Mike Danna
When the Chiefs turned in the card with Michael Danna‘s name on it in the bottom of the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the response was somewhat timid. After all, the defensive lineman barely made a dent on the stat sheet at Michigan, where he was tasked with a wide variety of tasks as a rotational lineman—hardly the sort of role that would allow him to build a body of work to draw scouts’ attention.
That said, Michigan coaches loved his skill set and, more importantly, his intangibles and did their best to alert friends at the next level. The Chiefs scouting staff got involved and agreed that Danna had what it took to succeed in the pros. And let’s not forget that he did show off some solid pass rushing skills at Central Michigan before he transferred for season to play for Jim Harbaugh.
Fast forward to the present and the Chiefs have to be excited by what they’ve already seen from Danna in four games as a pro. Danna has taken to coaching well, showing his ability to understand and apply what Brendan Daly wants him to do along the Chiefs defensive front. He’s shown himself capable of setting the edge and disrupting the passer. Even more notable is the lack of rookie mistakes on the part of Danna.
Danna has been on IR with a hamstring injury since after Week 4, which means the team can activate him soon, if he’s ready. Getting Danna back will not only strengthen the Chiefs defensive line, but it will also allow this young player to continue to improve as a first-year contributor.