KC Chiefs: Three exciting undrafted free agents
By Jacob Milham
The 2022 NFL draft is in the books, and teams are moving on to the dog days of summer. Which undrafted free agents will stand out for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Casual fans may not realize there are hundreds of undrafted free agents (UDFAs) in the NFL and many on the Kansas City Chiefs.
With the 2022 NFL Draft in the past, teams are adding more rookies by signing these UDFAs. There are several reasons why good players go undrafted. Medical and off-field issues could concern teams. Simply a lack of scouting could cause a player to go undrafted.
These are players that round out 90-man rosters, and later provide cheap depth for many teams. Sometimes, these players blossom into Hall-of-Fame-caliber players as well. Emmitt Thomas, Dick “Night Train” Lane, and Warren Moon all climbed from the undrafted ranks to the Hall of Fame. Kansas City has had success with former undrafted free agents, such as Brian Waters and Priest Holmes.
All in all, nearly three dozen former or then undrafted free agents were associated with the Chiefs in 2021. Anywhere from rookie minicamp to a championship-clinching touchdown run, undrafted free agents are important for NFL teams.
Now, Kansas City had a stellar draft. It is widely regarded as one of the league’s best, thanks to general manager Brett Veach. The team deftly addressed several needs on both sides of the ball. But, there is no reason a team should ignore getting deeper on the depth chart or younger overall. These undrafted players are hungry, with a chip on their shoulders. If the Chiefs harness that and couple it with talent, those players could be valuable assists to the next championship-winning team.
Kansas City has signed several UDFAs already, adding players to both sides of the ball.
UDFAs signed by Kansas City:
- G Mike Caliendo
- LB Jack Cochrane
- QB Dustin Crum
- RB Jerrion Ealy
- RB Tayon Fleet-Davis
- DB Nasir Greer
- TE Kehinde Oginni
- T Gene Pryor
- LB Mike Rose
- WR Justyn Ross
This class has some intriguing players. These are players that not only could stay with the team beyond the preseason but have outside chances at making the initial 53-man roster. What players should fans watch for this summer?