While some thought the Kansas City Chiefs might go the offensive route and take a wide receiver with one of their two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the defense (as it should have) took precedent, as they traded up to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 overall and followed up by selecting Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods at No. 29.
The Chiefs actually used their first four selections on defense, but then used their final three on offensive players. Of those three, however, only one was a wide receiver, as Cincinnati's Cyrus Allen was taken in the fifth round at No. 176 overall.
What's interesting, however, is that while Allen is a fine prospect and led the Big 12 with 13 touchdown catches this past year, he's not the most intriguing rookie wideout who suited up for the Bearcats in 2025, as that title belongs to Jeff Caldwell, who was one of 20 undrafted free agents to sign with Kansas City once the draft came to a close.
So intriguing is Caldwell that Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic recently constructed a piece entitled "1 undrafted free agent to watch on each roster" and listed the Louisville native as his choice for the Chiefs:
"I’m pretty surprised no one took a chance here on Day 3 of the draft, as Caldwell (6-5, 216) is a rare blend of size and elite athleticism (4.31 40, 42-inch vertical jump, 11-2 broad). He played only one year on the FBS level and was inconsistent, but the traits are worth a look."
Yeah, if you know anything about Caldwell, you know the traits are undoubtedly worth a look, as Baumgardner puts it.
Jeff Caldwell may end up being the gem of the UDFA class
An unranked recruit coming out of high school, Caldwell began his collegiate career in the FCS at little-known Lindenwood, where he ultimately became a First-Team Ohio Valley Conference selection and a Second-Team All-American in 2024 before transferring to Cincinnati ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Now, his simple stats don't jump off the page in the slightest, as he tallied just 32 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns. That's not all his fault, though, as he simply wasn't a major focal point of the offense. Nevertheless, as Baumgardner mentioned, his "rare blend of size and elite athleticism" just can't be ignored.
Despite standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 216 pounds, the 23-year-old ran a ridiculous 4.31 40 at the combine in Indianapolis, recorded a receiver-best 1.48 10-yard split, posted a 42-inch vertical, and again led all receivers in the broad jump at 11 feet, 2 inches. And for those who buy into the Relative Athletic Score, Caldwell registered a perfect 10.00 out of 10.00, which wide receivers just don't do.
Add all that up, and you can see why NFL.com projected him as a fourth-round pick, which just makes his going undrafted that much more bizarre.
Now, nobody is saying this comparison we're about to drop can ever be lived up to, but a name that's been thrown around at times is Calvin Johnson. Caldwell is nowhere near as polished as Johnson was when he came into the league, but if he can even be half of what Megatron was at this level, the Chiefs may have found themselves the gem of this entire UDFA class.
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