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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With a short statement last month, coach Andy Reid presented the best news for the Chiefs on the final day of their mandatory minicamp.

“For the most part, we’ll have everybody back,” Reid said of the overall health of his players ahead of the team’s upcoming training camp, the annual start of their season at Missouri Western State’s campus in St. Joseph, Mo.

The Chiefs will begin camp July 22, a day in which the quarterbacks, rookies and veterans returning from injury will start a short series of truncated practices. The rest of the team’s veterans are expected to report to camp July 25, with the first full practice open to the public set for July 28.

The Chiefs are in the midst of rebuilding their roster around superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is entering the second phase of his career. A younger roster — especially on defense — and a group of newcomers on offense should create one of the most competitive camps in Reid’s tenure, as the future Hall of Fame coach enters his 10th season leading the Chiefs.

With just a few weeks before camp starts, here’s our latest projection of the Chiefs’ initial roster. Of course, some players will rise based on their performance in camp and the three preseason games. And other players will fall, their repetitions decreasing as camp progresses. These expected changes will be noted throughout camp and the preseason in advance of Aug. 30, the NFL’s mandatory cutdown day.

Note: Per usual, starters are designated in italics. The opening-game roster after all the cuts will be 53 players.

Offense (26)

Quarterbacks (2): Patrick Mahomes, Chad Henne

Training camp should be a little different for Mahomes this year. He is not returning from an injury he spent the offseason rehabbing, which was what he had to do last year. He also was building chemistry with four new starting offensive linemen last year. This time, Mahomes will work to strengthen his timing and rapport with new receivers such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie Skyy Moore. Much of the camp could be reduced to one word with Mahomes: balance. If Mahomes can evenly distribute his passes to a majority of his skill-position teammates, such work should be beneficial to the Chiefs’ passing attack in September as opposing defenses work to comprehend and/or react quickly to what Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy present.

In rapid succession Thursday, Patrick Mahomes offered a glimpse of the Chiefs’ new passing attack.

“That’s what you’re going to see from this offense this year: It’s going to be everybody,” @ByNateTaylor reports from Kansas City’s OTAs. https://t.co/zoCc1dKJgU

— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) May 27, 2022

Henne, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Saturday, is expected to be the Chiefs’ backup. But Shane Buechele, a second-year player, should push Henne in camp and the preseason. Buechele showcased improvement with his accuracy and deep ball during the team’s offseason program.

Running backs (4): Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones, Jerick McKinnon, Derrick Gore

This statement might be surprising, but this is the first time in my five years of covering the Chiefs that the competition at the running back position is more intriguing than with the receivers.

Edwards-Helaire is entering his third season, a pivotal year in which he hopes to fully reach his potential as a dual-threat weapon who can remain durable. Jones, though, is a legit candidate to earn the starting spot over Edwards-Helaire if he has an exceptional camp. In the most important games late last season, McKinnon was the Chiefs’ best player at the position, showing a combination of speed, shiftiness and toughness that was impressive. McKinnon did a savvy veteran move during the team’s mandatory minicamp, signing a one-year deal worth just more than $1 million to return to the team.

The final roster spot will be a battle between Gore and rookies Isaih Pacheco and Jerrion Ealy. Gore has the early edge since he had positive moments last season and proved to be a tough runner. But Pacheco and Ealy could be fascinating players who are speedy and quality receivers. As it usually goes, the winner will likely be a strong blocker and a willing contributor on special teams.

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) June 28, 2022

Fullback (1): Michael Burton

Reid has always appreciated the fullback position. Burton’s role should increase in terms of his importance because the Chiefs could lean more on power concepts this season. He is also perhaps the team’s best runner in short-yardage situations.

Wide receivers (6): Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore, Josh Gordon, Justin Watson

The best receiver in the offseason program was Valdes-Scantling, who offers a combination of speed and size that Mahomes has never had before. Smith-Schuster running routes alongside star tight end Travis Kelce should be a nice addition to the offense. Moore should receive plenty of repetitions in camp with Mahomes since he missed most of the offseason program with a left hamstring strain.

The Chiefs are optimistic that Gordon, a six-year veteran who joined the team midway through last season, can be a nice target for Mahomes in limited opportunities. Gordon performed better with each week during the offseason program, so he could earn the roster spot that went to Daurice Fountain last year. Fountain is still on the roster and will be in a battle with Watson, a five-year veteran who may offer more versatility, including a role on special teams.

Tight ends (4): Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Noah Gray, Jody Fortson

Fans should consider Kelce a hybrid playmaker, a receiver who just happens to be a tight end on the roster. As such, the Chiefs have Kelce and three more traditional tight ends, which is what their offense had to open last season. As long as the three other tight ends perform to their expectations, they should be utilized in the offense on a rotation that should help give the unit an advantage. Fortson remains one of the Chiefs’ tallest targets in the red zone. As for Kelce, he’s expected to rack up another 1,000-plus receiving yards, which would extend his NFL-record streak to seven seasons.

