The Kansas City Chiefs took a flyer on undrafted free-agent OT Kahlil Benson, and he has gone from dark horse to possibly the favorite to start at right tackle. He took all the first-team reps in practice Wednesday for the second straight day, per The Kansas City Star's Pete Sweeney. OT Jaylon Moore worked at left tackle Wednesday, and Esa Pole worked at right tackle with the second team.
The team has had seven sessions in full pads, and Benson has taken the majority of the reps on QB Patrick Mahomes' right side. Benson, 24, is 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds - an absolute animal of a human being. He's looking to shore up one of the team's biggest issues in 2025, when they slumped to 6-9 and missed the playoffs. Mahomes has been sacked 70 times the last two seasons and missed the end of last season due to a torn ACL and LCL.
Benson was part of the Indiana Hoosiers squad that won the National Championship, alongside No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, in January. Now he has his sights on protecting another No. 15 in Mahomes. Benson's play in practice has drawn praise from newly acquired RB Kenneth Walker III.
Benson will have to stave off Moore, who was the favorite entering camp. Moore is in the final year of a two-year deal with a $15 million salary, a $18,685,000 cap hit and a $10,745,000 dead cap hit if he's released. So it will be an uphill battle, but Benson has looked the part thus far.
