KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After an opening day of mixed results in windy conditions, the Chiefs rookie minicamp moved indoors on Sunday, and the protection from the element helped the young group of pass catchers bounce back in a big way.
Gone Sunday were the majority of the bobbled kicks and dropped passes as the receivers, tight ends, running backs and kick returners all showed more consistency and greater confidence. The move indoors certainly had to have some effect, especially with the rainy conditions outside on Sunday.
First-round receiver Xavier Worthy showed perhaps the biggest turnaround Sunday. Worthy had a day to forget on Saturday, and there were some questions about his health after the team held him out of the final 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods on day one. But he resumed a full workload on Sunday, taking extra reps on kick returns during the conditioning period unofficially snagging five receptions on five catchable targets.
Two plays both Worth stood out during the initial team period. On the second go-around for the first-team offense, quarterback Chris Oladokun connected with Worthy on a deep post down the middle for a long gain. Worthy had to slow down for the ball, allowing safety Trey Dean to catch him for a stop.
On the first team’s final play of the initial 11-on-11 session, Oladokun threaded a ball perfectly through the secondary into the hands of Worthy on a deep crossing route.
Fourth-round tight end Jared Wiley also shined on Sunday, unofficially hauling in five catches. The only missed connection was during the 7-on-7 period when Oladokun delivered a throw too high toward a wide-open Wiley downfield. Wiley has been a dominant performer over the first two days of the minicamp.
Notes & Observations
Sunday’s roughly two-hour, 20-minute practice was moved to the team’s indoor practice facility due to rain in the area. After the traditional opening stretch period, the players and media alike got their first experience with the NFL’s new kickoff rules.
It’s safe to say kickoffs will never be the same. While the kicker will set up as usual on their own 35-yard line, the remaining 10 coverage players will be lined up with at least one foot on the opponent’s 40-yard line.
The receiving team has a setup zone running from their 30- to 35-yard line. Seven players must be lined up with one foot on the 25-yard line. Two additional players must be lined up in the setup zone outside the hashes. If a team chooses to have only one kick returner, an additional player can line up in the setup zone.
Now’s where the fun truly begins. The landing zone extends from the goal line to the 20-yard line. If the ball does not reach the landing zone or goes out of bounds, the receiving team gets possession at their 40. If the ball is kicked out of the end zone or flies into the end zone and is downed, the possession begins at the 35. If the ball hits in the landing zone and is downed in the end zone, the ball comes out to the 20.
If the ball is caught in the landing zone, whether on the fly or on the bounce, it must be returned. There are no fair catches.
The incentive is there for the kicking team to force returns in the most uncomfortable position possible. The kicking team cannot move until the ball is fielded or hits the landing zone. Kicking the ball to the goal line is no longer an optimal strategy, but it’s not entirely clear what the best solution is for the kicking team.
Expect special teams coordinator Dave Toub to aggressively attack the play, however. Reporting guidelines for closed practices prohibit describing in detail how the Chiefs deployed their kickoff and return teams, but it’s safe to say that Toub will chart his own course. Fans attending training camp in St. Joseph this summer won’t want to miss the special teams period.
Following the special teams session were position drills and a group install period before the first 11-on-11 work started. It’s generally easy to identify which players are working with the first team or get the most reps during rookie minicamp. Players currently on the team, this year’s draft picks, and the undrafted rookie free agent class typically populate the starting units. Sometimes there is rotation — for example, undrafted free agent Nick Torres from Villanova took the majority of snaps at guard Saturday, while Oklahoma’s Kade Mettauder took that role Sunday. Hunter Nourzad played center with C.J. Hanson at the other guard position both days.
Occasionally tryout players get more opportunities, either by earning them or benefitting from less competition. For example, the Chiefs only have two defensive linemen under contract in the minicamp — edge Truman Jones and Florida State defensive tackle Fabien Lovett. That’s opened up an opportunity for defensive end Andrew Chatfield and tackle Alex Gubner to play alongside them.
Linebacker Bryce Gallagher, who had an interception Saturday, is another tryout player who has fought his way into the first-team lineup even though the Chiefs have three undrafted free-agent linebackers signed to the roster.
Oladokun continued handling the bulk of the quarterback reps on Sunday, followed again by Mississippi’s Spencer Sanders and North Carolina State’s Brennan Armstrong alternating behind him. Armstrong showed more comfort on day two, but he did have the only interception of the day when Central Florida’s Decorian Patterson picked him off during 7-on-7 work.
Rugby winger turned running back Louis Rees-Zammit continued to impress with his speed on Sunday, even if his running style looks awkward on a football field. He runs much more upright with the ball high in his grasp, and it will be interesting to see if the Chiefs attempt to tweak his technique before training camp.
Highlight(s) of the day: Two plays on Sunday caught everyone’s attention, and both involved catches by the team’s draft picks. Oladokun couldn’t out-throw Worthy on the deep post route but the speedster tracked the ball well and made a catch with a defender on him for a big gain on a post route. Oladokun showed off his precision skills later in the practice when he threaded the ball perfectly to Wiley on a deep crossing route. All three players had good days on Sunday, and those plays were great examples.
Study Hall for Hicks
Even rookie minicamps have teachers’ pets and there’s little doubt that defensive coordinator Steve Spaguolo’s favorite pupil is fourth-round safety Jaden Hicks.
Hicks has had several one-on-one conversations with Spagnuolo during the first two days of the minicamp, and he’s evidently already a fan.
“Yeah, I love his energy,” Hicks said about Spagnuolo. “I love what he brings, so I think I’m going to fit right in with this defense.”
