The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the toughest rosters in the NFL to crack. Yet, every year, there seem to be a few undrafted free agents who manage to do so.
Last season, it was DB Chris Roland-Wallace and OT Ethan Driskell who made the team’s 53-man roster as undrafted free agents (UDFAs). Both players have a shot to make the roster again in 2025. But who will be among the new UDFAs to make a push for the 53-man roster? Eddie Czaplicki already lost out on the punter battle to Matt Araiza, but there are certainly a few other UDFAs who are making a positive impression on the coaching staff in training camp.
Let’s take a look at three players who have caught some attention so far in Chiefs training camp.
CB Kevin Knowles
The cornerback room in Kansas City might be the most unsolved of the position groups at training camp. They’re still getting a sense for who the team’s best options are at both outside cornerback and nickel corner. Former Florida State CB Kevin Knowles has seemingly earned some opportunities at the latter, working as the second-team nickel cornerback for two consecutive practice sessions.
“I think Kevin (Knowles) has done a great job,” Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo said on Wednesday. “I mean, he’s a quick Twitch guy, you know, free agent, so he didn’t know a lot about him coming in, but our scouts did a good job identifying guys like that, and I think he’s found a little home at that nickel spot. I think he’s done some really good things for us.”
Knowles’ emergence has created some serious competition in the slot. Trent McDuffie is the best option they have there, and Chamarri Conner will get his opportunities as well. Last year’s surprise UDFA to make the 53-man roster, Chris Roland-Wallace, could be in trouble if Knowles continues to excel with the preseason fast-approaching.
LB Cooper McDonald
The Chiefs had a strong recent history of developing undrafted free agent linebackers, with guys currently on the 90-man roster like Jack Cochrane and Cam Jones. McDonald could be the next player to benefit from the team’s penchant for investing in UDFA linebackers. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, this former TCU Horned Frog is working at the outside linebacker positions as a SAM and WILL linebacker in Steve Spagnuolo’s system.
“Coop (Cooper McDonald) was a really good find,” Spagnuolo said after practice on Wednesday. “If you remember, we got him in the rookie minicamp as a three-day tryout guy, and I thought in the one-on-ones against the running backs he did a nice job yesterday.”
Knowing that the Chiefs might have a decision to make in 2026 with players like Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal, having a young and talented player like McDonald waiting in the wings might not be such a bad idea. As much as Spags likes the player, this one might come down to whether or not Dave Toub feels the same about his ability on special teams.
WR Jimmy Holiday
The wide receiver room might seem stacked in Kansas City, but as Chiefs fans are well aware, the injury bug can be brutal between now and the first week of the 2025 NFL season. With three receivers (Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and Skyy Moore) missing from the latest practice, opportunities have opened up for newer faces in St. Joe. Jason Brownlee notably worked with the first team in practice on Tuesday. That led to UDFA WR Jimmy Holiday getting some opportunities to stand out with the second-team offense. As a result, Holiday became the first UDFA wide receiver this camp to work with the first team and earn a target from Patrick Mahomes during Wednesday’s 10-10-10 practice.
Holiday played for Western Kentucky and Louisiana Tech during his collegiate career. He could well continue to see opportunities with the first-team offense should the injuries stack up at the wide receiver position.
Honorable mentions
- TE Jake Briningstool: Briningstool has been absent from practice for a few days with a hamstring injury, and that could impact his standing heading into the season, despite being a standout early in training camp. He got work with the first-team offense, but the longer he’s out of practice, the more likely a veteran player like Robert Tonyan can supplant him in the pecking order. I wouldn’t be shocked if Briningstool winds up having a redshirt IR-stash type of season in Kansas City.
- OT Esa Pole: The Chiefs are going to have some decisions to make along the offensive line. Last year, they kept Ethan Driskell on the 53-man roster all season after an impressive training camp and preseason. They didn’t really use Driskell, but kept him around because of the physical traits and tools. If Driskell hasn’t taken a step forward this year, I could see someone like Pole taking his place on the 53-man roster as a developmental piece.
- DT Coziah Izzard: Izzard probably has the longest climb to make the 53-man roster as things currently stand, but the Chiefs also don’t have a ton of interior defensive line depth. All it takes is a few injuries for Izzard to have a clear path as a run-stuffing defensive tackle.
