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The Kansas City Chiefs concluded day two of their 2023 mandatory minicamp on June 14 and media members pointed out that two non-roster invites were in attendance.
Chiefs Digest insider Matt Derrick relayed the first, tweeting: “Chiefs receivers going through drills on Wednesday. One name to watch is WR Kekoa Crawford, who had a strong performance as a tryout player in the mandatory camp. Participated in the team’s rookie minicamp and [the] club wanted another look. Made the most of his opportunity.”
The other was veteran running back Darrell Henderson — formerly of the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars — according to Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney. A third-round selection in 2019, Henderson was waived by the Rams last November and subsequently claimed by the Jags. He didn’t work out in Jacksonville either, however, and is now looking to latch on somewhere new in 2023.
In four NFL seasons, Henderson has rushed for 1,742 yards (4.4 per carry) and 13 touchdowns, while catching 66 passes for another 474 yards and four TDs.
Background Info on UDFA WR Kekoa Crawford After Chiefs Minicamp Tryout
Crawford is an undrafted free agent out of California, but he began his collegiate career at Michigan — where he posted 1,307 yards over two seasons (96 receptions, six TDs).
He played at Cal from 2019 through 2021, starting 17 games and appearing in 21. Crawford’s totals went down a bit on the west coast (75 receptions for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns), with a high 40 receptions for 513 yards in 2021.
According to his California bio page, he earned the university’s “Ken Harvey Award for his academic commitment and improvement” during that senior campaign.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound wideout was unable to break into the league in 2022, but it appears he has not given up yet. NFL Draft Buzz wrote that Crawford has a “knack for getting open and is a quarterback’s best friend” in October of 2021, adding: “Passers just need to toss the ball in his area and he’ll come down with it.”
The college scouting site also noted his “strong” hands, “savvy” route-running, “exceptional” straight-line speed and “top” field awareness.
Crawford would most likely be vying for a practice squad role in 2023, but the first step is to join the 90-man roster before training camp. This week could be his final opportunity to make that happen with the Chiefs.
Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney Returns to Action on Day 2 of Minicamp as Justyn Ross Continues to Sit Out
On Day 1 of minicamp, neither Kadarius Toney nor Justyn Ross was active during team periods of practice. Per Sweeney, that changed for Toney on Day 2 while Ross “continued to watch.”
Both of these promising talents have a history of injury, and the Chiefs appear to be handling them cautiously because of that. With that being said, this will be a tight roster battle at WR in 2023 and Ross needs to find his way onto the field this summer as Toney did on June 14.
“In the 11-on-11 period to close practice, LB Nick Bolton had a would-be sack of [Patrick] Mahomes and S Justin Reid broke up a pass as he covered TE Travis Kelce,” Sweeney detailed on Twitter after practice. “Mahomes connected with Toney and he zipped into the end zone for a touchdown. Toney is something to see when he feels healthy.”
Justyn Ross and Toney could turn into two integral pieces on the Kansas City offense in 2023, but they have to keep their bodies at the same level as their game. For that reason, they are players that bear monitoring throughout the offseason and preseason programs.
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