UDFA that the rest of the NFL forgot to draft among Chiefs’ rising stars to emerge from preseason Week 1 vs. Cardinals

The Kansas City Chiefs had some head-turning performances from rising stars in preseason Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor
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The Kansas City Chiefs dropped their first preseason game of the 2025 NFL season to the Arizona Cardinals, but the preseason isn’t about wins and losses. It’s about evaluating performances and what translates from training camp to find the best 53 players for the active roster and the best 16 players for the practice squad. Despite the loss, the Chiefs had some head-turning performances from many players on the rise. Some of those are familiar faces, while others are brand-new to the team.

Here’s a look at six rising stars for Kansas City after preseason Week 1.

DB Chris Roland-Wallace

Roland-Wallace was one of 2024’s undrafted free agents to make the 53-man roster that season, but he was buried on the depth chart. Now, he’s showing off tremendous versatility on defense, playing both nickel and safety, while also showing out on special teams.

“(Chris) Roland-Wallace, number 30, I thought really played well,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said following the game. “I mean, he has an interception. He’s got the fumble recovery on the opening kickoff.”

In preseason Week 1 against the Cardinals, he made a big-time effort play on the opening kickoff, securing a fumble recovery. Later, he notched what was the team’s third interception of the night.

“Just going out there and straining,” Roland-Wallace said in an interview with KSHB-TV following the game. “As far as the fumble recovery, if you’re around the ball, more chances than not, something good is going to happen. Then the pick, again, just the right place, right time.”

The big key for Roland-Wallace is that he’s no longer learning the ropes. He knows where to be and when to be there, which is leading to lots of opportunities for the former USC Trojan.

“The game has definitely slowed down for me,” he said.

WR Jason Brownlee

While Tyquan Thornton was the surprise of training camp to this point, Jason Brownlee’s contributions have flown a bit under the radar. It caught my attention when Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about him after practice one day, calling him a “big, strong guy.”

“Yeah, listen, he’s played well,” Reid said. “So, (I) gave him an opportunity to get in there and play, and he knows how to use his size, for sure. And he had some nice plays the rest of the way, too, as far as routes, (he) didn’t have the catches, but he had some good routes there. And I thought he was in position where he deserved to get in there and guess playtime, for sure.”

With injuries to Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice, the decision was easy for Coach Reid. Brownlee was given an opportunity with the first-team offense, and he took advantage by catching a touchdown on a fade route in the end zone.

“Yeah, he stepped up,” Mahomes said of Brownlee in the locker room after the game. “I mean, obviously, we had a couple of injuries there towards the end of camp, before the preseason game. He was a guy that stepped up, made plays, and I know some of y’all saw them (in training camp). I mean, I gave him a chance to make plays, and I feel like he made them, and it’s good to see that translate into the game.”

WR Nikko Remigio

With a player like Brownlee getting an opportunity with the first-team offense, you’d think that it’d be bad news for a player like Remigio. Really, I think it helped him elevate his game both on offense and special teams. First, he had the 48-yard punt return in the second quarter, setting up Gardner Minshew’s touchdown drive. Then he caught 2-of-3 targets for 24 yards, the second-most receiving yardage of any player on the team. His long reception was an 18-yard grab on the sideline on a play-action pass from Bailey Zappe.

Remigio simply isn’t going down without a fight, which we should know given his recent post-practice comments.

LB Jeff Bassa

If there was one player who played with his hair on fire all night, it was Chiefs fifth-round draft pick Jeffrey Bassa. The former Oregon Duck led the Chiefs in total tackles with six, catching the attention of HC Andy Reid in the process.

“Bassa had six tackles,” Reid said. “Seemed to be all over the place, good young player.”

It was plays like this that really stood out, where you can tell he played safety in the past. He also had another play as a blitzer where he looked shot out of a cannon getting into the backfield and after the quarterback.

CB Nohl Williams

If there’s one thing Steve Spagnuolo loves that isn’t Maria Spagnuolo’s famous meatballs, it’s a cornerback who can tackle. Williams proved that he could tackle on both defense and special teams during preseason Week 1. This particular play caught my attention because he was able to shed a block and get to the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage with a perfect form tackle.

He was also excellent when he was challenged in coverage, like on this fade route in the end zone.

Those are things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect right away from a rookie, so hats off to the third-round draft pick out of Cal.

LT Esa Pole

Even as you get deeper into preseason games, you can find some hidden gems. The midway point through the third quarter is when you see players on the roster bubble battling for a spot. One who made a strong case for a 53-man roster spot on Saturday was LT Esa Pole. The former Washington State Cougar is only a few years removed from having never played football before. Here, he handled an inside spin move like a 10-year NFL veteran.

That wasn’t his only good repetition of the night, either. He could certainly be this year’s Ethan Driskell and kept around as a promising developmental candidate on the offensive line. After last season, you know this team needs all of the good offensive tackles it can get.

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