5 takeaways following Chiefs mandatory minicamp

The Kansas City Chiefs have broken the huddle for the last time until training camp begins in late July.

There are plenty of stories surrounding the team, with mounting pressure from back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. So how does the current iteration of the Chiefs stack up so far? They could be a lot worse off after a few weeks of what Steve Spagnuolo aptly refers to as “pajama practices.”

Here is a quick look at five takeaways following the conclusion of the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp:

Patrick Mahomes trending in the right direction following offseason surgery

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

The news on Mahomes out of mandatory minicamp wasn't just that he was looking healthy, but he was also looking sharp. Mahomes had offseason foot surgery to repair a turf toe injury suffered late last season. His original timeline for recovery had him back to 100% by the beginning of the season, but right now he's aiming to be a full participant without limitations by the start of training camp. Mahomes was able to do most everything in OTAs and minicamp because these are what Andy Reid refers to as "passing camps." Essentially, Mahomes hasn't been doing much running beyond his normal improvisation that fans have become accustomed to. When the pads come on at training camp, the training staff will be watching Mahomes like a hawk. He'll have more running to do and that means he'll be putting more pressure on that toe. Beyond that, the injury and rehab didn't seem to limit Mahomes in any way during these OTA and minicamp practices. He was still making the highlight-reel throws and plays that he's known for. The team will proceed with caution here but don't expect them to put any arbitrary limits on Mahomes moving forward.

Offensive line depth already being tested

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

One area where the injury news doesn't seem quite as positive is along the offensive line. Kyle Long — who had been taking repetitions as the starter at right guard — suffered a leg injury that is expected to knock him out for the remainder of training camp if not longer. That's not the only issue on the offensive line either. The Chiefs also waived OL Martinas Rankin, who didn't attend OTAs or minicamp. Then, there's a bit of a mystery surrounding Austin Blythe, who sat out team periods in the final minicamp practice that was open to the media. Injury or otherwise, this is all testing the depth on the offensive line early and it might not necessarily be a bad thing. Rookie offensive lineman Trey Smith has been receiving repetitions as the starter at right guard in place of Long. We also know that Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is motivated to retake his starting job along the offensive line in Kansas City. Ultimately, you have players who will either become starters or depth, who are all getting valuable repetitions. If injuries do happen in the course of the season, the team will be better prepared to address them because of this early attrition.

Several Chiefs rookies standing out

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The word in Kansas City is that the Chiefs are liking the early returns on their rookie class. They're expecting to get a lot of contributions out of this group all-around. Creed Humphrey, for example, has been the starting center throughout the offseason program. He hasn't yielded the job to a veteran and it doesn't look like he will. Patrick Mahomes seems to already have adjusted to his left-handed snapping too. Two players who maybe weren't initially seen as early contributors have made waves throughout rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Those two players are RG Trey Smith and TE Noah Gray. Smith, as I mentioned earlier has been filling in at the starting right guard spot. We'll see if that holds when the Chiefs get up to training camp. Gray has really stood out, specifically as a pass-catcher and has earned repetitions with the first-team offense. It looks like he's someone that the team plans to incorporate into their 12-personnel looks over veterans Blake Bell and Nick Keizer. He'll need to prove himself as a blocker once the pads come on. While the hype hasn't been as public for the other rookies, rest assured they're getting valuable repetitions and proving themselves as well. The Chiefs' top draft choice, Nick Bolton, had a nice red-zone interception in 7-on-7 drills at rookie minicamp. Joshua Kaindoh and Cornell Powell have both had their moments in the spotlight too, showing promise for future contributions.

An undrafted free agent to watch

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Every year there is always an undrafted player that makes a big push to make the 53-man roster. Last year it was Missouri S&T DT Tershawn Wharton, who made the team and appeared in every game. This year, it feels like Western Kentucky DB Devon Key has the best shot at earning a role. This undrafted rookie has already been spotted taking repetitions with the first-team defense in Kansas City. The 6-foot-1 and 200-pound defensive back has been playing as a box safety, which is something that he did well for the Hilltoppers. He's a good athlete that is known as a downhill player who takes good angles and has a penchant for making big tackles. Key has seen some repetitions as an overhang and working over the slot, which is an interesting development. Generally, the more you can do, the more likely your ability to make this team. Tyrann Mathieu, Daniel Sorensen and Juan Thornhill are all locks to make the team, but that fourth spot is very much so up for grabs. Veterans Armani Watts and Will Parks will push for that job, but it appears as if Key is in the lead heading into training camp.

Return to in-person work important

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Last year, the Chiefs didn't have in-person minicamps or OTAs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, attendance for voluntary work was high, in part because players recognized the importance after having taken a full season off from it. For rookies, they're getting a better foundation heading into training camp. For veterans, it's a time for learning and for gelling with new teammates. "To be honest, I think all of these practices have worked to our benefit," Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu told reporters following minicamp practice. "We didn't necessarily have this last year. There’s a couple new coverages, a couple new wrinkles that we wanted to put in last year, we just didn't have the time to get to it. I think everybody’s showing up, being available, coming to work, clear mind and just focusing on football. I think it’s going to take us a long way. Especially when we talk about the communication aspect of it, which I think is a big part of playing defense. It’s to communicate and then react to what the offense is doing. So, the more time we really get with each other, spend around each other talking ball, talking route concepts, understanding what kind of ability the guy next to me has and how can I help him compensate for that." Beyond those parts of it, having OTAs and minicamps allow the team to get prepared for the next part of the offseason program. It's a stepping stone that wasn't there last year. For the Chiefs this year, it has created some positive momentum. Now, they don't have to carry around the Super Bowl LV loss with them because they've put in some good work on the field already. "I think these 15 or however many practices we’ve had, (are) going to pay big dividends for us," Mathieu continued. "But I do think we’ve built some momentum going forward like I mentioned with new coverages, new wrinkles. We feel fresh, we feel motivated going forward and for us, it’s all about showing up to camp physically and mentally ready to go and I think if we can do that, we’ll be cooking with some hot grease going forward."

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