Chiefs Training Camp Observations Day 7: Jaylon Moore enters the left guard competition, while a new challenger emerges at wide receiver
The interior offensive line competition with the Kansas City Chiefs just got much more interesting on Day 7 of training camp.
The Kansas City Chiefs held Day 7 of training camp practices at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Tuesday, July 29.
This was the third padded practice of training camp thus far and easily the hottest practice of training, with the heat index exceeding 100 degrees. Chiefs HC Andy Reid told reporters that the key to having a successful practice in this type of heat was to make sure the coaches and players stay hydrated.
The onset of practice saw the Chiefs’ list of injured players double, with TE Jake Briningstool (hamstring), CB Kristian Fulton (knee), and CB Darius Rush (hamstring), LB Jeffrey Bassa (ankle), S Deon Bush (hamstring), and CB Eric Scott Jr. (hamstring) sitting out. Three players — WR Hollywood Brown (ankle), Skyy Moore (hamstring), and LB Cooper McDonald (illness) — left practice early. Xavier Worthy banged his head, but he returned to practice, which suggests that he cleared all NFL concussion protocols.
Below you’ll find observations from our very own Nick Roesch based on what he saw during practice on Tuesday.
Jaylon Moore enters the Chiefs’ left guard competition
We had a surprise during Tuesday’s practice as Moore, who has primarily played offensive tackle during his career, got several reps at left guard with the first-team offense. I don’t think that’s necessarily a knock on Kingsley Suamataia, who has taken all of the first-team reps at LG up to this point, but rather just the Chiefs exhausting all options with their offensive line.
Moore is making quite a bit of money this season, so the more he can do, the more valuable he will be. Suamataia also remained in the mix with the first-team. The Chiefs have much better depth within their OL than they did one year ago as they attempt to find the best starting five possible.
“He’s a good football player,” Reid said of Moore following Tuesday’s practice. “We just have only have five spots, so you’ve got to try to move people around and make sure they can do everything.”
Jason Brownlee gets his chance with the first-team offense, but another wide receiver shines with the second-team
Brownlee, who was a late-season practice squad acquisition by the Chiefs in 2024, got a look with the first-team offense on Tuesday. I don’t think that’s a sign of him being a true threat to make the 53-man roster next month, but they obviously see something in him. Brownlee’s a 6-foot-3 big-bodied WR who can make contested catches.
Despite Brownlee getting an opportunity with the starters, it was actually rookie Jimmy Holiday who impressed with the second-team offense. Holiday made several catches on the day, including a touchdown from backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Holiday’s is a versatile WR who possesses 4.4 40-yard dash speed, so it’s easy to see why the Chiefs are interested in him.
Jawaan Taylor returns to full participation after brief stint on PUP list
The reason why the Chiefs were able to experiment with Moore at LG was because Taylor was a full participant for the first time during Tuesday’s practice. Taylor missed the first four practices of camp as he recovered from offseason knee surgery, but has worked is way back over the past three days. It appears that he is now a full-go and has reclaimed his role as the starting right tackle. It will be interesting to see if Moore factors in more a LG or RT moving forward.
Mike Danna continues to get more work at defensive tackle
Danna, who has played mostly at defensive end during his five-year tenure in K.C., has kicked inside at DT over the past couple of practices. The Chiefs have rotated several players at the position opposite Chris Jones, such as rookie Omarr Norman-Lott and veteran Mike Pennel. Danna will likely continue to play DE for the most part, but could rotate inside in certain packages at various points during the season.
“With my game, I just try to be versatile and do whatever the coaches need, whatever my teammates need,” Danna said following Tuesday’s practice. “If they rely on me to go inside and produce, or line up inside and do what I gotta do, then that’s what it is. But you know, it’s always a challenge going from both outside and inside because it’s always different footwork, always different techniques, but you just got to be able to adjust. If you’re able to adjust on the fly, you can really excel.”
Red zone offense and defense were a big focus on Tuesday
The Chiefs did a lot of redzone work during 11-on-11, 7-on-7, and WR vs. DB drills. Both the offensive and defensive units had success, but I would say the offense won the day. Second-year WR Xavier Worthy ran one of the best routes of camp against CB Nazeeh Johnson, beating him for a TD.
Later during team work, Mahomes hit rookie RB Brashard Smith for a TD across the middle of the field.
How a team performs in the redzone is crucial to success in the NFL, which is why Reid spends a hefty amount of time working at it. The Chiefs will hold a short practice on Wednesday before an off-day on Thursday.
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