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Chiefs Rookie Report: Grading Kahlil Benson through four games
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- Chiefs Rookie Report: Grading Kahlil Benson through four games
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The Kansas City Chiefs head into their bye week with a perfect 4-0 record. A tight win in Las Vegas on Sunday helped the Chiefs remain unbeaten and put them at the top of the AFC and the AFC West.
Many players have stood out this season, but rookie offensive lineman Kahlil Benson has played one of the most important roles on the team.
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A training camp standout, Benson seemed poised to compete for the starting right tackle job, but with returning starter Josh Simmons out, Benson started every game at left tackle to begin the 2026 season.
In a move not often seen, the Chiefs brain trust has felt confident enough to line up Benson as Patrick Mahomes' blind-side protector after Mahomes came off a serious knee injury.
So far this season, the Chiefs have one of the NFL's most potent offenses, and while the team has helped Benson, he's reciprocated and put together solid tape.
Grading Benson
For game grades, I broke them into three categories to create an overall grade. My criteria were run blocking, true pass protection, and assisted pass protection.
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Run blocking is as black and white as it can be, but to keep his pass-blocking grade from getting oversaturated, I included true pass protection, which is traditional drop-back passes or plays where Benson is in a classic pass-blocking set. Assisted is where I included plays like RPO's, screens, play-action looks, and other plays that can give offensive linemen easy plays to win.
The Chiefs have used plenty of these, but the true pass-blocking grade tells us whether Benson has what it takes to keep playing the position in the NFL.
Through four weeks—against formidable pass rushers—Benson has graded a 74% for true pass protection, with an assisted pass protection grade of 85%.
His run game has been good as well, with a 74% grade as a run blocker.
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Overall, this puts his season grade at a 77%
The team has definitely played to his strengths as a player with quicker passing patterns and an uptick in running the football, but Benson has delivered for what he has been asked to do this season.
Pass protection
Benson has been solid in pass protection so far this season and has yet to allow a sack.
This has been largely because the Chiefs have emphasized getting the ball out of Mahomes' hands more quickly.
In 2023, Mahomes averaged 2.5 seconds of pocket time per throw, the seventh-longest in the NFL.
Three seasons later, Mahomes is at 2.2 seconds of pocket time and below the league average. It has taken the Chiefs some time to get here, but the emphasis on a quick passing game has helped players like Benson, who rely on physicality.
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Benson wants to win snaps quickly; this is where he can put his power on full display. In his first game, he faced one of the NFL's best edge rushers, Nik Bonitto.
Bonitto relies on speed and bend and looks to rush wide. Benson is patient out of his stance, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is only taking a three-step drop, so Benson knows he can run Bonitto wide if needed.
As the two meet, Benson fires a big shot and blasts Bonitto upfield, finishing him to the ground. The clean pocket allows Mahomes ample time to run and pick up yards with his legs.
Benson can have issues with quickness at times, but when he gets his hands on a defender, he ends snaps quickly with powerful grip strength and a strong base.
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A few snaps a game, Benson shows his pass-protection deficiencies.
Knowing he has issues with the speed of the game—many undrafted rookies do—the Chiefs have been careful to give him help when needed, but one inconsistent area is his striking and hand placement.
Solid out of his stance, Benson goes wide with his hands and gives up his chest to the edge rusher. He can't recover and ends up on the ground as Mahomes is hit.
Benson's pass blocking is still a work in progress, but with the new-look Chiefs offense, his strengths are maximized, and much of this starts with the run game.
Run blocking
Running back Kenneth Walker has run wild this season, and Benson has been instrumental in this with his blocking.
Benson's strength and power translate well to the new run game, and so far he has delivered. While his technique still needs refining, he plays with a nasty streak and can move a man off a spot, opening lanes for his running back.
His background as a guard during his underclassman years in college helps him create leverage from his stance and drives his feet through contact.
Sealing the backside of the zone has become extremely important with Walker running the ball, given his vision and cutting ability. Backs with patience require offensive lines that give tremendous effort, play in and play out.
The bottom line
The Chiefs have tried to play young tackles with varying degrees of success, but this has culminated in finding a solid player in Benson.
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Perfect? No, but far from bad.
Benson has benefited from a Chiefs team that is running the ball at the same rate they once did with greats like Priest Holmes and Jamaal Charles, and is helping Kenneth Walker to what could be a remarkable season.
Benson might not be the left tackle of the future, but he has a bright future with the team, at either guard or tackle.
Brute strength, physicality, and maximum effort can mask weaknesses, and Benson grades highly in all three.
