ST. JOESPH, Mo. — After playing in his first professional football game, Kansas City Chiefs rookie right guard Trey Smith was asked what he learned from Saturday's experience against the San Francisco 49ers: “I can actually do it. That was probably the first thing."
Even with the dose of affirmation, he said after studying the Chiefs' 19-16 preseason win, there’s more he needs to improve on — including a better grasp of the schemes in training camp and refining some technique.
“Watching the film, just got to finish better," Smith said. "That’s the first thing that stood out to me — finishing my assignments and executing a lot better. I've had a ton of growth — just sort of going out there understanding what I'm suppose to do and most of the plays, just having a better football understanding and what we're trying to get accomplished."
Smith was the Chiefs’ sixth-round pick out of the University of Tennessee, a supremely talented interior offensive line prospect whose medical history scared off most NFL teams.
Smith, who suffered from blood clots in his lungs with the Volunteers, said from dropping in draft to playing alongside Patrick Mahomes and earning a starting spot as a rookie, the journey has been a blessing.
“I know at the end, I’m going to get mine," Smith said when asked about sliding in the 2021 NFL Draft. "So, at the moment, I was disappointed. Working out hard for that one moment you want to experience with your family, it’s supposed to be a magical moment. When it happened, it really wasn’t in terms of how far I dropped. But when the Chiefs picked me, we were elated. I couldn’t have gotten to a better organization. I’m super excited to be here."
The Chiefs have two more practices at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseoh on Tuesday and Wednesday before a day off ahead of the squad's second preseason game Friday in Arizona.
