Kansas City Chiefs undrafted free agent rookie RB Deneric Prince has turned heads during the offseason program thus far. Coaches and teammates alike seem impressed with his size and ability right out of the gate.
Following training camp practice on Friday, Prince was able to detail what separates him and makes him different from the rest of the running back room in Kansas City.
“Me personally, I feel like I’m an every-down back,” Prince said. “I feel like I can do it all. Routes to running hard, whatever they need.”
Prince’s pass-catching ability has stood out significantly. At Tulsa, he was seldom used as a receiver, catching just 17 passes for 162 yards and a score. Prince says that even though he rarely caught passes at Tulsa, he was always ready to catch the ball should it come his way.
“Yeah, that’s one of the things where If I don’t get the ball in the game, I stay after practice and get extra catches,” Prince said. “Just to always be prepared.”
Similarly, Prince was not used on special teams often in college, but he has carved out a role on the team’s kick return unit in Kansas City. Dave Toub even likened his ability to that of former Chiefs kick returner Knile Davis. It’s just another area that Prince feels sets him apart and will allow him to showcase his natural abilities.
“Just my ability to run in space,” Prince said. “I feel like that is going to show a lot.”
Prince saw an outsized portion of repetitions during the offseason workout program with both Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco sidelined. Now, he’s trying to learn from the veterans and improve as much as he can during the course of training camp.
“Obviously, I want to get better at everything,” Prince said. “So, I feel like I can improve in my pass protection and whatever coach needs me to improve on, I’m looking to work for it.”
It’s the right type of mentality to have for a rookie who is fighting for an opportunity to make the 53-man roster.
