Cowboys 2025 opponent preview: X-factors for the Kansas City Chiefs

We have (basically) made it to football season.

In the 2024 offseason the Kansas City Chiefs still managed to make it as far as they did, which is surprising. Their offseason was rife with drama, especially Rashee Rice, who had a highly publicized off-the-field incident, which was just one of several for Kansas City. Then, when the season started, Rice, who appeared to be a major contributor on offense for the Chiefs, was lost with a season-ending knee injury after colliding with Patrick Mahomes in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Though their defense under Steve Spagnuolo was terrific, their offense was lackluster.

Patrick Mahomes had his fewest passing yards as a starter for Kansas City, and the explosive aspect was missing from their passing game. Yet, somehow, Kansas City would pull out close, but controversial victories during the regular season, like their games versus the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. Their luck ran out in the Super Bowl, where they were beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22.

Looking to climb the mountain once again, the Chiefs start anew. As the Cowboys look to beat the Chiefs for the first time in the Mahomes era, here are a few underrated Chiefs who could decide the game.

Jalen Royals

By the time Dallas sees the Chiefs, rookie Jalen Royals may very well be their most important weapon offensively. Despite the speed the Chiefs have at wide receiver, it hasn’t translated to a consistent vertical passing attack. The Chiefs need playmakers now more than ever. Although Rice is expected to be ready for training camp, you can imagine Kansas City will take its time with him. Other receivers have flashed but not demonstrated to be consistent enough to be relied upon. Travis Kelce also didn’t have the same impact that he has had in years past, and very well could be in a decline entering his age-36 season.

Taken in the fourth round with the 133rd overall pick, Royals is brimming with talent. Like Rice, Royals is very good after the catch and hard to bring down in the open field one-on-one. It may not always show on film, but he’s got terrific timed speed at 4.42 seconds in the forty-yard dash. Royals has a knack for finding the soft spots in zone coverage and knowing where to settle and show the quarterback his numbers. Think of a lesser version of Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Royals has been drawing positive reviews and has been impressing the coaches, indicating that a significant role is coming for the rookie sooner rather than later. He’ll be one to watch when Dallas meets Kansas City.

Drue Tranquill

The Kansas City defense takes pride in creating a lot of confusion with exotic blitz packages and moving their players to a multitude of different places. All-Pro Chris Jones embodies that principle, but as well as the Chiefs defend the pass, they also rely on their linebackers to defend the run just as well. Nick Bolton spearheads the linebacker group, but he’s also got a terrific, yet underrated running mate with Drue Tranquill. A former safety-turned-linebacker, Tranquill has the skills to mirror running backs coming out of the backfield on passing patterns, often running with them sideline-to-sideline. T

He also has the physicality to come downhill in run support. 2024 was one of his best seasons as a pro, where he had 94 tackles and 11 quarterback pressures. Tranquill can play all of the linebacker spots on the Chiefs’ defense and has been given the responsibility of calling the defensive plays when Bolton was sidelined. Per PFF, Tranquill had a score of 76.1, ranking him 26th out of 189 linebackers. That said, he isn’t a sure tackler and had a missed tackle percentage of 13 last year.

Noah Gray

Travis Kelce is long in the tooth, and Father Time catches up to everyone, even multi–Super Bowl champions. With Kelce in his twilight years, Kansas City could start looking to reduce his snaps to give Noah Gray more of an opportunity. Gray is an underrated utility tight end for the Chiefs who can do a lot of damage if left unattended.

At 6’3”, 240 lbs., Gray has the size for a big catch radius and has the speed to run away from linebackers and carry routes down the seams for big gains. Gray is also a consistent blocker on the move. Although just a complementary player for most of his career, Gray has averaged 10.5 yards per reception and had four receptions last season of 20 yards or more.

With Kansas City, you have so much to account for with their receivers, Andy Reid’s deep bag of tricks, littered with funky formations and gadget plays, that it’s easy to overlook Gray when Mahomes scrambles out of the pocket. Per Playerprofiler.com, Gray had nine red zone targets last season, catching all nine passes, ranking sixth target separation and yards per target among tight ends, signifying that he is a threat in the red zone and is overall an efficient option for Kansas City.