ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- If you listen to Kahlil Benson's new teammates, especially the Kansas City Chiefs' veterans, you can tell just how enthusiastic they are about him -- and his potential for this season.
"Kahlil has been hungry since day one, eager to learn," right guard Trey Smith said last week. "He works extremely hard and he's a strong man. I think he has a real aspiration, a real want to be great."
No, Benson is not one of the Chiefs' top draft picks. In fact, Benson wasn't even one of the Chiefs' priority free agents in late April after the NFL draft ended. Instead, Benson joined the team a few days later, earning a contract after participating in the rookie minicamp that consisted of 104 players.
"You can tell [football] is important to him," center Creed Humphrey said of Benson at the start of training camp. "He shows up every meeting, walk-through, lift with the right mindset."
A mere three months later, Benson is expected to be a starter Saturday afternoon when the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Rams in their preseason opener. Throughout training camp, the Chiefs have given Benson most of the first-team reps.
If Benson continues to overachieve in the preseason -- which he has done for the past 105 days -- he has a chance to win the starting right tackle job, supplanting five-year veteran Jaylon Moore, and play a pivotal role in front of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and running back Kenneth Walker III.
"He's done great," Walker said last week of Benson. "We've got pads on now, and you get to see how well he's doing out there. He's going to have a great impact on this team."
Benson, 23, has experience playing on a championship team. Last season in college, he was the right tackle for the University of Indiana, protecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and a national championship. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds, Benson is the prototypical size -- with arms that are almost 35 inches long -- that often interests NFL scouts.
But Benson's production last season was mixed. Too often, he struggled against quality speed from edge rushers. His blocking techniques were inconsistent, too. Although he wasn't selected in the draft, Benson was confident he would be able to compete for a roster spot.
"Honestly, I kept my head down and knew my time was going to come," Benson said after Wednesday's practice. "I really just stayed humbled, stayed faithful and just kept praying to God that I was ready to be on call when it was that time.
"Whatever position you get put in, you've got to take it on the chin. You just keep going and make sure there's nothing left on the table to be eaten."
In early May, Benson impressed the Chiefs immediately, both in the classroom and on the field during the rookie minicamp, often having reps across from defensive end R Mason Thomas, the team's second-round pick. Benson made his first jump up the depth chart the next month. He began sharing first-team reps with Moore during mandatory minicamp.
In wanting to give Benson a proper evaluation, the Chiefs traded Wanya Morris, a three-year veteran, to the Atlanta Falcons.
"He's done a great job just competing," Mahomes said last week of Benson. "I remember watching [rookie minicamp] film and seeing that guy and seeing him kind of do stuff the right way. And he's just gotten better and better all the way to this point. We still have a long way to go, but I'm happy with the progress so far."
Earlier this month, Benson showed improvement from one padded practice to the next. He has been most impactful as a run blocker. One example was when, in an 11-on-11 period, Benson executed a double-team block with Smith to move defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga back. The rep finished with Benson also blocking linebacker Nick Bolton, which created more space on the right side of the field for Walker. A few minutes later, Benson blocked defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah in pass protection for Mahomes to connect with receiver Tyquan Thornton for a completion for more than 30 yards.
Of course, Benson has had his rookie moments. A few practices later, Anudike-Uzomah used a combination of quickness and power to win several one-on-one battles against him.
"He's done a nice job," coach Andy Reid said last week of Benson. "He's learning. Very strong and powerful, good feet, good athletic ability. He's working at the consistency part, scheme-wise. Physically, he's got all the tools. He'll just keep working at it and we'll see where it goes, but he's got a lot of talent."
The Chiefs have a history in the past few years of starting rookies on the offensive line in front of Mahomes. In 2021, Humphrey and Smith started as rookies, helping to rebuild Mahomes' pass protection. Left tackle Josh Simmons started last year as a rookie, too, demonstrating he could properly protect Mahomes' blind side.
Over the past week, Benson has shown that he could at least be the Chiefs' top backup lineman if he loses the battle to Moore. Benson has taken all his reps at right guard since Smith has been out with a hip injury. Those reps have featured Benson trying his best to be an effective blocker against Chris Jones, the Chiefs' best pass rusher, the same veteran who helped prepare Smith ahead of his rookie season.
"It's really helpful," Benson said. "Everything's been going good. I see everything as beneficial when it comes to the teammates. They're lifting us up, especially as rookies. You want to do the best that you can, especially just trying to keep the coaches how they're supposed to be. [You] really [take] those coaching points moving forward."
Against the Rams on Saturday, Benson is expected to play two positions in the first half: right guard with backup quarterback Justin Fields and right tackle with rookie quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Reid acknowledged this week that Benson having quality snaps at both positions to show his versatility could be a factor in whether he wins the right tackle role over Moore, who is the safer option.
All that is left for Benson is to showcase against opponents that his sudden rise with the Chiefs is quite legitimate, a rookie ready to continue surprising his teammates.
"I don't really feel like it's a challenge," Benson said of switching positions. "You've got to be able to adjust when it's time and your number is being called. You just never know what could happen."