KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A total of 74 players took to the field Saturday afternoon for the first of three rookie minicamp practices at the Chiefs training complex. Players in attendance include eight first-year players on the active roster, seven draft selections, 17 undrafted free agents signed on Saturday, 38 undrafted rookies on a tryout invitation, and four NFL veterans on a tryout basis.
The breakdown:
Players on active roster: QB Chris Oladokun, RB Haasan Hall, RB Louis Rees-Zammit, TE Gerrit Prince, OT Chukwuebuka Godrick, S Trey Dean, DE Truman Jones and P Matt Araiza
Draft selections: WR Xavier Worthy, OT Kingsley Suamataia, TE Jared Wiley, S Jaden Hicks, G/C Hunter Nourzad, CB Kamal Hadden and OG C.J Hanson
Undrafted free agents signed: RB Emani Bailey, RB Carson Steele, WR Phillip Brooks, WR Reggie Brown, TE Baylor Cupp, OT Ethan Driskell, OT Griffin McDowell, OL McKade Mettauer, OG Nick Torres, LB Swayze Bozeman, LB Curtis Jacobs, LB Luquay Washington, CB Miles Battle, CB D.J. Miller, CB Chris Roland-Wallace, DT Fabien Lovette and P Ryan Rehkow
Veteran tryout players: RB Eno Benjamin, OT Gabe Houy, C Brett Neilon and CB Trill Williams
Rookie tryout players:
Quarterbacks: Brennan Armstrong and Spencer Sanders
Running backs: Tikristiloluwa Ayo-Durojaiye, Dylan McDuffie and Treyson Potts
Wide receivers: Jarett Garner, Daniel George, Jaaron Hayek, Kaylon Horton, Zach McCarron-Mathis, Brandon Porter and Harry Van Dyne
Tight ends: Geor’Aquarius Spivey
Offensive line: OG Jalen Cunningham
Defensive line: DE Andrew Chatfield, DE Jesus Gibbs, DT Cole Godbout, DT Alex Gubner, DT Mario Kendricks, DE Deshawn McCarthy, DL Eyabi Okie, DT Devin Phillips and DE Jordan Strachan
Linebackers: Joe Andreessen, Bryce Gallagher, Jamoi Hodge, Bryce Houston, Isaiah Major and Jackson Taylor
Defensive backs: CB Patrick Jolly, S Sam Lockett, CB Decorian Patterson, CB Matt Severance, CB Myles Sims, S Derek Slywka and CB Noah Tumblin
Specialists: LS Williams Mote and K Noah Rauschenberg
Notes & Observations
Gray skies and unseasonable cool temperatures made the first day of the team’s rookie minicamp feel more like an autumn afternoon than an early Saturday in May. The temperature nosed above 60 but a crisp wind made long sleeves and pants more common than usual.
The minicamp serves several purposes but one primary mission is to acclimate the team’s newest players to the tempo, expectations and process of an NFL practice. As a result, the template for Saturday’s workout was what the team would normally do during a regular Wednesday practice during the season. The session ran roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes with a conditioning period, position drills, 11-on-11 team periods, and a seven-on-seven passing interval.
The wind made for a rough day for quarterbacks and pass catchers, and no one had a rougher day than the kick returners. Factoring in that new punter Matt Araiza is left-footed, it made for a rough day catching punts. Worthy struggled the most holding on to the football on punt returns but he wasn’t the only one to battle the elements. Worthy and North Texas receiver Kaylon Horton handled most of the punt return duties during the special teams period but Brandon Porter, Reggie Brown and Louis Rees-Zammit mixed in as well.
Since the former rugby star from Wales has entered the conversation, let’s address the first impressions of Rees-Zammit: he’s fast. There is a lot of acceleration there, and anyone who has watched his Rugby tape knows that he can also cut on a dime. What the Chiefs need to see is how he looks on a football field, and he absolutely looks like he belongs. He was Chris Oladokun’s target on the third play of the team period and made a reception, and the duo connected on several other catches during the afternoon. He doesn’t look lost running routes out of the backfield, and he made some nice catches in return drills. It wasn’t perfect, and special teams coordinator Dave Toub offered him some advice, but it’s easy to envision a role for the 23-year-old.
Sometimes rookie minicamp practices can look like a fire drill, but for the most part the offense looked organized on Saturday. Give the credit for that to Oladokun, who despite entering his third year in the NFL is still eligible for the minicamp since he has only one year of accrued service. Good thing for the Chiefs because his experience and knowledge of the offense made things easier Saturday. Oladokun took the bulk of the snaps and looked very comfortable, and his deep ball looked good even in the elements. He and Kansas State’s Phillip Brooks nearly connected on a deep vertical route down the left sideline that likely would have resulted in defensive pass interference.
