As full-squad practice begins, Chiefs need these five veterans to take the next step

The Chiefs rookies have had their week at Missouri Western State to acclimate, and now the full squad has reported for training camp with one objective: Win a third straight Super Bowl.

To accomplish that, the Chiefs will look for greater contributions from some returning players.

Here are five players the team will count on to take the next step in 2024...

Safety Chamarri Conner

Chamarri Conner came on strong in the second half of his rookie season and throughout the playoffs, peaking in the postseason victory at Buffalo when he played 76 snaps after an early injury to Mike Edwards.

As he did at Virginia Tech, Conner is expected to move around in the secondary, logging snaps at safety and cornerback. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said in May that Conner had been playing slot corner.

Wherever he plays, the athletic Conner figures to be a big contributor to the defense this season.

Linebacker Leo Chenal

After cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, the defense’s biggest loss is linebacker Willie Gay, now with the New Orleans Saints. But the Chiefs feel good about Leo Chenal’s ability to fill the role and — already a solid run stuffer — become a more all-around linebacker in his third season.

Look no further than the postseason to see the best of Chenal. He started three playoff games including the Super Bowl, when he logged a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

And it was Chenal who got his hand on the extra point for the block that kept the Chiefs’ deficit at three early in the fourth quarter.

Edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah

Felix Anudike-Uzomah got most of his regular-season defensive snaps early in the season when Charles Omenihu was serving a suspension, and a similar timing situation could unfold this year. Omenihu suffered a torn ACL in the AFC Championship Game and his timetable to return is uncertain.

But however the rotation plays out, more will be expected from Anudike-Uzomah, the second-year Lee’s Summit High and Kansas State product. “Most of last year was a learning process for him,” Chris Jones said.

Anudike-Uzomah saved his best moment for the biggest stage. After being inactive for the first three playoff games, he got seven defensive snaps in the Super Bowl, and on the final play of the first quarter dropped Christian McCaffrey for a 4-yard loss. The 49ers settled for a field goal.

Wide receivers Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney

They are presented in tandem because the storyline is the same for both. Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, who each caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl LVII, didn’t follow that fortune with good seasons.

They combined for 48 receptions and two touchdowns, and Toney provided a couple of lowlight moments. Think of games against the Lions and Patriots, when passes thrown bounced off him and into the arms of defenders.

The Chiefs’ top four wide receivers look solid with Hollywood Brown, Rashee Rice, Justin Watson and first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy. After that, the depth chart shows a combination of Moore, Toney and Mecole Hardman.

The potential suspension of Rice for his role in a car crash in March looms over the wide receiver group, and it’s uncertain how many wide receivers will make the team. The Chiefs carried seven last season in their least productive offense of the Patrick Mahomes era.

How will Moore and Toney factor in?

“We’re obviously hoping both continue to improve ... and can be consistent playmakers for us,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said before the NFL Draft. “It’s just a matter of them putting themselves in position to earn consistent playing time and then make plays when their number is called.”