Nuts and Bolts

• On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs returned to the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex for practice for the first time since mandatory minicamp (June 16-18)
• The guys were in full pads for the practice, which lasted just under three hours
• There were no "fully live" periods of practice, just "thud," which means contact and wrap up but nothing to the ground
• Josh Mauga, who had missed considerable time with a heel issue, and Dee Ford, who left the game on Friday early (Ribs), were practicing
• Here's a FULL INJURY REPORT
• Coach Andy Reid, quarterback Alex Smith and defensive lineman Mike DeVito spoke with the media after this morning's walkthrough
• Coach Reid said the offensive line would at least start out this week as the same as it was against the Seahawks last Friday – Donald Stephenson at LT, Ben Grubbs at LG, Mitch Morse at C, Larry Duvernay-Tardif at RG and Paul Fanaika at RT
• Here's a look at what else we learned at this morning's media session

Top Plays You Should Know About From Monday's Practice

Early in practice, linebacker Justin Houston hopped in front of a pass intended for receiver L'Damian Washington from Aaron Murray and took it the other way for the interception.

Alex Smith had a beautiful deep throw to Jeremy Maclin during 7-on-7 drills, although the drill wasn't anything close to live.

Jamell Fleming had a great pass breakup on a pass intended for Washington across the middle during 11-on-11 period.

Marcus Peters also had a nice interception in the red zone at the end of practice.

View at Practice

Here are a few video clips of what went on early at practice on Monday:

Player Spotlight – Rookie LB Ramik Wilson

When veteran linebacker Josh Mauga had to miss the first two preseason games for the Kansas City Chiefs with a heel injury, rookie Ramik Wilson's name was called.

Over his last two seasons at Georgia, the team's fifth-round pick (No. 118 overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft had 243 total tackles.

He had a habit of always being around the ball, which carried over to his first NFL action against the Arizona Cardinals, against whom Wilson led the team with six tackles, two passes defensed and an interception.

"I think he's held up very well," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after Monday's walkthrough. "He's a good, smart kid and he wants to do things the right way. He's got a good energy about him.

"He's made plays since he got here—interceptions and all of those types of things. He did it in practice, he did it in minicamp, he did it in training camp and now he did it in the game. We'll take it that he has a knack for that."

The Chiefs will take as many game-changing plays as they can on the defensive side of the ball, and even though it's just the preseason, the early returns on Wilson have been positive.

In his second career game last Friday against the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson had four tackles, including two for loss, which led the team.

One of the guys Wilson has been learning from every day is veteran Derrick Johnson, who has made tackles for loss a staple of his career since the Chiefs drafted him in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

"They remind me of myself when I first got here," Johnson said of Wilson and fellow rookie D.J. Alexander. "For them to ask me questions in the film room, it's a good deal being the older veteran and spilling my knowledge off to them."

Johnson sits just 15 tackles shy of becoming the franchise's all-time leader in that category, and the knowledge he's able to pass off to these younger players will only have a ripple effect on the organization for years to come.

"I think that's a positive," Reid said of Wilson to be learning from one of the best inside linebackers in franchise history. "For any young guy to be able to play with DJ I think is a special thing for him. He's fortunate to have that caliber of a player and person to play with."

For Wilson, just the opportunity to get out on the field has been special.

"It's been a tremendous amount of fun," he said. "It was great to be out there with competitive guys. I've got great teammates, great leaders—they're just helping me play even better.

"I'm just trying to show my teammates and the coaches that I can make plays."

The game speed has changed, but Wilson feels like it's coming to him better with each day.

"There's a difference," he explained. "It's pretty fast but now I'm getting used to it and I think I'm adjusting well. I just have to keep on working and doing my film study, and I'll be just fine."

With all of the leadership in that linebackers room, Wilson said it's something he isn't taking it for granted.

"It's been great," he said. "I'm so glad to have great linebackers and great role models to help me with my work. Derrick Johnson, Josh Mauga—I can to go any of them for advice on anything. Justin [Houston] and Tamba [Hali] have given me advice on the tackle stances. DJ (Derrick Johnson) and Mauga they always give me a bunch on how to take on linemen, how to get off blocks and things like that.

"It's great to have them. It's like having an extra coach."

That's the way it's supposed to work with your veteran leaders.

Luckily for the Chiefs, they have the right kind of leaders and the right kind of young talent to make it all work.