Kansas City Chiefs’ Dave Toub name-dropped 3 UDFAs after OTAs wrapped up and just put the rest of them on notice

Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub name-dropped three UDFAs after OTAs wrapped up. What he said about the rest of them should put the entire UDFA class on notice heading into mandatory minicamp.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor

Jun 4, 2026 10:14 AM EDT

The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up their sixth and final Organized Team Activities (OTAs) practice on Wednesday, June 3. They have five quick days off before they’ll return to One Arrowhead Drive for Mandatory Minicamp, during which every player on the 90-man roster will be in attendance.

At OTAs, newcomers to the roster are learning, competing, and vying for the coaching staff’s attention in hopes of making the 53-man roster this fall. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub admits that it’s still very early, but several UDFAs pushing for a final roster spot have caught his eye early on.

3 UDFAs who made their mark with Dave Toub during Chiefs OTAs

Coach Toub doesn’t like to admit it, but when it comes to the final roster spots available, special teams have a lot of sway. Speaking to reporters about some of the early standouts at kick returner, he started with draft pick Emmett Johnson, but ended with another intriguing player in the room. That player just so happens to be the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer.

“I really like the running back room,” Toub said. “Emmett Johnson, number 10, is really doing well, looking good. And then (Emmitt) Smith’s kid, EJ, really, really good kid, strong. And with the kickoff rules, those two guys back there, both of them are guys that are going to be working in there, and I’m excited about seeing them.”

From there, reporters asked Toub about players who might be vying for a spot on the roster as the 53rd man. It’s typically one reserved for a player who will play the majority of his snaps on special teams. Toub named a player who was coached in college by LeVar Woods, who Toub had as a player during his second season in Chicago. He also named another player who still isn’t on the Kansas City practice field yet.

“Way early with no contact practices,” Toub said. “So, I’m excited about Nwankpa. I’m excited about him, you know, the Iowa kid, the safety. I think he’s got size and speed, and he’s got a lot of experience in college with special teams. Very well-coached. LeVar Woods was his coach up there, and he comes in; you can see it. Those running backs I talked about, some of the young guys. I’m excited to see the linebacker we haven’t seen yet. The kid from Miami (Wesley Bissainthe) he got hurt, so we’ll have to just wait on him, but, other than that, nobody else really jumps out.”

There’s still plenty of time for UDFAs to impress, but Dave Toub’s comments should light a fire

Nobody else jumping out in a class of 22 undrafted free agents shouldn’t be a major concern. As he says, it’s very early in the process, with plenty of opportunities left to impress. The Chiefs are just six voluntary practices into this thing. Still, the fact that these two players caught his eye under vastly different circumstances is notable. Those comments should also light a fire under the rest of the UDFAs and anyone pushing for the 53-man roster.

Nwankpa was bound to be a favorite given his pedigree and the fact that many evaluators had him being drafted. It’s unclear how long Bissainthe’s injury will keep him out of action, but the fact that he’s managed to stick on the 90-man roster while injured tells you that the staff thinks highly of him.