The most interesting player among this group is Brown, who was invited to the Pro Bowl last year as a full-time starter at left tackle for the first time in his five-year career. Brown remains on the franchise tag, a one-year salary of $16.6 million. The league’s deadline for Brown and the Chiefs to agree to a lucrative contract extension is 3 p.m. CT on July 15. As I’ve written before, the extension Brown likely wants from the Chiefs is a better contract than what star left tackle Ronnie Stanley, his former teammate, received from the Baltimore Ravens in late October 2020, a five-year, $98.75 million extension with $70.8 million guaranteed.

New story. Orlando Brown Jr. & Michael Portner, his new agent, believe they & the Chiefs can agree on an extension.

They have 5 weeks, in what will be Portner’s 1st contract negotiation.

“He wants to be Patrick Mahomes’ LT for the rest of his career.” https://t.co/T4L70SSVJv

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) June 8, 2022

This projection doesn’t include right tackle Lucas Niang, who is recovering from surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, an injury he sustained in early January. Niang, a third-round pick in 2020, could start camp — and the start of the regular season — on the physically unable to perform list. Giving Niang another six weeks in the regular season to rebuild the strength in his knee, instead of returning sooner than necessary, would be a wise decision for the Chiefs. Allegretti is the lone versatile interior lineman, a player capable of playing guard and center. If Kinnard, a rookie right tackle, struggles in camp and the preseason, his roster spot could go to veteran center Austin Reiter.

Jones is the Chiefs’ most important defender, a talented star pass rusher who likely will need to take on more of a leadership role this season. Jones will be featured at his natural position (defensive tackle) and is expected to record 10 or more sacks this season for the unit to have a reliable pass rush. Everything around Jones on the defensive line is a question mark. Clark enters this season in essentially a contract year, and training camp will be the first team he has been with the team since last season ended (Clark’s absence during the mandatory minicamp was excused by Reid since he was expecting the birth of his child that week).

Karlaftis’ progression in camp will be a huge subplot. He is slated to be a starter opposite of Clark, and his intensity and powerful bull rush will be worth tracking when the Chiefs have their padded practices. The Chiefs, of course, could add another veteran defensive end to the roster before camp starts.

— Bobby Stroupe (@bobbystroupe) July 5, 2022

On the interior, Nnadi, Stallworth, Wharton and Saunders are talented defenders who have enough athleticism to provide occasional pass-rush pressure. Could this be the year Saunders, a four-year veteran, showcases his skills for a full season?

The onus of this position group, for better or worse, is on Bolton and Gay, a young, talented duo that could be one of the best in the NFL if everything goes right. The Chiefs are counting on both players. Bolton replaces veteran Anthony Hitchens and was a tackling machine last season, a statistic he led the team in. Gay, meanwhile, is wildly athletic and could be a playmaker, especially in coverage, if he remains durable throughout the season.

Lee was impressive during the offseason program and projects to be a strongside linebacker. Chenal could struggle in coverage early, but he could be a bonus for the unit as a blitzer, as he’s projected to be a strongside linebacker who can also be Bolton’s primary backup.

Chenal and Carter could be plus-players on special teams.

Who can guess how many shots our photographers took on media day?? 📸 pic.twitter.com/7Iudhuf6EC

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) June 23, 2022

Six cornerbacks seems a bit high when compared to previous seasons, but at least for now, this is a strong group. The Chiefs want to start McDuffie’s career on the perimeter, a role that could help him learn and adjust to the speed of the NFL faster than having him rotate at times as the nickel cornerback. Sneed appears to have that role for this season with Fenton likely staying on the perimeter. The Chiefs are optimistic that Fenton, who had a minor shoulder surgery in April, will participate in training camp at some point.

Lammons re-signed with the Chiefs last month and is expected to once again be a special team ace. Johnson will enter camp in a competition with Deandre Baker, a younger player who is now more than a year away from returning from his broken left femur. Williams is talented enough to be a contributor on special teams while being a developmental defender throughout his rookie season.

Reid and Thornhill are the expected starters. Thornhill, entering the final year of his rookie contract, wants to earn an All-Pro selection and create more turnovers. Reid might not have the same role as Tyrann Mathieu once had — the true defensive queen piece on the chessboard — but he should be a versatile defender who helps disguise the secondary’s coverage.

New story. Juan Thornhill, the reinstated starter who is fully healthy, is ready to re-energize his career.

“I’m going to have an All-Pro season.”

Plus, another no-look pass from Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones’ 1st reps & George Karlaftis’ progress.https://t.co/AO2uBpkPti

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) June 15, 2022

If Bush, a six-year veteran, can be better in the third-safety role than Daniel Sorensen was last year, his signing will be a success for the Chiefs. As a rookie, Cook performed well during the mandatory minicamp, a positive sign that his development could be on a nice trajectory.

Special teams (3)

Kicker (1): Harrison Butker
Punter (1): Tommy Townsend
Long snapper (1): James Winchester

The entire kicking battery is back this season. The player who appears to have the most improvement to gain is Townsend, who should continue his progress in this third year. Winchester is one of the longest-tenured Chiefs and is also one of the league’s most steady long snappers. Butker is one of the league’s best kickers, and this could be the year he earns his first Pro Bowl selection.

(Photo of Clyde Edwards-Helaire: Denny Medley / USA Sports)