With the NFL Draft ending on Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs were busy signing and inviting undrafted free agents to their rookie Mini-Camp this weekend. As the list grew, some notable names could make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster this season.
For all the NFL Draft prospects who didn’t hear their names called over the weekend, their phones rang off the hooks Saturday afternoon as 32 teams were looking to add their unique talent to their respective Undrafted Free Agent roster.
The Kansas City Chiefs were no strangers to the recruiting frenzy once Mr. Irrelevant was announced as the last pick in the NFL draft. General Manager Brett Veach was quick to sign some top-end talent. Looking at the list from the outside and not seeing any of these young men in-game action, this could be a record UDFA class that makes the final 53-man roster.
So, who are the gems so far?
LB Curtis Jacobs (Penn State) – If you follow the NFL Draft, you know fast, speedy linebackers are rare at the NFL level. If you are blessed with good speed, can tackle, cover tight ends, and find the man who has the ball on the field, you will be a star in the NFL. Of all the additions the Chiefs made over the weekend, Penn State Linebacker Curtis Jacobs is my favorite.
Though some scouts didn’t like his overall grade heading into the draft, he had a fifth-round grade for my money. He’s not a perfect linebacker, but Penn State does a great job creating NFL-caliber linebackers. He doesn’t have the speed of Willie Gay, Jr., who signed with the New Orleans Saints in March, but he has very similar ball instincts.
DT Fabian Lovette (Florida State) – I wondered why the Chiefs passed on some solid defensive tackles on Saturday. Granted, the talent pool was thin, but they had to be surprised that none of the other 31 NFL teams also passed on Fabian Lovette.
He was a beast at Florida State, and with Derrick Nnadi only signing a one-year deal in the off-season, Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen has a gem to refine. Lovette has so much potential and talent that he could open the season as a rotational option with Nnadi.
RB Carson Steel (UCLA) – He’s not blessed with speed, and sometimes his initial read isn’t the right one, but if you give him a couple of inches, he’ll run right through you. If the Chiefs have had an area of offensive failure in the last couple of seasons, it’s been short-yardage situations.
Steel can solve that dilemma for the Chiefs. He’s one of the best bruisers in college football and has a very good chance to make the final 53. Granted, some of his traits are similar to Isiah Pacheco’s, but he can line up as a fullback and carry the rock in short-yardage situations.
LB Swayze Bozeman (Southern Miss) – He’s another gem who wasn’t drafted. The Chiefs are young and thin at the backup position, and Bozeman has the tools to be a jack-of-all-trades linebacker this year. As with Jacobs, he has mad skills that fit well at the next level.
He’s one of the more experienced players available. He played five years at Southern Miss. Like Jacobs, he has similar speed and ball-hawking abilities. What I like about his game is that he’s improved each year in college. The report was that scouts raved about his work ethic, and he was a hot commodity Saturday afternoon.
Other UDFA Signings:
WR Reggie Brown (James Madison)
WR Phillip Brooks (Kansas State)
TE Baylor Cupp (Texas Tech)
RB Emani Bailey (TCU)
G Jalen Cunningham (Arkansas)
OT Ethan Driskell (Marshall)
OT Nick Torres (Villanova)
OT Griffin McDowell (Tennessee)
Christian Rolland-Wallace (Ole Miss)
CB Miles Battle (Utah)
LB Bryce Houston (Ohio)
DE Jaylon White-McCain (Old Dominion)
Deshawn McCarthy (East Stroudsburg State)
G McKade Mettauer (Oklahoma)
P Ryan Rehkow (BYU)
DE Eyabi Okie-Anoma (Charlotte)
