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With the 2023 NFL Draft officially over, teams have kickstarted the frenzy of signing undrafted free agents to round out their rosters. During this period the Kansas City Chiefs attempted to sign an edge rusher but was blocked by the Tennessee Titans.
Kansas City offered Eastern Kentucky defensive end T.K. McLendon a contract but he opted to sign with the Tennessee Titans according to KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson on April 29. The New York Giants and Detroit Lions also offered McLendon a contract per Wilson.
According to the Eastern Kentucky website, McLendon stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 300 pounds. He was a tight end at LSU for the 2019 and 2020 seasons before changing positions and transferring to Eastern Kentucky. During the 2022 season, McLendon registered 58 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks in 12 games played.
Losing McLendon to the Titans highlights the challenges of undrafted free agency immediately following the draft. The rookie pool of players didn’t get their name called during the draft, but they now get the freedom to select their first landing spot in the NFL as a result, which can turn into a bidding war for the teams.
For guys like McLendon, multiple teams wanted his services, but he ultimately chose the Titans, who likely give him the easiest route to a regular season roster spot, whether it’s on the active roster or practice squad, in 2023. The defending Super Bowl champions didn’t get one of the players they coveted during undrafted free agency, but they signed plenty of other undrafted prospects.
Undrafted Free Agency Tracker
Here are all of the undrafted rookies the Chiefs have signed since the end of the draft:
- Anthony Cook, S, Texas
- Blake Haynes, OL, Tarleton
- Cam Jones, LB, Indiana
- Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa
- Isaiah Norman, S, Marshall
- James Letcher, WR, Washburn
- Josh Mote, OT, LA Tech
- Nikko Remigio, WR/KR, Fresno State
- Reese Taylor, CB, Purdue
- Ty Scott, WR, Missouri State
- Zane Pope, WR, Fresno State
- Truman Jones, DE, Harvard
- Martez Manuel, S, Missouri
- Anthony Witherspoon, DB, Merrimack
- Anderson Hardy, OL, Appalachian State
- Jerome Carvin, OL, Tennessee
- Isaiah Moore, LB, North Carolina State
- Quinton Barrow, OL, GVSU
- Montrae Braswell, CB, Missouri
Meet the Chiefs 2023 Draft Class
Here is the Chiefs 2023 draft class, which consists of seven players:
- DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State (No. 32)
- WR Rashee Rice, SMU (No. 55)
- OL Wayna Morris, Oklahoma (No. 92)
- DB Chamarri Conner, Virginia Tech (No. 119)
- EDGE B.J. Thompson, Stephen F. Austin (No. 166)
- DT Keondre Coburn, Texas (No. 194)
- CB Nic Jones, Ball State (No. 250)
Twitter Reacts to Chiefs Draft Class
Twitter users chatted about Kansas City’s 2023 draft class.
“This #Chiefs draft class feels a little different from the last 2 yrs. They’ve gotten immediate impact — but this class’s potential may not be reached for another few seasons, closer to the end of their rookie deals,” Ron Kopp Jr. of Arrowhead Pride wrote.
“I like this year’s #Chiefs draft/UDFA class overall so far,” another user wrote. “However, it doesn’t feel like a lot of these guys will be instant impacts to the roster. Some (King Felix & Rashee Rice) will rotate in a good bit. Others feel like ST and future guys…which is good.”
“I’m gonna say it: this draft class in general was lackluster,” another user wrote. “The Chiefs may not have knocked it out of the park but if they drafted some depth pieces and 1-2 starters out of a class like this they did all they could.”
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