Laddie Morse
There’s no way to quantify the significance of the Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Mini-camp process. Is it enough to say it is important? Is it difference making in the interim? Will it help K.C. win a third straight Super Bowl? All hard quesiotns to answer, but… if it’s helped in recent year’s past… and… if it did help them win the last two Super Bowls, then… we should see these workouts as significant and important. Let’s dig in…
.
Drafted Rookie Numbers
.
Hollywood Brown – #5 (now starting his 6th year)
Xavier Worthy – #1
Kingsley Suamataia – #76
Jared Wiley – #12
Jaden Hicks – # 21
Hunter Nourzad – #60
Kamal Hadden – #17
C.J. Hanson – #61
.
Press Conferences -Day Two
Several Drafted Rookies said they choose their numbers because they had that number in High School. The first Rookie to speak today was second round pick, OT, Kingsley Suamataia. He started out with a pronunciation lesson on his name (0:09):
.
.
In his press conference, Kingsley called Andy Reid a BYU Legend (0:37):
.
From Marleah Campbell @MarleahKTCV5 -Credit
.
I found it a bit humorous that Suamataia calls Reid, “Uncle.” I don’t know if you’ve seen this, but here’s Kingsley with his family during the very the moment when he found out he’d be drafted by the Chiefs (0:50):
.
From G.O.A.T. Farm Sports – Credit
.
.
Next up was OL C.J. Hanson. He was born as “Christopher” but took the name of C.J. and was selected in the 2024 NFL Draft in the 7th round with the 248th pick overall. C.J. was the first player selected out of Holy Cross since 1989 when Rob McGovern was taken. A little known fact is… McGovern was also taken by the Chiefs (in the 10th round… the same year K.C. took Derrick Thomas 4th overall):
.
.
.
.
Next up is Safety Jaden Hicks:
.
Hicks confirmed that he went to Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas but that he wasn’t a Raiders fan:
.
.
.
Hicks seems to be saying all the right things, especially when it comes to DC Steve Spagnuolo:
.
.
Some have called Jaden Hick the “Steal of the Draft” and I haven’t watched his tape enough to know if he might actually fill that role, he is obviously say all the right things. Now comes the doing.
.
.
Next up is DB, Kamal Hadden, who was the Chiefs 6th round pick taken with the 211th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft:
.
Hadden attended Independence Community College as a freshman and had 21 tackles and an INT for them in 2019. Their 2021 season was canceled due the the Pandemic and Hadden entered the transfer portal early enough to play for Tennessee in 2021. Many know about his shoulder injury last season, but here are his stats for the last three season.
.
Adapted from Sports-Reference.com -Credit
.
Great attitude by Hadden:
.
.
Here’s a solid audio reflection on the Day 2 Press Conferences by “Sweet Lou” at “Chiefs Blitz” (0:59):
.
.
You may have noticed a familiar face along the sidelines if you’re watching the Chiefs Mini-camp. He’s previously been a good friend of Patrick Mahomes (I have no idea if he still is) and once player wide receiver for the Chiefs. From Matt Derrick at Chiefs Digest:
.
“Familiar face in new role -Former Chiefs receiver Gehrig Dieter, who announced his retirement in June 2022, was back on the field Saturday but this time as a coaching intern. Dieter is working as an intern on the offensive side of the football working with wide receivers. He’s expected to remain with the club through the end of training camp.”
.
Matt Derrick attended the Rookie Mini-camp and here’s another observation of his about former Rugby star, Louis Rees-Zammit:
.
“There is a lot of acceleration there, and anyone who has watched his Rugby tape knows that he can also cut on a dime. What the Chiefs need to see is how he looks on a football field, and he absolutely looks like he belongs…. He doesn’t look lost running routes out of the backfield, and he made some nice catches in return drills. It wasn’t perfect, and special teams coordinator Dave Toub offered him some advice, but it’s easy to envision a role for the 23-year-old.”
.
What say you?
.
Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
.