The Chiefs may have unearthed a hidden gem in their undrafted free agent class.
Kansas City made a lot of highly-touted moves this offseason — both in free agency and in the draft — to shore up important positions of need. Some of the top decisions were re-signing Chris Jones and Michael Danna on the defensive line and drafting wide receiver Xavier Worthy and offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia.
But the Chiefs' undrafted free agent class ranked among the best in the NFL, per a consensus draft board. Kansas City's group was the sixth-most valuable class compared to the rest of the NFL. Even more, The Chiefs signed four top-300 players, meaning many analysts believed those players should have been drafted. That was the second-most among teams behind only the Vikings.
The top player from that list was Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs, who The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer believes has one of the best chances among his peers to crack a team's 53-man roster in 2024.
Here's why:
Chiefs top UDFA could make 53-man roster
The key to Jacobs' potential rise on the Chiefs' depth chart is based on his skill level and positional need.
The 6-foot-1, 229-pound linebacker finished his collegiate career with 9.5 sacks, 171 combined tackles, 24.0 tackles for a loss, two interceptions and four fumble recovers in three years at Penn State. Jacobs also ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and was a 2023 All-Big Ten honorable mention.
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However, all 32 teams passed on him before the Chiefs signed Jacobs to a three-year, $2.8 million, per Over the Cap.
The Chiefs need depth at linebacker, too. Kansas City re-signed Drue Tranquill and still has Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal as the team's three starters. This is a spot on the roster for a backup linebacker and Jacobs could snag it if he can impress this offseason and beat out those in front of him on the depth chart.
"Jacobs (6-1, 235 pounds) can easily stand out from a group of other undrafted free agents," Iyer wrote. "He's got the right situational profile for Steve Spagnulo with his natural coverage and blitzing skills."
Will it happen? That remains to be seen. The Chiefs will need all the help they can get if they want to make NFL history as the only team to win three consecutive Super Bowls.