The Kansas City Chiefs hardly need a serious influx of talent, but coming out of OTAs they are excited about two rookies in particular.
With the best quarterback in the NFL and as talented a roster as there is around, the Kansas City Chiefs hardly need a serious influx of talent. But in a league where things change quickly, keeping the talent pipeline flowing is important.
The Chiefs got high marks for their work in April’s draft, which actually started before the draft with the trade for offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. According to FanSided’s Matt Verderame, they are particularly excited about rookie tight end Noah Gray and rookie guard Trey Smith coming out of OTAs.
Smith, a sixth-round pick out of Tennessee, fell to the Chiefs due to a blood clot issue in college. The former No. 1 overall recruit in the country sits No. 3 on the depth chart at right guard right now, behind the unretired Kyle Long and the returning Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. So he won’t be a Day 1 starter, or play much as a rookie unless things really go bad injury-wise, but Smith apparently looks like he could develop into a future mainstay.
The Chiefs have more offensive pieces coming in
Gray, a fifth-round pick out of Duke, looks like a possible long-awaited running mate/heir apparent to Travis Kelce. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds with speed to burn (4.55 40 yard-dash), he could fit as a multi-faceted piece (H-Back, out-wide, in the slot) in two-tight end sets. With the play-calling imagination of head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in tow, Gray could contribute right away.
Besides what Gray and Smith did to impress during OTAs, Patrick Mahomes called rookie wide receiver Cornell Powell (fifth-round pick out of Clemson) “a beast” during last week’s work. With Sammy Watkins gone, and unlike Smith and Gray, Powell has a path to a significant immediate role. In any case, the quarterback is already in his corner.
The most notable thing about Gray, Powell and Smith is that they were Day 3 picks. All three might be starters within a few years.