the best quarterback (Patrick Mahomes); we have to keep him clean. I think for him, he wanted to take that next step in his game. You know, he’s good with the ball in his hands, he’s good running routes, but he knew he had to grow in the protection game and understanding football, so, didn’t have a lot of knowledge in that aspect but again, in the spring as well in camp, he’s really hit that head on and I’m proud of him for that. There are still some learning curves for him to continue to do that hand placement, eye placement, leverage and things of that nature, but he’s been a very improved pass protection back, and I’m proud of him.”

Some pass protection opportunities should occur for Smith this week. I’d also like to see him get some good running plays. I have questions about whether he truly has the vision needed to be an NFL running back. There’s no question, in my opinion, that he’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. He moves differently than some of the other players on the team in terms of speed, quickness, and elusiveness. It needs to flash taking a handoff in the backfield just as much as catching a pass. Otherwise, what’s the point of having him at the running back position?

TE Jake Briningstool

Briningstool was one of my winners in preseason Week 1. I felt like he came out of that game having showcased his pass-catching ability. He also showed some talent as a blocker, and he showcased what he couldn’t do a season ago. That’s because a hamstring injury ended his rookie campaign during the preseason.

The Chiefs have a fairly talented TE room, even though they haven’t made many additions to that group in 2026. That is outside of John Michael Gyllenborg (IR) and Mason Pline (practice squad candidate). Each of Briningstool, Jared Wiley, and Tre Watson has taken a step forward in 2026. That has made the mid-roster competition here intriguing to watch.

I tend to believe Kansas City will keep four tight ends. There’s a big trend shift toward 13 personnel groupings (three tight ends) expected in 2026. If the Chiefs keep four TEs, that means Briningstool has a good chance to make the roster. He just needs to show a few more things. I think a big one is special-teams contributions, because Dave Toub will need that fourth player. Keep an eye out for how much he participates in the return units.

I also wouldn’t mind seeing more blocking from Briningstool. Last week showed that he can do it. This week, you want to see him dominate on perimeter blocking while also landing some good blocks in line.

DT Marcus Harris

Harris is a player most Chiefs fans probably aren’t familiar with. Cue the Snoop Dogg “Who” meme. Harris was a reserve/future signing by Kansas City this past offseason. He has slotted in as the No. 4 defensive tackle with Omar Norman-Lott on the Active/PUP list. The fact that Norman-Lott has not yet been activated suggests he is likely to begin the season on the Reserve/PUP list. That means the Chiefs will have an open spot on interior D-Line.

It feels like Kansas City is getting quite a bit out of the trio of Chris Jones, Khyiris Tonga, and Peter Woods. However, having a player like Harris in the fold gives defensive line coach Joe Cullen a baseline at interior defensive tackle.

“I was just saying to Marcus (Harris) today, he’s consistent,” Cullen said. “What I mean by that, I know what I’m getting. He’s physical. He manages his gap. He works hard, and impressed that he comes to work every day. He’s been stout in there.”

I personally thought Harris did a good job in preseason Week 1, but I’d like to see more flashes. He needs more than just the consistent, workmanlike play Cullen described. Can he force a quarterback to make a mistake or create a tackle for loss that puts the opposing team behind the sticks? That is what I’ll be looking for in preseason Week 2.

CB Melvin Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. is another player Chiefs fans will want to get familiar with. He was an undrafted free agent out of Southern Arkansas. During the 2025 NFL season, he spent the entire year on the team’s practice squad, and now he has quietly worked his way up the depth chart to become one of Steve Spagnuolo and Dave Merritt’s trusted defensive backs.

“Last year, it was a good learning year, coming in, the playbook and having to learn the playbook, learn how things are run here,” Smith said this week. “Last year, to learn under guys like (Rams CB) Trent (McDuffie), and guys like (Rams CB Jaylen Watson) JWat, (Bengals S) Bryan Cook. It was just a really big learning year, and trying to soak in everything, be a sponge to them.”

He was out there working with the first team in place of L’Jarius Sneed and Mansoor Delane when those two players were dealing with injuries at training camp. Smith seems to be earlier in the pecking order than Kristian Fulton and Kaiir Elam, both former top-100 picks. He even seems to be higher on the defensive depth chart than Jadon Canady, the team’s fourth-round draft pick this year.

Smith impressed last week with a willingness to come up and make a tackle, something Spagnuolo values in his cornerbacks just as much as their ability to drop back and defend in coverage. He plays with good physicality and a type of poise that’s not common in a second-year player. His comfort level with the scheme is apparent. The only thing truly lacking from his 2026 NFL offseason is that one clear standout play, be it a pass breakup, an interception, or driving on a receiver for a tackle for loss. If he puts that type of tape out there against the Buccaneers, I think he’s a shoo-in to make the 53-man roster. He’d slot in as the fourth cornerback behind the trio of Nohl Williams, Sneed, and Delane.

S Xavier Nwankpa

Keeping five safeties feels a little rich. However, Nwankpa has been one of the standouts during the course of training camp, specifically when it comes to ball skills. He seems to have that right-place, right-time type of mentality when it comes to picking off passes. Last week, he had an interception in the back of the red zone during 11-on-11 team drills, and it feels like he’s had multiple plays like that during camp. I believe he’s near the top of the list of players for training camp interceptions this year.

My question is whether he can put together one of those game-changing turnover-type plays in a preseason matchup. That could be the tipping point that leads the Chiefs to hang on to a fifth safety behind Alohi Gilman, Chamarri Conner, Chris Roland-Wallace, and Jaden Hicks. I’d also wager a game-changing play on special teams would make a huge difference in his chances as well. If you’re going to keep that many safeties, you’ve got to be a four-phase special teamer.