Are fans expecting too much from the Kansas City Chiefs rookies?
![COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 5: Linebacker Nick Bolton #32 of the Missouri Tigers in action against the Troy Trojans at Memorial Stadium on October 5, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 5: Linebacker Nick Bolton #32 of the Missouri Tigers in action against the Troy Trojans at Memorial Stadium on October 5, 2019 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/ea06f354c46fe133b1babf8988b9574788bfe7b871df6bb012b7da3b88fdb3ef.jpg)
Conclusion
At the end of the day the Chiefs are a team that has been to back to back Super Bowls and don’t have a lot of open spots for rookies to get on the field. This is one of the better rosters in the NFL and it would be shocking to have five rookies taken in rounds 2-6 play a major role this season. It’s much more reasonable to expect one or two of them to have a significant role this season and then the others to simply provide depth and then hopefully earn bigger roles in years to come. I think the following would be a FANTASTIC first year for this rookie class.
- Creed Humphrey – starting center
- Nick Bolton – KC’s #3 linebacker in playing time and tackles behind Hitchens/Gay
- Joshua Kaindoh – limited playing time as he works on his technique
- Noah Gray – allows Kelce to catch his breath for a few reps here and there but Bell is still the primary blocking tight end, finishes the season with 15-20 receptions.
- Cornell Powell – special teams player that gets occasional reps at the #2 wideout spot behind Robinson/Pringle, finishes the season with 15-20 receptions.
- Trey Smith – spends the year learning the offense, working on his technique, and working with the training/medical staff to figure out what his practice routine should be in the NFL so he can compete for playing time in 2022.
So what do you think of those expectations Chiefs fans? Am I just being “get off my lawn” guy here? Do you agree that the high expectations for some of these rookies are getting out of hand or do you think they are warranted? Do you agree that some of this might be brought on by a lack of “new toys” added in free agency this season? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below.