They’ve been scouted, drafted, signed and trained. Now comes the payoff for NFL newcomers: the first preseason game.
When the Chiefs visit the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, the first-year players will be in the spotlight. Second-year running back Carson Steele remembers the feeling.
“I was just thrown into the fire,” Steele said. “That’s basically what happens.”
Steele, an undrafted free agent, made an impression in his first pro game with a touchdown run and the Chiefs’ longest rushing play of the game for 20 yards.
“I kind of showed myself a little, and hopefully I can do that again,” Steele said.
Several others are looking to make a great first impression. Here are a few:
Left tackle Josh Simmons
The first-round pick (No. 32 overall), Simmons looms as a long-term answer at left tackle. The Chiefs started four different players at the position last season and the Philadelphia Eagles torched their offensive line in the Super Bowl.
Simmons, the lone player in the seven-member draft class projected to start, has impressed with his footwork and movement. His recovery from a torn patellar tendon has happened quicker than expected.
But Simmons is about to line up against NFL talent for the first time. There is bound to be growing pains.
Defensive linemen Omarr Norman-Lott and Ashton Gillotte
Reinforcements on the defensive line with the losses of Turk Wharton and Derrick Nnadi came through the draft. Norman-Lott and Gillotte have had solid camps. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said Gillotte, the third-round pick from Louisville, is growing into his defensive end position.
“It feels like he’s getting more comfortable,” Spagnuolo said. “We’re throwing him in there, sometimes with the ones (starters), which I think gives him a little more confidence. I’ve been really impressed with what he’s done to this point.”
Norman-Lott, a second-round pick from Tennessee, has caught the eye of veteran defensive end Charles Omenihu.
“He has great use of hands, very explosive,” Omenihu said. “I noticed early on he’s able to grab (a) wrist, something that took me about three or four years to do.”
Wide receiver Jalen Royals
Royals, a fourth-round selection from Utah State, has flashed in training camp, and although it appears the Chiefs have quality depth at the position, it’s amazing how quickly a need arises.
Last year, wide receivers Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rashee Rice missed the majority of the year with injuries. Now, the Chiefs likely will be without both to open the preseason because of injuries.
Royals figures to see plenty of action in the preseason as the Chiefs bring him up to speed. A rookie wide receiver has been a big part of the offense in each of the past two years.
Rice in 2023 and Xavier Worthy last year topped the team in receptions and yards among wide receivers.