During the first round of position drills on Sunday, Spagnuolo pulled Hicks onto the field as defensive backs coach Dave Merritt and safeties coach Donald D’Alesio worked with the cornerbacks and safeties on the sideline of the indoor facility. Spagnuolo had Hicks line up in his safety position in the box as Madison Aponte, the team’s college scouting coordinator, and Ellie Perrigo, the Norma Hunt player personnel fellow, lined up in the offensive backfield and simulated looks for Hicks to practice reading his keys.
Spagnuolo would provide instruction to Hicks, inform Aponte and Perrigo what play to simulate, and then watch the action. Afterward, he would give Hicks feedback on his reaction, and they would repeat the process.
During Saturday’s session, Spagnuolo called Hicks over to him in the middle of the field during the 7-on-7 period for a personal conversation.
“He was just telling me the keys,” Hicks said. “Where I was aligned, the quarterback can see that I was coming to the other side. So he was just telling me how to disguise that a little bit more. That was really cool. He brought me to the side, and I take that type of coaching very seriously.”
Five to Watch
The five players to watch are the performers who stand out the most in their battle to make the active roster. This year’s draft class won’t be listed but returning players who haven’t made the roster, undrafted free agents, and tryout players are spotlighted here.
Five to watch from Saturday: QB Chris Oladokun, RB Louis Rees-Zammit, RB Emani Bailey CB Miles Battle and S Derek Slywka.
RB Hassan Hall: The Chiefs remain in need of a speed back — could Hall be the answer? He placed second in the 100 meters (10.63 seconds) in high school in Georgia, and he posted a 4.45 40-time on his pro day in 2023. He had two kick returns for touchdowns at Louisville, and after transferring to Georgia Tech in 2022 he led the team in rushing with 521 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He’s also shown solid hands out of the backfield. His production in college was lacking but his speed and elusiveness are tempting.
WR Jaaron Hayek: The 6-foot-1/2-inch, 199-pound receiver from Villanova arrived in Kansas City on a tryout basis and all he’s done since got here is catching virtually everything in sight. Hayek had his first drop on Sunday but he made a nifty sliding catch on day one and he has consistently demonstrated soft hands. Hayek appeared on his way to making a strong bid for the NFL after his 2022 season in which he averaged 101.3 yards receiving per game and 22.5 yards per catch but he slipped last season to just 35 receptions for 457 yards and four touchdowns. Kansas City scouts saw something in him to bring him in for a tryout, and so far he’s made his case.
DE Andrew Chatfield: At nearly 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, Chatfield projected as a linebacker on some draft boards but he’s demonstrated why the Chiefs see him as an edge rusher with his ludicrous 80 5/8-inch wingspan. He’s tipped a couple of passes during team drills in the minicamp and he’s demonstrated speed and strength during defensive line drills. He collected 9 1/2 sacks at Oregon State last year along with two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and four passes defended. That’s production the Chiefs covet in long, lean defensive linemen.
LB Bryce Gallagher: The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Northwestern product was a tackle machine for the Wildcats with a nose for the football, and he’s brought those same traits to the minicamp on a tryout basis. Gallagher totaled 210 tackles over the past two seasons along with two interceptions, five passes broken up, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He’s played the MIKE linebacker role at minicamp, showing a high football IQ. Always an uphill battle for a tryout player but Gallagher has persuasively made a case with an interception on Saturday and consistently good play.
CB DJ Miller: The undrafted free agent signee from Kent State earned his spot on today’s list with one hard-nose effort play. After a defensive breakdown allowed Hassan Hall to escape on a wheel route completely wide open down the left sideline, Miller raced across the field and caught Hall from behind to prevent a touchdown. Miller plays faster than his 4.54 40-time if he’s able to bring down Hall from behind with a head start. He’s a little undersized (5-foot-10, 185 pounds, 74 1/4-inch wingspan) for the Chiefs’ normal preference for corners but effort plays like that mean something.
How Spags is Replacing Ken Flajole
When Andy Reid announced that outside linebackers coach Ken Flajole retired during the offseason, one interesting question was how Spagnuolo might replace his right-hand man.
Flajole was more than a mere position coach. Upon his arrival in 2021, Flajole took many administrative duties off Spagnuolo’s plate, and he also acted as a shadow defensive coordinator of sorts, working with the No. 2 defense while Spagnuolo worked with the first-team unit during practice.
During this weekend’s rookie minicamp, defensive quality control coach Alex Whittingham filled that role working with the second-unit defense. Reid indicated last month that Whittingham would take on additional duties this season, and this may be an indication of what role he might fill for Spagnuolo.
Whittingham is entering his seventh season with the Chiefs in 2024. He joined the Chiefs directly after college where he played for his father Kyle Whittingham at Utah.
What’s Next?
It’s a fast Monday for the 74 players in the rookie minicamp as the squad closes out with a traditional Chiefs 10-10-10 practice with 10 offensive snaps, 10 defensive snaps and 10 minutes of special teams work. Head coach Andy Reid will address the media along with quarterback Chris Oladokun, running back Louis Rees-Zammit and former Kansas State and Lee’s Summit West wide receiver Phillip Brooks.
For tryout players who don’t get picked up by the Chiefs, many will be preparing for tryouts next weekend when other NFL teams hold their rookie minicamps. It’s a second opportunity to win a job and put together resume material for their highlight tape.
For players under contract with the club, it remains Phase Two of the NFL offseason program. The only on-field workouts allowed are individual and group instruction and drills and “perfect play drills.” Offensive and defensive players can only line up across from each other at a walk-through pace, and no live contract or team drills are permitted.
Phase Three of the offseason program starts in two weeks with practices May 20-22, May 28-30 and June 4-7. The team’s mandatory minicamp is June 11-13. Practices are not open to the public but some sessions are open for the club’s season ticket members.
