Kansas City

Chiefs

The seventh-rounder figures to be in the passing downs mix after the Chiefs let Samaje Perine walk this offseason. Isiah Pacheco should be the No. 1 back in the room on third downs, but Smith might be the primary competition with Kareem Hunt appearing mostly on run-down snaps last year and Elijah Mitchell having a strong tendency to not be on the field on passing downs in San Francisco. Smith has some intrigue in an Andy Reid offense but will likely have a low floor in 2025 as he attempts to establish himself on the depth chart.

Simmons is having a very good Sunday. Earlier this morning, Simmons exceeded expectations by appearing as a limited participant in positional rookie minicamp drills. He ruptured his patellar tendon in Week 7 of the 2024 college season and has been rigorously rehabbing the injury this offseason. He’ll battle for a job on the outside in training camp assuming he can get his knee up to full speed by then.

Simmons’ participation comes days after head coach Andy Reid suggested the rookie would be sidelined as he continues to recover from a non-contact knee injury he suffered in Week 7 of last year. Simmons did not participate in 11-on-11 drills, but did dress out and participate in offensive line drills. It sounds as if Simmons is hoping to be ready by training camp after the rookie said he wants to “attack rehab as hard as (he) can” in hopes of being “the most help that (he) can be” come camp. Whether or not he’ll step into a starting role come Week 1 will likely be determined by his health and how much work he can get in during camp. The Chiefs signed Jaylon Moore this offseason and can afford to let Simmons come along slowly.

Karlaftis will receive a $15.1 million salary for 2026, indicating that he is a core piece for the Chiefs and someone who they may have extension talks with as the season draws near. Karlaftis has 18.5 sacks in 32 games over the past two seasons. We’d classify him as more good than great, as he posted a career-high 69.8 PFF grade in 2024, but he clearly wins enough to be part of the reason the Chiefs defense is stout.

The move will cost the Chiefs $13.6 million in 2025. It’s a no-brainer considering McDuffie has been among the league’s most reliable corners for the past few years. Pro Football Focus in 2024 graded McDuffie as the NFL’s fifth best cover corner as he had two interceptions and 13 passes defended for the solid Kansas City secondary.

A JuCo recruit out of Chabot College with just two years of FBS experience and four years of play period, the Chiefs are hoping Pole can be a late bloomer. He missed some time in 2023 with an MCL injury that eventually would require two surgeries. In 2024, the Washington State left tackle had ups and downs – several games with great PFF pass-block grades, and also two games against Oregon State and Texas Tech with pass block grades below 60. Pole will probably be more of a threat for a practice-squad spot in his first year in the NFL than he will be to make an active roster.

Briningstool (6’6/241) was a two-year starter at Clemson, going for 498 yards and five scores as a junior and upping his production to 530 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season. He averaged 1.3 yards per route run in these two seasons while playing primarily out of the slot and inline. Briningstool was a modest producer after the catch, averaging a pedestrian 5.1 YAC per catch in his final season. The 22-year-old is a willing blocker and could be even better if he adds some weight to his slender build in the pros. However, the extra weight could slow down a player who ran particularly fast at the combine, registering a 4.75s 40-yard dash en route to a 6.33 RAS. Briningstool has the makings of a versatile backup at the next level.

Badger (6’1/200) got his start at Arizona State, where he broke out in his third season of college ball. Badger went for 866 yards and seven scores. The Sun Devils went from 79th in points per game in 2022 to 124th in 2023 and Badgers’ stats fell across the board. He posted a 65/713/3 receiving line while adding 51 yards and a touchdown on the ground. It was his third career rushing touchdown and he also returned kicks this season, leading the Pac-12 in yards per return with 28.9. Badger transferred to Florida for a final season in 2024. He was an underneath option at ASU, soaking up targets as the team’s No. 1 receiver. The Gators, on the other hand, used him purely as a field-stretcher. He caught just 39 passes at an absurd aDOT of 17. He turned the limited volume into 806 yards and four scores at an elite 3.3 yards per route run. Badger ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine but doesn’t separate with ease. A concerning 27 percent of his targets were contested at Florida, though he did bring down 73 percent of those looks. Badger won in a variety of ways across multiple programs in college. How his future NFL team will deploy him is a bit of a mystery, but he has the skill set of a versatile WR3 at the next level.

The Chiefs finally address their receiver corps near the end of Round 4. Royals (6’0/205) broke out as a junior at Utah State with a 71/1,080/15 receiving line. A foot injury limited him to just seven games in his final season, but he still managed an astounding 834 yards and six touchdowns on 55 grabs. Royals averaged three yards per route run in his final season and accounted for 38 percent of the Aggies’ receiving yards in his seven appearances. Royals looked like a burner on tape and backed that up at the NFL Scouting Combine with 4.42 wheels. When he didn’t blow by defenders, Royals still managed to bring down 63 percent of his career contested targets. Royals doesn’t have the frame of a 50/50 ball artist and will need to hone his route-running to match his tested speed at the next level. He returned kicks as a senior and will likely get his start with the Chiefs as a special teamer and a depth option at wideout, but there is legitimate upside here. He is an exciting Dynasty league stash with Patrick Mahomes at the controls.