In front of Oladokun was perhaps a glimpse of Kansas City’s offensive line of the future with Kinglsey Suamataia at left tackle, Hunter Nourzad at center, and C.J. Hanson at right guard. Villanova’s Nick Torres lined up at left guard and would later swap positions with Hanson, giving both looks from each side. Chu Godrick manned the right tackle spot.
On the defensive side, players getting the most looks included edge rusher Eyabi Okie, defensive tackles Fabien Lovett and Devin Phillips, linebackers Luquay Washington, Curtis Jacobs and Swayze Bozeman, and cornerbacks Miles Battle and Chris Rolland-Wallace. Draft picks Jaden Hicks and Kamal Hadden also factored in heavily as well as current Chiefs edge rusher Truman Jones and safety Trey Dean.
There did not appear to be any significant injuries during Saturday’s practice. Worthy did not appear on the field during the final few periods but he did remain on the sideline with his helmet.
Highlight of the day: Northwest linebacker Bryce Gallagher perfectly read a throw from Spencer Sanders to Phillips Brooks, and the 6-foot-2, 235-pound defender won the collision with the 5-foot-7, 175-pound receiver and intercepted the pass for what would turn into a touchdown. The biggest win for the defense on the day.
FINISH! Nick Jacobs of KSHB 41 and the 41 is the Mic podcast and I lamented missing the voice of former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy screaming “finish” when a running back ends a play with the ball imploring them to run the ball to the end zone regardless of the outcome of the play. Extra credit points go to running backs who did that on multiple occasions without prompting, including Carson Steele, Rees-Zammit, Emo Benjamin, Emani Bailey and Hassan Hall. Benjamin gets a bonus point for bringing wide receiver Brandon Porter along on one of his runs to the end zone.
Five to Watch
Who from the rookie minicamp made the biggest impact on day one? Here’s my run down as far as who has the best chance to make the roster and was the most impressive — while acknowledging this is a passing camp and it’s going to be more difficult for offensive and defensive linemen to make plays.
QB Chris Oladokun: His presence helped keep this practice on the rails, and he continues to show strong development. There were no turnovers for Oladokun, he made good decisions and his ball cut through the wind effectively. Oladokun can make a bid for the Chiefs to keep him as the third quarterback on the active roster.
RB Louis Rees-Zammit: He’s raw and has much to learn but it’s impressive how much of the game he’s picked up already and how his rugby skills transfer to the football field. His speed shows up big time but his confidence is equally impressive.
RB Emani Bailey: The 5-foot-7, 202-pound bowling ball of a running back doesn’t have Maurice Jones-Drew speed but he has some serious juice with the ball in his hands. His chance to make this team might rest on blocking drills in St. Joseph — he blocks with the fury in which he runs and sacrifices his body like Jerick McKinnon, there’s a spot for him on this team.
CB Miles Battle: His size (6-foot-3, 196 pounds, 78 1/2-inch wingspan) and athleticism (4.37 40-yard time) are off the charts, and he immediately broke up a pass on the first play during the team period Saturday. He’s only played cornerback full-time the past three seasons, two at Mississippi and one at Utah so he’s incredibly raw at the position. Has Brett Veach’s staff found another diamond in the rough for defensive backs coach Dave Merritt to refine?
S Derek Slywka: If you’re going to make the jump from Division III to the NFL, you better have a nasty streak, and Slywka seems to have it. He tallied 51 tackles last season along with six interceptions and 16 passes broken up on his way to earning first-team All-American honors and Region 2 defensive player of the year from D3Football.com. He was also one of six finalists for the Cliff Harris Award for the most outstanding defensive player in Division III. Slywka delivered the most physical play on Saturday — maybe a notch too far for a non-contract rookie minicamp — but that’s what it takes for a player on a rookie minicamp invite to parlay the opportunity into a roster spot.
Familiar face in new role
Former Chiefs receiver Gehrig Dieter, who announced his retirement in June 2022, was back on the field Saturday but this time as a coaching intern.
Dieter is working as an intern on the offensive side of the football working with wide receivers. He’s expected to remain with the club through the end of training camp.
What’s Next?
The Chiefs hold day two of the rookie minicamp on Sunday with practice close to the public. The remaining four draft picks are expected to be available to the media including Kingsley Suamataia, Jaden Hicks, Kamal Hadden and C.J. Hanson.
The third and final day of the rookie minicamp is Monday. The Chiefs begin their organized team practice activities (OTA) start May 20 with practices May 20-22, May 28-30 and June 4-7 with the mandatory minicamp June 11-13. Most sessions are closed to the public but some practices are open to season ticket members.
