2021 Kansas City Chiefs undrafted free agents tracker
By Matt Conner
Last year, Turk Wharton, Tommy Townsend, and Yasir Durant were the surprise additions. There are always one or two.
Each spring, every NFL team attempts to make the best selections possible in the annual first-year player draft and then goes on to sign several more promising players who went undrafted. Those undrafted free agents can sometimes end up surprising their respective teams by earning an active roster spot, which is why the signing frenzy to get these players is so important.
For the K.C. Chiefs, Wharton , Townsend, and Durant were both guys who stuck around, but they’re not the only ones. Ben Niemann has ascended the depth chart each year as an undrafted linebacker. Charvarius Ward went from UDFA to starting boundary corner. Darrel Williams went from longshot in the backfield to securing meaningful carries in the Super Bowl. Byron Pringle has earned the respect of Chiefs coaches as a reliable returner and offensive target.
So who will be the surprise among this year’s rookie free agents? It’s impossible to say at this point, but here is our undrafted free agent tracker which we will keep updated as see signings come across the wire (along with a bit about each player).
The Chiefs continue to try to bolster the linebacker corps beyond the pick of Nick Bolton by bringing in a couple undrafted options to try to make the roster, including Anderson, an older prospect from BYU who had 41 tackles last year.
Besides having the best name among Chiefs rookies, the Nebraska corner was two-time All Big Ten honorable mention.
Marlon Character, Jr., DB, Louisville
The Chiefs added the Louisville defensive back to the mix of undrafted players, a nice leap forward from his start in the JuCo ranks. Had 37 tackles as a part-time starter for the Cardinals in 2020.
Tom Pelissero gives Buechele a “Case Keenum” comparison here, and it’s clear the Chiefs like what they see enough to invite Buechele in for a closer look a la other developmental quarterbacks on the roster like Anthony Gordon and Jordan Ta’amu. Money talks and Buechele got some legit cash to come to K.C. over other stops (“$15,000 signing bonus plus a $160,000 base salary guarantee“).
An experienced and decorated linebacker from the Sun Belt conference hopes to make the leap to the pros by showing coaches he can excel on special teams and learn quickly.
Herring, who had 24 pressures for the Bulldogs last season, tore his ACL during Senior Bowl practices so he’s going to be a redshirt for the Chiefs this season, but stashing such a player has yielded dividends for the Chiefs in the past.
Devon Key, S, Western Kentucky
The Chiefs are going to love the 48 games of experience Key brings from Conference USA including three Bowl games. A key contributor to watch who could upend expectations with a strong spring.