Undrafted Rookie Kahlil Benson Emerges as Early Favorite for Chiefs’ Right Tackle Job
Patrick Mahomes is working his way back from a torn ACL, and the Chiefs know exactly how much protecting him matters this season. An unlikely candidate has stepped up to handle that job in training camp — and he wasn’t even drafted.
Undrafted free agent Kahlil Benson has taken the bulk of first-team reps at right tackle through Kansas City’s first several padded practices, according to Pete Sweeney of KansasCity.com. That’s pushed veteran Jaylon Moore, who entered camp as the presumed starter, over to left tackle in some sessions and left Esa Pole working the right side with the second team.
“For the second straight day, undrafted free agent lineman Kahlil Benson took all the first-team reps at right tackle,” Sweeney wrote. “Now in training camp’s seventh full-squad practice, Benson has taken the majority of reps with the first team at right tackle. He will have to continue to prove it in the days to come and during the preseason, but right now, it’s fair to say he has emerged from dark-horse candidate to early favorite to win the job.”
The trend has held even after Kansas City switched into full pads. ESPN’s daily camp coverage confirmed Benson kept the bulk of the first-team snaps once physical contact ramped up, a detail worth noting since unpadded practices can inflate a raw player’s stock. Head coach Andy Reid addressed the competition directly, praising Benson’s tools while pointing to consistency as the next hurdle. “He’s done a nice job,” Reid said, per ESPN’s camp notes. “He’s learning. Very strong and powerful, good feet, good athletic ability. He’s working at the consistency part, scheme-wise.”
Who Is Kahlil Benson?
Benson isn’t a total unknown. He started his career at Indiana, transferred to Colorado for a season under Deion Sanders, then came back to Indiana in 2025 and started at right tackle for a Hoosiers team that won the national championship — the same offensive line that protected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. He signed with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent out of that 2026 draft class, arriving with 49 career college starts. At 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds, he has the frame teams look for at the position, though scouts flagged some rawness in his pass-set technique heading into the draft.
He wasn’t even a priority undrafted signing — Kansas City brought him in after a tryout at rookie minicamp in May, one of just three players who parlayed that camp invite into a contract.
Why This Matters for Mahomes
Jawaan Taylor, the incumbent right tackle, left in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons, opening the competition Benson has taken over. Moore, a five-year veteran, was widely expected to slide into that role by default. Instead, the Chiefs are letting an undrafted rookie push him for it — a dynamic that benefits Kansas City either way. If Benson keeps improving, they’ve found a cheap long-term answer at a premium position. If the pressure simply sharpens Moore, that’s a win too.
The stakes are higher than a normal camp battle because of who’s standing behind that tackle spot. Mahomes is coming off a torn ACL and has absorbed a heavy volume of hits over the past several seasons, according to ClutchPoints. Whoever wins the right tackle job will be tasked with keeping him upright on that side.
Benson’s Camp Snapshot
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| College | Indiana (2022–23), Colorado (2024), Indiana (2025) |
| Career starts | 49 |
| 2025 result | Started at RT for Indiana’s national championship team |
| Measurables | 6-foot-6, 321 pounds |
| NFL path | Signed as UDFA after 2026 draft, following a rookie minicamp tryout |
| Camp reps | First-team RT reps in at least seven of the Chiefs’ first full-squad practices |
Kansas City’s running backs room has taken notice, too. Newly acquired back Kenneth Walker III praised Benson’s early impact once the pads came on, saying the rookie has “done great” and will “have a great impact on this team,” according to comments relayed by Athlon Sports.
What Comes Next
Nothing is settled. Camp reps are a signal, not a roster spot, and several outlets covering the position battle have cautioned that Moore remains the more likely Week 1 starter given his experience — the real test comes once preseason games start and Benson faces live pass-rush situations that count. Benson still has to make the 53-man roster before any of this matters in September.
Still, going from an afterthought tryout signee in May to the first name called at right tackle in August is a notable run for any player, let alone one nobody drafted.
