Roster cuts are officially in the rearview mirror. While more moves will be made between now and the start of the regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs' 53-man roster is mostly stocked and ready to go.
When the dust had settled from the initial roster cuts and ensuing waiver claims, the Chiefs ended up with five undrafted free agents (or UDFAs) on their roster as of this writing. Those players are offensive linemen Kahlil Benson and Diego Pounds, defensive linemen Bryson Eason and Jack Pyburn, and safety Xavier Nwankpa.
It's always a tough battle for UDFAs to make it onto a roster simply because going undrafted already puts them at a disadvantage. These five players overcame the odds, though, and are on Kansas City's active roster with just over a week to go before the Chiefs kick off against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Since these guys aren't household names, let's go through each player, discuss his journey to the pros, and examine what Chiefs fans can expect from him this year.
Kahlil Benson could very well push for a starting job on the OL
It was always clear that the Chiefs felt strongly about Kahlil Benson, whom they signed out of Indiana. Benson was with Indiana from 2020 to 2023, spent a year with the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024, and then returned to Bloomington for his final year of eligibility.
That decision worked out well for Benson. Not only did he start every game for the Hoosiers at right tackle in 2025, but he also helped Indiana win its first-ever national championship.
Benson is currently projected as the backup at right tackle behind Jaylon Moore, but there appears to be plenty of evidence that he could eventually win the starting job. He received plenty of reps with the starters during training camp and the preseason and held his own. It'd be wild to see a rookie UDFA get significant playing time on the O-line without any sort of major injury forcing it to happen, but that could end up being what occurs.
Diego Pounds provides depth on the OL
Chiefs fans probably weren't feeling great when the Diego Pounds trade was announced, mostly because it brought up the larger issue of Josh Simmons' back injury. Would the former first-rounder be reliable, or is this going to be a lingering problem?
Enter Pounds, a massive offensive tackle out of Ole Miss who started at left tackle for the Rebels in 2025. He might have gone undrafted, but clearly the Chiefs thought enough of him to trade for him instead of waiting for him on the waiver wire. Pounds will be a backup option, and fans hope not to see him during the year because it'd mean that injuries occurred along the O-line.
Bryson Eason bolsters Chiefs DL depth
While Bryson Eason might have been one of the oldest players in this year's draft, the Chiefs liked what they saw from him enough to scoop him up on the waiver wire earlier this week. He actually played at Tennessee with Omarr Norman-Lott, and now the two will be reunited in Kansas City.
Eason started all 13 games for the Volunteers in 2025 and originally was with the 49ers before being waived. While he's not someone that will be relied on to get sacks, he's good at stuffing the run, which is nothing to scoff at. Eason is going to be a depth piece for the Chiefs on the d-line and, hopefully, the six years of experience that he racked up in Knoxville help him during his K.C. tenure.
Jack Pyburn led the entire preseason in sacks
While the preseason games might not count, what the players do in those games definitely matters. Jack Pyburn is glowing proof of that. Pyburn had a chance to return to LSU if the start of his NFL career didn't go according to plan, but he's now on the Chiefs' active roster, so that option is out the window.
Pyburn tallied four sacks in two preseason games and clearly caught Brett Veach's eye when the Bucs and Chiefs squared off in Week 2 of the preseason. He went from being waived by the Buccaneers to claiming a spot on Kansas City's active roster.
Pyburn played at Florida for the first three years of his college career and transferred to LSU last year. Strangely enough, Pyburn had more sacks in the preseason, with four, than he did in four years of college, during which he recorded just three. The Chiefs are hoping he can bring that ferocity to their linebacker corps this year, as he'll be a much-needed depth piece.
Xavier Nwankpo always had a clear path to the roster
With the Chiefs opting out of further depth at safety (they only swapped out Bryan Cook for Alohi Gilman), it looked like Xavier Nwankpa could make a strong push to make the 53-man roster. Nwankpa might have gone undrafted, but the Iowa product has good tackling skills and the range that Steve Spagnuolo covets in his players.
The Chiefs will start Chamarri Conner and newcomer Alohi Gilman at the two safety spots but Nwankpo will hold a backup role along with Jaden Hicks. There's a chance for him to get some real reps with this team, and that's not easy for an undrafted player to do.
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