The first practice of training camp is in the books for the Kansas City Chiefs after the team ran a relatively short session that featured a lot of 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 on Sunday morning. The players aren’t wearing pads until later this week, so they were still a bit limited in what they could do. At this stage in camp, the passing game tends to play a central role in most of the team workouts.
Here are four observations from Sunday’s practice:
WR Richie James won the day
James is one of the most experienced receivers on the Chiefs’ roster. He typically works from the slot and could contribute as a return specialist on special teams. The former Giant saw a significant amount of first-team reps during practice on Sunday and hooked up with quarterback Patrick Mahomes on multiple occasions.
James caught everything that came his way, but it was what he did after the catch that got the cheers from the crowd, juking defensive backs with his elusiveness and quick cuts. Although he is new to Andy Reid’s offensive system, James could be one of the safest and most reliable options at receiver. He also fielded multiple punts and could be considered an early favorite to land a role as the Chiefs’ main punt returner.
RB Deneric Prince impressed as a pass catcher
Despite going undrafted this past spring, Prince was one of the most hyped Chiefs rookies during the offseason. He has a nice blend of size, power, and athleticism which was on full display at practice on Sunday. Prince also caught passes from both Patrick Mahomes and backup Blaine Gabbert as he saw reps with the second team and starters.
There is still a lot to evaluate with Prince that will have to wait until the pads come on. His ability as a rusher and pass protector at the NFL level remain to be seen, but Price is definitely off to a promising start and has a legitimate shot to make Kansas City’s final 53-man roster.
WR Rashee Rice was on the grind
Andy Reid likes to throw a lot at his rookies early on in camp. He doesn’t expect them to know everything or not make any mistakes, but rather Reid likes to see how they respond to adversity.
That was the case for Rice during Sunday’s workouts when he worked with the starters, second team, and third team. He acclimated to each dynamic environment well, making multiple impressive catches, including a touchdown grab from Patrick Mahomes.
Rice has been under scrutiny after Reid commented that he was a bit out of shape during OTAs. To make matters worse, Rice threw up during his first day of rookie practice earlier this week. With his performance on Sunday, however, Rice showed his coaches that he’s got game. He also was first among all players in the Chiefs’ conditioning test.
Trent McDuffie looks ready to be among the NFL's elite CBs
McDuffie quietly put together an impressive rookie season in 2022, but was overshadowed by the New York Jets’ Sauce Gardner and held back by a hamstring injury that cost him six weeks of playing time. Now with a year of NFL experience under his belt and fully healthy, McDuffie could elevate his game to an elite level.
During practice on Sunday McDuffie saw a lot of action in the nickelback position with fellow cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Jaylen Watson playing the boundary. McDuffie impressed with sticky coverage, even managing to record a pass breakup against receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
