Another week, another Chiefs On SI mailbag! In this edition, we have two preseason games to reflect on and an entire season of possiblities to look forward to.Every week, Jordan Foote joins me (Joshua Brisco) to field your questions about the Kansas City Chiefs. You can send your questions to @chiefs_kcsn on Twitter/X or to @jbbrisco.com on BlueSky.Rank these players in order of irreplaceability: Josh Simmons, Mansoor Delane, Rashee Rice, George Karlaftis, Kenneth Walker III, Travis Kelce, Nick Bolton. -@SNo_Man2168I'm going to cheat a little bit (what's new) and put these players in tiers. Let's work under the assumption that we're operating strictly for the 2026 season's sake while factoring in contract numbers, on-field value and supporting cast at each position.Tier 1 is for those whom the Chiefs are depending on to be transformative talents. There's no better textbook example of that than Kenneth Walker III, whose explosive rushing chops have been desperately needed for years now. There are things the coaching staff must do to maximize his worth, but he's critical to the club's success. Rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane, who ironically just replaced an All-Pro-caliber player in Trent McDuffie, must pop from the jump to justify the selection. Left tackle Josh Simmons is a clear franchise cornerstone.Top-10 tight ends don't necessarily grow on trees, nor do high-volume funnels in the passing game. Even in a year in which he'll turn 37, Travis Kelce is still a focal point of the offense and is unquestionably the most trusted target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Wideout Rashee Rice is far from perfect in terms of skill set and was brought along slowly at training camp, but he can seemingly roll out of bed and give the team six receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. That's not nothing, making him a clear Tier 2 option as well.In a similar vein, defensive end George Karlaftis is a good-but-not-great player who is sometimes held in higher regard due to the lack of talent around him. For the latter reason, he has to be in the same tier.Linebacker Nick Bolton, easily the most polarizing member of the Chiefs, is heralded as an on-field coach but has limitations in the athleticism department while also being sneakily inconsistent in run support. I won't go so far as to call him a negative asset here, but his talent and toolbox are in a rank of their own. —FooteIs Kahlil Benson the answer to the Mike Caliendo problem? He doesn't seem to have a future at tackle, not in 2026 at least. -@oscarbobo.bsky.socialI don't want to completely eject Kahlil Benson from the long-term tackle conversation, but in his first preseason reps at right tackle, he looked more like an undrafted rookie than a Week 1 starter. I've been surprised by many of the Benson-based developments of training camp, but I've always maintained that I expected Jaylon Moore to start at right tackle in Week 1, even when the competition seemed tight. Now, to this question's point, Benson could still be a load-bearing piece at a different position.Benson's limited work at right guard in the preseason opener showed promise, and playing guard could allow him to use his physical tools without having his weaknesses exposed as glaringly as they were against the Buccaneers. The Chiefs' best backup center is still 2024 fifth-round pick Hunter Nourzad, but I could build the case that Benson has the highest ceiling of any of the team's backup interior offensive linemen. Benson still seems to be the Chiefs' sixth-favorite lineman behind the five presumed starters, and any role along those lines would still be a huge win for an undrafted rookie who didn't sign to the roster until May 4. —BriscoWhat is your level of alarm for the WRs? Room still looks thin. Are you more encouraged by good performances from Allen and Royals? Or more concerned that we still haven't seen Worthy and Rice? -@CtrlAltRhodesI've attempted to maintain the same opinion on the Chiefs' wideout room for months. I understand why they arrived at the conclusion they did, banking on a healthy year of Xavier Worthy, a full season of Rice and a more expanded role for Tyquan Thornton... but I don't agree with it whatsoever. There's always been a world where the high-risk strategy pans out, although it isn't the most likely outcome.For as fun as the Cyrus Allen hype train has been to watch, it's slowed down significantly. He seems to project far closer to someone of his NFL Draft status than a true difference-maker, barring injury. Jalen Royals showed some wiggle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend but remains a de facto rookie facing a bar of expectations set at tripping height.Now that Worthy has already been banged up in training camp entering his make-or-break year and Rice looked well less than 100% ready at camp, I'm already raising the panic meter from a 5 to a 6 or 6.5. We'll likely find out early in the season whether this is going to work, and that's without even considering the possibility of a late-year hiccup. A lot has to not go wrong for the current experiment to end in anything but regret. —FooteOn a scale of "sleeping sound in bed with another Lombardi" to "the 2026 iteration of the Cleveland Browns," how worried should we be about how thin the depth is for both the O-line and the linebacker room? -@kcsportsbizlawOn this scale, I'd say I'm around a "Los Angeles Chargers offseason." I understand the best-case scenario, but I'd like to see it actually happen.I've already covered some of the O-line concerns in my previous answer, but I do still think the starting line is an exciting one. If everyone's healthy, it should be one of the best groups in the NFL. If they suffer frequent injuries again this year, it could get scary, but that's true for every team.I'm still intrigued by Esa Pole, even after he was apparently leaped by Benson this offseason, and I'd like to think that Benson could step in for a game or two at guard and keep the offense functional.Linebacker is probably the most under-discussed position on this roster relative to its depth and importance.The Chiefs won't spend a ton of time in three-linebacker "base defense" scenarios. In the modern NFL, the most common defense usually includes five defensive backs, and Kansas City is far deeper at nickel defender than they are at linebacker, especially after losing Leo Chenal this offseason.While Bolton plays with a significant salary cap hit for the first time ($19.25 million), Drue Tranquill is back after taking a pay cut to remain in KC. I still think that's a fine starting duo if the D-line and secondary both perform well, but the depth behind Bolton and Tranquill is currently all theoretical.I've been intrigued by Jeffrey Bassa since the Chiefs took him in the fifth round of last year's draft, but he played only 39 defensive snaps last season, with 22 in Week 18. Cooper McDonald is similarly interesting, but he played 57 defensive snaps last year, with 47 coming in the final two weeks of the season.The most veteran backup, Jack Cochrane, has recently earned some press conference praise from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, but he played 61 defensive snaps last year and only nine in 2024.Again, the Chiefs don't need three true starting linebackers (even when noting that Chenal played 441 defensive snaps last year, good for 42% of the workload), but they do need a third who can be trusted to be on the field. If Bolton or Tranquill misses time, they'll need even more than that. —BriscoSign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow