Lesser-known Kansas City Chiefs players who are trending in the right direction after OTAs heading into mandatory minicamp
We know about all the stars who had a good OTAs for the Kansas City Chiefs, but what about some of the players who are on the rise? Here’s who you should be watching during mandatory minicamp.
The Kansas City Chiefs will resume the final portion of Phase III of the offseason workout program with mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, June 9.
We learned a lot about the team during OTAs, from Patrick Mahomes’ status to coaches discussing the team’s newest players. While we won’t get a true taste of this team’s talent until the pads come on in July, there are positive trends all around. OTAs are a good opportunity for some lesser-known players to take advantage. That’s exactly what has happened in Kansas City. Here’s a look at some of the names you need to know heading into mandatory minicamp.
What are the Chiefs allowed to do during mandatory minicamp?
Mandatory minicamp has virtually the same rules as OTAs. The only difference is that player attendance is no longer voluntary. You need to be excused by the team if you’re to miss any practices from the three-day camp.
- Allowed: 11-on-11, 7-on-7, 9-on-7 team drills
- Allowed: 3.5 hours of practice per day.
- Not allowed: Pads & contact
- Not allowed: Work limited to 10 hours per day (incl. meetings, treatment, and meals).
RB Emari Demercado
Demercado has been written off a bit because of the addition of Emmett Johnson in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, the coaching staff still appears to be very high on him and his abilities. He was consistently the No. 2 running back behind Kenneth Walker, not only in solo drills, but also 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 team drills at OTAs. It’s not a coincidence that RB coach DeMarco Murray name-dropped Demercado directly after Kenneth Walker when speaking about the RB room.
“Emari (Demercado) has been great,” Murray said. “A savvy vet who does things constantly right, and just continuing to put himself in great position to be successful.”
Things can obviously change throughout the course of an offseason, but after OTAs it feels like Demercado is closer to RB2 in Kansas City than any other prospect.
TE Tre Watson
Watson was the beneficiary of injuries and absences at the tight end position during OTAs. With Travis Kelce absent, plus Jake Briningstool and John Michael Gyllenborg injured, Watson was getting opportunities. Not just backup opportunities, but opportunities with the first-team offense that I would’ve expected to go to Noah Gray or Jared Wiley. I spoke with two media members who felt he was the top-performing tight end out there. Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen reported after the first week of practices that he had a play-of-the-day-type grab in 7-on-7. The 6-foot-5 and 250-pound tight end is entering his second year with the team after spending all of 2025 on the practice squad.
WR Jacob De Jesus
It wouldn’t be OTAs if there weren’t an undrafted free agent getting a little bit of hype. During the final OTAs practice, De Jesus caught three passes during 7-on-7 drills per Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen. He has also become a favorite target of rookie QB Garrett Nussmeier. Dave Toub didn’t get much into it, but it feels like De Jesus is in direct competition with Nikko Remigio for the punt returner job in Kansas City. If he can provide more than Remigio as a receiver, watch out.
LB Jeffrey Bassa
Bassa is the only player we’ll talk about who was a Kansas City draft pick. Last season, he primarily played on special teams for the Chiefs. His 276 special teams snaps were the fifth-most by a player on the team. Conversely, he played just 39 defensive snaps all season. I think the biggest thing you can say about Bassa is that things on defense appear to have slowed down for him in Year 2. He had a few right-place, right-time moments in the two OTAs practices to the media. On Wednesday, he was one of six defenders to notch a pass breakup in 7-on-7 per KC Star reporter Pete Sweeney.
DE Anthony Dunn
It’s tough for a defensive end to stand out during padless OTAs practices. You can’t really pin your ears back and go as you would in a padded training camp practice. Dunn is earning this shoutout because he followed the golden rule of pass rush. If you can’t get to the quarterback, get your hands up. Dunn batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage last Wednesday, per Chiefs team reporter Matt McMullen. There’s room for competition in this position group, and I get the impression that Dunn’s the one to watch heading into mandatory minicamp.