The Kansas City Chiefs may have finished the 2026 preseason with an uninspiring 0-2-1 record, but they were able to get good evaluations on several young players.
All eyes were fixated on the rookies — such as cornerback Mansoor Delane, edge rusher R Mason Thomas, and wide receiver Cyrus Allen. While those guys did impress, others who have been grinding with the Chiefs for multiple years showed that their hard work is paying off.
C Hunter Nourzad Was Kansas City Chiefs’ Highest-Graded Player During 2026 Preseason
With the preseason now in the books, the folks over at Pro Football Focus have revealed their highest-graded players from each team. Perhaps surprisingly for the Chiefs, Nourzad got the nod with an impressive grade of 90.2.
“A fifth-round draft pick in 2024, Nourzad was another player to produce their best preseason in 2026. He registered PFF grades above 90.0 both as a run-blocker and in pass protection, allowing zero pressures from 88 pass-blocking snaps.” —Gordon McGuinness of PFF
Kansas City selected Nourzad in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a very versatile lineman, having played tackle, guard, and center during his collegiate career at Cornell and Penn State. In 2021 Nourzad was named the Ivy League Offensive Lineman of the Year, and in 2023 was named Second-Team All-Big Ten.
Chiefs’ Offensive Line Has Question Marks, but High Upside
Kansas City isn’t lacking talent along its offensive line. C Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith are among the best in the NFL at their respective positions. Kingsley Suamataia made huge strides last season when he switched to left guard after a failed experiment at left tackle.
Speaking of LT, Josh Simmons has all the potential in the world to be a future All-Pro. Things get a little dicey at right tackle, however. It is unknown if the Chiefs will start veteran Jaylon Moore or rookie Khalil Benson at the position, but there are concerns about how well either will hold up.
There are also injury concerns within the unit. Smith missed most of training camp and preseason with a hip ailment, and Simmons has been shelved for weeks with back pain. Fortunately, Smith did return in time to get some work in K.C.’s preseason finale. If Simmons has to miss any regular season action, that will put the Chiefs’ offense in a tough spot.
Chiefs’ Highest-Graded Player From Preseason May Surprise You