The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up their three-day rookie minicamp over the weekend, with their 2025 draft picks, undrafted free agent signings, and 60 tryout players getting a taste of life in the NFL. 

We already know a pair of the standouts in the defensive secondary from Saturday's practice. We've already seen the trio of players to earn contracts after successful tryouts (Carson-Newman S Major Williams, Louisiana Tech WR Jimmy Holiday, and TCU LB Cooper McDonald). But what other players flashed some exciting ability in their first glimpse of NFL action?

Here's a look at some players who managed to steal the spotlight and attention of media members and coaches alike. 

Disclaimer on rookie minicamp: These practices are similar to what you will see during OTAs. They're padless, non-contact, and often designed so the coaching staff can evaluate players. The types of standout plays you see in May are supposed to happen that way and don't carry as much weight as those at training camp in July and August. 

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Louisville EDGE Ashton Gillotte & Tennessee DT Omarr Norman-Lott

It's important to preface that this is a passing camp without pads, primarily against offensive linemen who won't make it to the league. That said, I'm told that Gillotte had an impressive three days of practice. His speed and quickness around the edge were palpable compared to other edge rushers in attendance. He produced a few would-be sacks, and the pressure sped up the clock for several quarterbacks. 

KSHB-TV's Nick Jacobs said it best on the 41 is the Mic podcast.

"Ashton Gillotte basically had a timeshare back there for two days because of how often he spent back there near the quarterback," Jacobs said. "He made a lot of them antsy… Some of those guys hadn't seen that level of speed coming around the corner where they went to college at." 

Omarr Norman-Lott should also be considered a runner-up here, as he caused his fair share of disruption alongside Gillotte. His quickness was simply too much for some interior offensive linemen to handle. The big question for both players is whether or not that quickness and speed will evaporate when the pads come on and they're facing tougher competition in training camp and the preseason. 

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Utah State WR Jalen Royals

Royals didn't have a great first day of practice on Saturday, but he bounced back in a big way on the second day of practice open to the media. According to Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen, Royals caught 10 passes between 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 team drills on Sunday.

Chiefs Digest's Matt Derrick and KSHB-TV's Nick Jacobs described it as a force-feeding of sorts for Royals after he had what seemed to be some nerves on Day 1 of rookie minicamp practice. He recovered quickly from the yips, with double-digit catches on the day. I think it'd be more concerning if he hadn't bounced back with all the opportunities that came his way on Sunday, but it's an encouraging sign that they put more on his plate and he rose to the occasion. 

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Clemson TE Jake Briningstool

Briningstool is a pass-catching tight end who can really thrive in Andy Reid's offense. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, the rookie lived in the slot at Clemson, but he showed some versatility in the passing game over the weekend. He lined up across the formation and showed variety in his route-running. 

Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen said on Sunday that Briningstool, "Made two of the day’s top plays with a pair of leaping catches deep downfield despite good coverage."  

I'm told Briningstool also flashed as a target in the red zone, boxing out defenders with relative ease with his 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame. Again, he's going to face questions about his ability to get open once the pads come on, but the Chiefs have to be happy with what they saw from him after they failed to come away with a tight end in the draft.

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SMU RB Brashard Smith

We've yet to see the newest (and most questionable) part of Smith's game: Running the football. These padless practice sessions are what Andy Reid regularly describes as passing camps. Most of the work on offense is about throwing and catching the football rather than 9-on-7 run-game drills and the like. That gave the former receiver in Smith a chance to show off the strength of his game. 

Smith has what I've come to call "easy" speed over the years, where his acceleration and deceleration are seamless. KSHB-TV's Nick Jacobs said he was one of the fastest players on the field this weekend. I'm told he didn't drop a single pass, despite some poor throws in windy conditions from a trio of tryout quarterbacks and Chris Oladokun. That was an important piece of the puzzle because it'll help him earn the coaching staff's trust once the pads come on later this summer. 

Additionally, I'm told he looked at home on the few special teams drills that Dave Toub's unit ran. That'll be a big part of Smith's game in Kansas City, so that's an encouraging sign. 

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Other notes from Chiefs rookie minicamp

• Former Chiefs WR Jaaron Hayek, who was a veteran tryout player this weekend, didn't quite see the same number of opportunities he did a season ago. This felt like the team doing a player a solid to get some fresh tape to share with teams. He may also return for another tryout when the team reconvenes for mandatory minicamp or training camp. At the very least, he's a name on the Kansas City call list.
• While O-Line and D-Line are not easy evals during this point of the offseason, there were two players who, I'm told, "looked the part." Washington State LT Esa Pole was one of the tallest players on the practice field at 6-foot-7 and 319 pounds. He has the makings of a bookend tackle in the NFL. Penn State DT Coziah Izzard, listed at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, has a muscular build and looks like the type who would be hard to block in the trenches. 
• Two players with the same phonetic name, Western Kentucky RB Elijah Young and Florida WR Elijhah Badger, had standout moments during practice. At 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, Young is built similarly to Brashard Smith and shares a similar pass-catching skill set. At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, Badger is a long-striding player with great build-up speed who excels at the intermediate and deep passing game.

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