The Chiefs will be relying on a lot of young players this season, but one of them ha started to stick out above the rest.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to look a lot different this year as they look to rebound from a poor 2025 season and get back to their ways of running the AFC. A lot of the attention is currently focused on Patrick Mahomes and his recovery from a torn ACL injury, and it looks like the star quarterback is going to be back on the field by Week 1, but the new faces on defense are arguably the biggest X-factors in the Chiefs’ turnaround this season.
The Chiefs have a number of rookies that they will be relying heavily on this season if Steve Spagnuolo wants his unit to get back to the top of the league. One of those players is edge rusher R Mason Thomas, who is having a strong preseason for Kansas City.
After the Chiefs’ 16-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes highlighted one of Thomas’ best plays from the game.
R Mason Thomas channeling his inner Van Ginkel pic.twitter.com/IT9re8PdBP
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) August 23, 2026
Thomas channeled his inner Andrew Van Ginkel, shooting upfield after reading Tampa Bay’s screen call and leaping up to knock the pass down.
The Chiefs selected Thomas in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma, and Spagnuolo and company are hoping that he can bring an element to their defense that they have not had in recent years. While on the smaller side, Thomas is incredibly bendy and explosive and can get after the passer with the very best of them in his class.
In past years, Chris Jones has been the best pass-rusher in Kansas City while working primarily on the interior. If Thomas can bring a presence on the edge to complement Jones, this could be a vastly improved pass rush this season.
The Chiefs will also be leaning on rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, whom Kansas City selected with the No. 6 overall pick, to immediately be one of the best players on the team after losing both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason. If both Thomas and Delane play well, the Chiefs’ defense should be much improved in 2026.
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to look a lot different this year as they look to rebound from a poor 2025 season and get back to their ways of running the AFC. A lot of the attention is currently focused on Patrick Mahomes and his recovery from a torn ACL injury, and it looks like the star quarterback is going to be back on the field by Week 1, but the new faces on defense are arguably the biggest X-factors in the Chiefs’ turnaround this season.