All-Pro defender gives Kansas City Chiefs his stamp of approval on a player they stole after the 2026 NFL Draft
Philadelphia Eagles DB Cooper DeJean thinks the Kansas City Chiefs got a steal in his former Iowa Hawkeyes teammate Xavier Nwankpa.
The Kansas City Chiefs continue to fill out their 90-man offseason roster with undrafted free agents following the 2026 NFL Draft.
One of those undrafted free agents just got the stamp of approval from an NFC East foe that was a headache for Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX. Philadelphia Eagles DB Cooper DeJean took to X (formerly Twitter) to let the world know that the Chiefs just got themselves a steal. The player? His former Iowa Hawkeyes teammate, Xavier Nwankpa.
“Got a steal,” DeJean wrote. “My brotha gonna ball!”
DeJean played two seasons at Iowa with Nwankpa, so he’d know better than perhaps anyone the type of player that Kansas City is getting in Nwankpa. A to Z Sports gave Nwankpa a draftable grade, ranking him at No. 250 on our big board.
Kansas City Chiefs steal former 5-star safety Xavier Nwankpa in undrafted free agency
The 22-year-old Nwankpa was the No. 25-ranked prospect nationally in the 2022 recruiting class and a local from Altoona, Iowa. In four seasons with the Hawkeyes, Nwankpa appeared in 52 games with 36 starts. In the first several seasons at Iowa, Nwankpa played strong safety given his 6-foot-2.5 and 208-pound size. However, in 2025, as a senior, he moved to free safety and had his most productive season, logging 76 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception.
At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Nwankpa put up a solid performance. He participated in the 40-yard dash and the vertical jump, earning an 85.5 A to Z Sports Athletic Composite ranking.
Xavier Nwankpa’s outlook with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2026 and beyond
The Chiefs didn’t target a safety in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they still had some needs at the position. They did add Mansoor Delane and Jadon Canady, who both have some versatility in the defensive secondary. However, Nwankpa is more of a traditional safety with strong and free safety flex. It feels like he has a strong chance to stick on the 53-man roster just because the safety room isn’t particularly strong as things currently stand.
Safeties on Chiefs’ 90-man offseason roster ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft
- S Alohi Gilman
- S Jaden Hicks
- S Chamarri Conner
- S Chris Roland-Wallace
- S Tanner McCalister
