Kansas City Chiefs can continue strong tradition of finding standout NFL Draft talent at Senior Bowl after Day 1 of 2026 practices
The Chiefs have a history of finding talent at the Senior Bowl. Who is next for Kansas City?
The Kansas City Chiefs’ hunt for new talent via the 2026 NFL Draft is underway as college football All-Star games are in full swing. Several members of our team at A to Z Sports are in Mobile, Alabama, for the Panini Senior Bowl, taking in everything from Day 1 of practices on Tuesday.
The Chiefs have long found a pipeline of NFL Draft talent at the Senior Bowl. Players like RB Kareem Hunt, LB Drue Tranquill, C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, CB Jaylen Watson, S Chamarri Conner, LG Kingsley Suamataia, and S Jaden Hicks. Just last season, they added DT Omarr Norman-Lott, WR Jalen Royals, LB Jeffrey Bassa, and RB Brashard Smith.
Who from this crop of Senior Bowl talent will Chiefs GM Brett Veach take a liking to in the 2026 NFL Draft? Here’s a look at some of the players who stood out in the first practice sessions of the week.
Day 1 Senior Bowl Practice Standouts for National Team
Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter
The word of the day for Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter? Unblockable. As a pass-rusher and run defender, the 6-foot-3 and 320-pound defensive lineman made double teams look easy. He had a pass-rushing rep in team drills against Iowa OL Beau Stephens that was extremely impressive. Going against the bags, he looked like an edge rusher. He might help himself more than any other player this week with continued performances like the one he had.
Penn State RB Kaytron Allen
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, Allen is the prototypical size that Brett Veach has stated he likes for the running back position. I liked Allen’s day better than his Penn State teammate Nick Singleton’s practice day for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Allen looked much better and more natural in pass protection. He also showed off why he was one of the leaders in yards after contact with some rumbling runs during team drills. Where he still needs to flash for me is catching the football, because he didn’t do much of it at Penn State.
Baylor WR Josh Cameron
Weighing in at 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds, Cameron has the frame of an NFL wide receiver, and it showed on Day 1. By my eye, he had the best day of any receiver for the National team. During team drills, he was matched up against Colton Hood and came down with two impressive catches despite tight coverage, including one right up against the sideline. He also had a diving reception in 1-on-1 drills against Cal CB Hezekiah Masses that drew an audible reaction from some scouts in attendance.
Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker
Parker was teetering on first-round pick status ahead of the Senior Bowl after a down season, but this week looks like it’ll push him across that threshold and potentially into top-20 territory. He’s looking to establish himself as the clear No. 3 edge rusher in this class behind Reuben Bain Jr. and David Bailey. The 6-foot-4 and 263-pound Parker has quite a few pass-rush tools in his toolkit, but one of those stood out most on Day 1 of Senior Bowl practices.
“I love the long arm,” Parker told A to Z Sports’ Travis May. “It’s my favorite move. I have long arms. It helps that when I have a good get-off, the offensive lineman is trying to keep up with me. Just stick my long arm in there with power is really good.”
John Carroll WR Kyren Montgomery
No player boosted their visibility more than John Carroll’s Kyren Montgomery. Most people probably didn’t know his name until they looked down at their roster sheet during Tuesday’s practice. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Montgomery turned heads with some impressive plays in both team drills and one-on-one drills. Most notably, he created some serious separation against Tennessee CB Colton Hood, a projected top-50 draft pick. That’ll play for a Division III wide receiver. Remember, he’s working with Chiefs assistant QB coach Dan Williams, who is coaching the wide receivers for the National Team.
Day 1 Senior Bowl Practice Standouts for American Team
Michigan EDGE Derrick Moore
You’ve probably seen the viral clip of the 6-foot-4 and 253-pound Moore converting speed to power and putting the 6-foot-9 and 340-pound Miami OT Markell Bell on his rear. That wasn’t his only impressive play in practice, though. I was actually more impressed by the repetition where he bull-rushed Syracuse TE Dan Villari into the running back for a tackle-for-loss. Given Brett Veach’s infatuation with Michigan edge rushers (Frank Clark, Mike Danna), this is one to put on your radar.
Oklahoma RB Jadyn Ott
A hair under 5-foot-11 and 202 pounds, Ott was one of the more well-rounded prospects on the field for the American team. He gave the safeties and linebackers trouble in pass-catching and pass-blocking drills. He also had some really strong runs during team drills. As a sophomore at Cal, Ott led the Pac-12 in carries (274) and rushing yards (1,315). He feels like someone who could emerge from the pre-draft process as a better NFL player than he was in college these past two seasons.
Georgia State WR Ted Hurst
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, Hurst is generating some serious buzz early on in Senior Bowl week. This comes after catching 127 passes for 1,945 yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons at Georgia State. He had the catch of the day and potentially the catch of the week during 1-on-1 drills going against Arkansas CB Julian Neal, who had a really good day in his own right. It was a one-handed grab that showed off his ability to win at the catch point, which is really Hurst’s greatest strength.
South Carolina DB Jalon Kilgore
A verified playmaker for South Carolina, Kilgore weighed in at just under 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds. He’s coming out of the program that just produced Nick Emmanawori, and while he’s not the same freakish type of athlete, he’s still well-built for modern defensive back roles. He also fits the mold of the big nickel, overhang, safety that Steve Spagnuolo seems to value. He had a play during 7-on-7 that impressed while working out of the nickel spot, and he also had plenty of wins in 1-on-1 drills. He could wind up as one of the biggest risers this week should performances like that continue.
Illinois OT J.C. Davis
One of the most underrated tackle prospects in this class, Davis was First-Team All-Mountain West as a junior before transferring to Illinois in 2024. Last season for the Illini, the 6-foot-4 and 335-pound tackle earned First-Team All-Big 10 honors. He was a stone wall at left tackle on Day 1, particularly standing out in 1-on-1 drills. He had an impressive rep, cutting off UCF EDGE Nyjalik Kelly’s inside move. He also had another really great repetition against his Illinois teammate Gabe Jacas, who was widely considered one of the winners of Tuesday’s practice session.
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