Getty Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Elijah Lee with the Cleveland Browns on July 28, 2021.
Kansas City Chiefs training camp is right around the corner and that means roster cuts are the talk of the football community.
The Athletic’s KC correspondent, Nate Taylor, dropped a 53-man projection during the summer lull and revealed lots of juicy information on which players might have a leg up on a roster spot heading into August. One unexpected mention was bubble candidate Elijah Lee.
The Chiefs picked up the journeyman linebacker in March and despite the appearance of a camp body, Lee is clearly doing enough to gain the attention of a veteran reporter like Taylor.
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Competition at LB Will Include Special Teams Acumen
Taylor only kept five Chiefs linebackers in his projection and Lee was one of them, beating out challengers like Shilique Calhoun, Darius Harris and UDFAs Mike Rose and Jack Cochrane. Of course, all this could change but it’s a good start for a newcomer that’s fighting for a job.
“Lee was impressive during the offseason program and projects to be a strongside linebacker,” Taylor noted during his explanation. He also implied that the Chiefs will be looking to keep LBs that are “plus-players on special teams” — outside of unquestioned starters, Nick Bolton and Willie Gay Jr.
Rookie third-rounder Leo Chenal is also a lock to make the roster, and most believe free-agent acquisition Jermaine Carter Jr. is his main starting competition at strongside linebacker. That leaves one or two spots, max, and a handful of athletes to battle for them.
Assuming Taylor’s right and Kansas City only keeps five, that means the selection will have to be a versatile piece.
Lee profiles as a well-rounded defender based on his career — according to Pro Football Focus. His worst area was his tackling in 2021, and his coverage scores have remained relatively even with his run defense and pass rushing over the years.
Last season, Lee’s 67.7 overall on defense was made of up the following grades: 66.4 (run), 57.9 (tackling), 60.0 (pass rush), 64.4 (coverage). He also contributed on five different special teams units with an overall mark of 68.1. Lee’s highest special teams grade (75.5) came with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 — the year they met the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
In terms of NFL special teams experience, Lee’s greatest competition is easily Harris, but the former undrafted product has already spent time on the Chiefs practice squad in years past. It wouldn’t be a huge shock if he started the 2022 season there once again.
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Taylor’s Thoughts on LB Room
“The onus of this position group, for better or worse, is on Bolton and Gay,” Taylor began, calling them a “young, talented duo that could be one of the best in the NFL if everything goes right.”
He continued: “The Chiefs are counting on both players. Bolton replaces veteran Anthony Hitchens and was a tackling machine last season, a statistic he led the team in. Gay, meanwhile, is wildly athletic and could be a playmaker, especially in coverage, if he remains durable throughout the season.”
It’s a fair assessment. Bolton and Gay are indeed the backbone of this unit and if either goes down with injury, someone is going to have to step up — and fast.
Chenal is the biggest wildcard in that regard. Will the hard-hitter out of Wisconsin pick up the NFL speed in a hurry, or will he struggle out of the gates?
Taylor believed coverage could be his worst area in the early stages, writing that “he could be a bonus for the unit as a blitzer” and a potential Bolton understudy in a pinch.
If Lee and Chenal end up being the only backups behind Carter and the power couple, they’ll each need to learn and cover at least two linebacker roles, plus special teams. That’s how you make the most out of an NFL roster.