Luquay Washington

Chiefs Sign 17-Man UDFA Class

The rich got richer last week when the winners of the last two Super Bowls drafted seven players, with the first three selections joining the team’s well-established offense. The Chiefs expanded their rookie class to 24 players by signing these 17 undrafted free agents:

The Chiefs return their top three rushers in Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and La’Mical Perine, but after finishing a middling 19th in the league in rushing yards, Kansas City may be taking some flyers on potential upgrades at the backup positions behind Pacheco. Bailey comes in after two seasons at Louisiana and two seasons at TCU. At each school he had a season in which he scored eight touchdowns, and he racked up 1,209 rushing yards in 2023. Steele arrives after two years at Ball State and one at UCLA. He led his team in rushing yards all three seasons and was first-team All-MAC in 2022 after leading the conference with 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Driskell was a surprising prospect to end up undrafted. He’s raw and needs NFL coaching to develop a role with the Chiefs, but his towering 6-foot-8 frame was expected to land him somewhere in the fifth or sixth round of the draft. Lovett was likewise expected to land in the fifth or sixth round but slipped out to an undrafted position unexpectedly. He has the ability to flash as a rotational defensive lineman, but a lack of consistency could cost him a spot on the 53-man roster.

After trading away L’Jarius Sneed in the offseason and drafting Kamal Hadden in the sixth round out of Tennessee, the Chiefs bring in three more prospects including Roland-Wallace. Roland-Wallace spent his final season with the Trojans after four years as a starter at Arizona. His quick twitch helped him rack up four interceptions and 29 passes defensed in college.

Even Rehkow was expected to get drafted after four years with the Cougars. The four-year punter saw his punting duties skyrocket in 2023 as BYU’s offense struggled mightily in their move to the Big 12.

Chargers Agree To Terms With 21 UDFAs

The Chargers’ roster is set to look very different in 2024. With the departure of key players such as Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett, Kenneth Murray, Austin Johnson, and several others, Los Angeles had plenty of room on the roster for this summer, even after selecting a nine-man class in the 2024 NFL Draft. To fill out the roster, the Chargers turned to these undrafted free agents:

Barnhart brings an intriguing versatility to a new Chargers offense led by offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Roman loves a guy who can play all over the line (see Patrick Mekari in Baltimore), and Barnhart started games at every offensive line spot but center during his time with the national champion Wolverines. In the team’s championship-winning season alone, Barnhart started eight games at right tackle, four games at left tackle, and three games at right guard en route to second-team All-Big Ten honors.

Heins is another great fit for a Roman offense. Helping the Jackrabbits to back-to-back FCS national championships, Heins established himself as a starter due to his in-line blocking abilities. While, in his three years as a full-time starter, he only racked up 989 receiving yards, he also tallied 17 touchdowns in that same stretch.

The team adds two intriguing options at safety, as well. Harper started for the Fighting Irish as a transfer after four years at Oklahoma State. He didn’t make may plays on balls in the air but showed versatility as a nickel option and a blitzer. Dent, a one-time five-star recruit as a junior in high school, has tons of athleticism, he’s just never been able to convert it into on-field production.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.