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The Kansas City Chiefs drafted seven prospects in 2023, and yet, one undrafted talent continues to gain attention around the NFL community.
That rookie is Tulsa running back Deneric Prince, who was named as the Chiefs’ “surprise offseason standout” and “player to watch” during an ESPN article on June 27. The collaborative piece — made up of beat reporter blurbs for all 32 franchises — only listed one athlete for each NFL team.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher weighed in for Kansas City, voicing: “Prince, a rookie undrafted free agent, took advantage of a thin running back depth chart and stood out as a receiver during offseason practice, making several difficult catches. With Isiah Pacheco recovering from offseason surgery, Prince has a chance to claim not only a roster spot but some playing time if he shows an aptitude for pass protection at training camp.”
Chiefs UDFA Deneric Prince Appears to Have Long-Term Future With KC
From the start, Prince made it clear that he chose the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent because of new running backs coach Todd Pinkston.
“We had a lot of zoom [calls], I feel like this system would be good for me,” Prince relayed, feeling prioritized by KC. Maybe that’s because the Chiefs saw a path for him making the roster from the very beginning.
With Pacheco banged up — as Teicher noted — and veteran Jerick McKinnon sitting out during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamp, Prince was able to get a ton of reps early on in practice. If this sounds familiar, it should. Pacheco earned the same sort of opportunity in 2022, and that road led to him starting in the Super Bowl.
There’s also a very good chance that former first rounder Clyde Edwards-Helaire tests the open market in free agency next offseason after the Chiefs chose to decline his fifth-year option this May. That opens up the potential of a long-term role for an undrafted youngster like Prince, should he perform — and he’s done everything right at the start of his career so far.
Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney called him a “good bet” to make the 53-man roster on June 9, and USA Today Chiefs Wire’s Charles Goldman even stated that he believes Prince could overtake Edwards-Helaire on the depth chart this summer.
As you can see, the hype train has been chugging along for the Tulsa product all spring and Teicher just added some fresh coal to keep the buzz going well into the summer.
For Prince, the next step is obviously training camp, which means padded practice and real RB carries. If he can manage that transition without losing ground, the UDFA’s unexpected rise could end up mirroring Pacheco’s in 2022 — giving Kansas City a nice one-two punch for years to come.
NFL ‘Player to Watch’ for Each Team in AFC West
Looking at the AFC West division specifically, Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin joined Prince as a “player to watch,” as well as Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo and Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham Jr.
“McLaughlin, an undrafted rookie who had more than 8,000 rushing yards in a five-year career at Youngstown State, showed speed, vision and decisiveness in the no-pads portion of the Denver offseason program,” Broncos contributor Jeff Legwold reported. “He’s undersized — 5-foot-7, 187 pounds — but his potential as a runner is clear, especially if he shows that same one-cut, foot-in-the-ground decisiveness when the pads go on.”
Deablo is a “third-year linebacker [and] converted safety [that] has been granted the ‘green dot’ on his helmet as the defensive signal-caller” for the Raiders, according to Vegas media member Paul Gutierrez.
“This comes after he played just eight games last season due to a broken right arm suffered at Jacksonville,” Gutierrez added. “Still, his 74 tackles at the time of his season-ending injury led Las Vegas and were tied for eighth most in the league at the time.”
Finally, Parham is a veteran 6-foot-8 pass-catcher that just signed a new two-year contract with the Chargers in 2023. “Parham spent significant time sidelined last season because of a hamstring injury but flashed during 7-on-7 play at the Bolts’ two-day minicamp,” LAC reporter Lindsey Thiry noted, “highlighted by a deep catch down the sideline from quarterback Justin Herbert.”
The Chargers also neglected to draft a tight end in 2023, which should increase Parham’s role, per Thiry.
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