6 Senior Bowl players who caMn make the Kansas City Chiefs better in 2024

The Kansas City Chiefs have turned to the Senior Bowl to find some of the team's best players in recent years. Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Rashee Rice, Wanya Morris, Chamarri Conner, and others have shown the NFL world exactly what they're capable of during their week in Mobile, Alabama.  There is […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
Add as preferred source on Google
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have turned to the Senior Bowl to find some of the team's best players in recent years. Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Rashee Rice, Wanya Morris, Chamarri Conner, and others have shown the NFL world exactly what they're capable of during their week in Mobile, Alabama. 

There is a fresh crop of players looking to make their mark in the NFL at the 2024 Senior Bowl. We've already taken a deeper look at WKU WR Malachi Corley and Mizzou DL Darius Robinson. Here are some other Senior Bowl standouts who could make the Chiefs a better team in 2024.

Marshall RB Rasheen Ali

Ali is quietly one of the most explosive running backs in the entire 2024 NFL draft class. He rushed for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns with the Marshall Thundering Herd in 2023.

A to Z Sports' Destin Adams spoke to Ali during the Senior Bowl week, finding out that the halfback models his game after Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones and New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley. 

"When watching how he moves, I really like that Aaron Jones comparison," Adams said. "A nice balance of strength and speed with really solid field vision when he reached the second level. Him getting injured was truly heartbreaking because it appeared he was on pace to have the best week of any RB I'm Mobile."

You won't see Ali on the field during Saturday's game because he suffered a ruptured biceps during the week of practice. He'll be out for four-to-six months after he has surgery to repair the injury. He should be healthy and ready to start the 2024 NFL season assuming no setbacks. He'd make the perfect lightning to Isiah Pacheco's thunder in Kansas City. 

Notre Dame CB Cam Hart

At 6-foot-3 and 200-plus pounds, Hart has prototypical size for an NFL cornerback. He had an impressive week of practice and was able to showcase his impact even more during the game on Saturday. 

"I think Hart is the one player who raised his stock the most this past week," A to Z Sports' Destin Adams said. "He was one of the stars from WR vs CB one-on-ones. He displayed a great balance of physicality and technique for both man and zone coverage."

Beyond his coverage ability, Hart has a quick downhill trigger in the run game. He plays that aspect with the necessary level of physicality to succeed in Steve Spagnuolo's system. 

"Hart was the top corner (at the Senior Bowl) in my opinion," A to Z Sports' Mike Payton said. "If he got beat this week, I missed it."

I'm told the Chiefs had a good meeting with Hart at the Senior Bowl. He could potentially be someone to reinforce the team's depth at the cornerback position should they lose L'Jarius Sneed to free agency.

FSU DL Braden Fiske

If the Chiefs are looking to add a spark plug to their defensive line group, Fiske could be the man for the job. He plays with tenacious effort and has been in the backfield throughout the practice week and the game. He's shown that he can play 3-technique out to 5-technique at the next level.

"Fiske was powerful and quick, creating penetration in the face of the QB and collapsing the pocket," A to Z Sports' Damian Parson said. 

Short arms (31 inches) are going to be the major concern for teams when they evaluate this player, but we've seen players overcome those types of things before. It's a pretty big contrast when you compare it to a player like Chris Jones, who has 34.5-inch arms. 

There was a really interesting development for Fiske on gameday. For the first time in the history of the Senior Bowl, he switched teams for the game. After practicing all week with the American team, he moved to the National team due to attrition in the DT room. That'll earn him some brownie points with NFL evaluators, too. 

Minnesota TE Brevyn Spann-Ford

Spann-Ford took some big leaps in his game during the 2023 college football season. He looked a lot more comfortable and assignment-sound as both a blocker and a receiver. During the early goings of the Senior Bowl practice week, he struggled to create separation in one-on-one drills against defensive backs, but he was able to leverage his size and make some "bully" plays. Once the team drills arrived, he was able to put his blocking and receiving ability on full display. That became the case during Saturday's game as well. 

In the only first-half scoring drive for the National team, Spann-Ford had some key blocks in addition to a red zone touchdown reception on a scramble drill.

The 6-foot-6 and 267-pound tight end has what it takes to be a real weapon in this area of the field, both as a receiver and a blocker. The Chiefs could certainly use some more of those.

California LB Jackson Sirmon

You can't teach instinct and Sirmon had some of the best instincts of any linebacker during the practice week in Mobile, Alabama. 

Sirmon has a penchant for being in the right place at the right time, both in the run game and the passing game. He made some serious effort plays in practice, including a diving interception off of a deflected pass. 

He also had a nice pass batted at the line of scrimmage during the game. Breaking up passes by any means necessary was a trend for Sirmon throughout the week. 

Kansas City could have a need at the linebacker position if what Willie Gay Jr. said was true. Drue Tranquill is also slated to be a free agent this offseason, though they might have a better shot at re-signing him. 

Miami LB James Williams

Williams doesn't necessarily fall into the category of a player who will make an immediate impact at the next level, but he is super interesting. He showed up at the Senior Bowl at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds after playing safety at about 210-215 pounds at the U. He's making a big position switch heading into the NFL and has tons of raw athletic ability. 

During the game he had a nice tackle for loss, playing near the line of scrimmage, but there are some concerns about how the towering defender will adjust to his new position. 

"Williams had an up and down week," A to Z Sports' Damian Parson said. "Getting used to covering RBs out of the backfield will take time."

Williams is an easy mover with the ability to compete with receivers and tight ends right now. However, those shifty and elusive running backs gave him some trouble during the practice week. That'll come with time, but coaching is going to be key at the next level to getting him up to speed and getting the most out of him. I'd wager that the Chiefs have the staff to make that happen. 

Related Articles