What a trio of bad. This competition is so painful that whoever finishes third in this race could be on the roster bubble. By now, you know Manuel. He was over-drafted in the first round out of Florida State in 2013 and has struggled throughout his career. Cassel and Taylor are journeymen to the fullest degree and offer little excitement. A starter out of this bunch is going to be determined during training camp and preseason, but is anyone really a winner?
Player you’ll be buzzing about: CB Phillip Gaines — Gaines started off slow, but he improved every single week last season as a rookie and is a projected starter heading into training camp. He can make waves.
What to watch: Justin Houston just signed a massive deal, and although some might suggest he has little motivation now, Houston insisted that getting a big paycheck is not like winning the lottery. He’s looking to prove that he was worth the record $101 million contract that the Chiefs gave him. It will also be interesting to see how Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito look. Both defenders sustained ruptured Achilles in Week 1 of 2014.
Most important position battle: Wide receiver — The Chiefs have had low production out of their receivers for a while now, but with Jeremy Maclin in town, it will be a race to see who can be a productive No. 2 alongside him.
(Brian_Goodison of Shakin the Southland handled the Mackensie Alexander write-up and Kadar took the rest)
Mackensie Alexander, CB (junior): Mackensie Alexander is likely going to be the highest player taken from Clemson in the 2016 draft. He is a lockdown college cornerback who projects well to the NFL. He has the speed to go up against the burner receivers while also being strong enough to go up against the more physical receivers. The one physical attribute he does lack a little bit of is height. Clemson measures him at 5’10, which might knock him down a few picks.