The veteran minimum deal was already a giveaway in itself regarding Janarius Robinson's chances at making the Kansas City Chiefs' active roster this fall. After the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, that climb up the depth chart just got a lot more difficult.
Over the seven rounds of the 2025 draft, the Chiefs invested two of their top selections along the defensive front. The second of those—third-round choice Ashton Gillotte—might be the very thing that pushes Robinson too far out on some thin ice.
Robinson joined the Chiefs this spring hoping to get the best of Malik Herring in a forthcoming roster battle in training camp to claim a likely final spot on the depth chart at tight end.
The Chiefs were already looking fairly full at the position after bringing back Charles Omenihu on a one-year deal as well. Given the presence of holdovers like George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Robinson was already on the fringes of the roster.
Janarius Robinson faces a real uphill climb to make the Chiefs' active roster after the 2025 NFL Draft.
The selection of Gillotte, a defensive end out of Louisville who is both a solid run defender and comes with plenty of pass-rushing production, could push Danna for starter's reps once he gains experience. And that means Robinson's in further trouble than he was before the draft.
That said, Robinson is a confident player who joined the Chiefs in the belief he was a "perfect fit" for Steve Spagnuolo's system. "I think that's a perfect fit, just to be long and athletic, be able to move and bend around the edge and also play around within the run game," he said back at the time of his signing in early April.
Robinson is a former fourth-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL Draft, but injuries robbed him of his first two seasons in the league. He resurfaced with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 and earned some rotational reps through the '24 season—playing in 17 percent of defensive snaps in 10 games.
That said, Robinson comes with special teams experience as well, and if proves to be a late bloomer, the competition could be interesting in training camp when the coaches get to see what everyone is made of.
The good news for the Chiefs is that there's more talent at defensive end than there has been in quite some time, with the sort of depth that will serve them well for a long season. The only question is whether Robinson can stave off the competition to be a part of that depth.