The Kansas City Chiefs continue to prove that they are the top team in the league. On May 7, FantasyPros analyst Thor Nystrom released his yearly undrafted free agent team ranking and no surprise, KC placed first overall.
Diving deeper into Nystrom’s analysis, two significant undrafted prospects boosted the Chiefs’ ranking in 2024, helping them to “narrowly edge” the New York Jets according to the NFL draft expert. Those rookies were Florida State defensive tackle Fabien Lovett and Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs.
“Lovett was my top undrafted free agent,” Nystrom acknowledged. “The NFL overlooked him because he doesn’t have a huge potential to dream on, an average athlete who isn’t extremely disruptive as a pass-rusher. But that overlooks his strengths.”
“I saw a high-floor prospect who sticks around for years,” the writer continued. “Lovett is a very good run defender, blessed with long arms and a rugged style. Every roster needs at least one of those. And fortunately for Lovett, the Chiefs in particular did — expect to see him on the Week 1 roster.”
Similarly, Jacobs has already been highlighted as an undrafted free agent that could earn a spot on the active roster this summer. Throw potential starting punter Ryan Rehkow into the mix, as well as priority signings Christian Roland-Wallace (CB), Emani Bailey (RB) and Carson Steele (RB) — among others — and this seems to be yet another deep group of undrafted prospects for the Chiefs in 2024.
New Chiefs LB Curtis Jacobs Called ‘Most Likely’ UDFA to Make Week 1 Roster in KC
As good a prospect as Lovett or Rehkow is, Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler named Jacobs as the “most likely” undrafted free agent to make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster after training camp.
“The Kansas City Chiefs allowed linebacker Willie Gay to walk in free agency, leaving questions in the middle of the defense,” Fowler reasoned on May 5. “While Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal are all returning, Penn State’s Curtis Jacobs could provide key depth at the position.”
“Jacobs was the No. 2 linebacker recruit in the class of 2020, according to 247Sports,” the college football analyst continued. “While he has yet to marry his elite athleticism and fundamental ability as a football player, he has an immense floor as a special teamer with the potential to earn rotational snaps.”
Nystrom seemed to like Jacobs’ chances at the NFL level too.
“Jacobs has experience and projectable traits in spades,” he detailed. “A three-year starter on strong PSU defenses, Jacobs is, like Lovett, a very skilled run defender. He gets downhill quickly to fill gaps and meet running backs in the hole.”
“Jacobs will have to prove he’s usable on passing downs,” Nystrom acknowledged. “He’s an unproven blitzer, and he may need to be hidden in coverage — but he should chip in early-down and special teams utility.”
His main competition for a Week 1 job will be two recent UDFAs who have turned into staff favorites of coordinators Steve Spagnuolo and Dave Toub — Jack Cochrane and Cam Jones.
Chiefs’ Domination of UDFA Carousel Is Nothing New
According to Nystrom, this isn’t the first time Kansas City has been ranked at or near the top of his undrafted free agent projections under Brett Veach and Andy Reid.
The FantasyPros analyst said he has been ranking undrafted free agent classes for five years. He mentioned that the Chiefs have finished in the top-10 almost every time, ranking No. 4 last year. He also praised the Chiefs for their thorough scouting and aggressive investment in talent.
Nystrom pointed out that the Chiefs target a small group of players they are willing to invest in for post-draft bidding wars. They believe these prospects should have been drafted. After that, Kansas City takes well-considered chances on players with certain physical traits or on-field skills.
In recent years, the Chiefs have successfully developed undrafted free agents like Shane Buechele, Zayne Anderson, Dicaprio Bootle, Malik Herring (all 2021), Cochrane, Mike Caliendo, Justyn Ross (all 2022), Jones (2023) and more.
