SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. — Today was the first day of rookies, quarterbacks and select veterans participating in on the field work. The team had 29 players on the field by my count.
Here are some initial impressions from the first day of work.
Wide receiver Skyy Moore pops on the field. He is very quick in and out of his breaks.
Moore closes on 10 yards very quickly and knows how to properly position his body to make a catch and keep the defender at bay.
Rookie running back Isiah Pacheco showed some good quickness in his cuts during individual drills.
Pacheco also showed a little better fluidity than what showed up on coaches film this past season in college.
Patrick Mahomes shined as well during 7-on-7 work. His placement with the football was impressive.
He rarely had a football in the wrong spot and there was rarely miscommunication on what he and the receivers we seeing based on the coverage looks.
Mahomes had good zip and a nice side armed no look over the middle during a portion of it.
One of Mahomes favorite targets during redzone work in 7-on-7 was tight end Jody Fortson.
The third-year tight end is coming back from a torn Achilles he suffered in week six against Washington.
He had multiple catches during the work and a couple of touchdowns, the final one while losing his helmet on the play in the end zone.
Fortson worked on primarily short routes during the period, but looked good on his breaks.
Second-year receiver Cornell Powell had some impressive one handed grabs in the team’s initial 7-on-7 work near the sidelines. He looked a little quicker out of his breaks from last season.
A player I will be keeping an eye on is Jerrion Ealy, the rookie from Mississippi.
He is listed as running back and wide receiver combination.
Ealy ran some solid routes today and was able to keep open. At worst right now, there could be some potential developmental ability there.
It wasn’t all offense on the field.
Some of the rookie draft picks in the secondary showed a flare for the break up.
Trent McDuffie put himself in great position against wide receiver Aaron Parker on a lofted pass in the end zone. He timed it well and made sure Parker had no chance of making a ball on the ball.
Safety Nazeeh Johnson had a violent rip out of pass intended for Mark Vital.
Despite giving up considerable size on the play, Johnson make it look routine.
And finally, rookie safety Bryan Cook stuck with a route over the middle and punched the ball out from the receiver causing at worst, an incomplete pass if not a fumble, depending on the officiating crew in a real game situation.
Injury Updates
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid mentioned during his press conference earlier today that rookie linebacker Leo Chenal left practice due to the heat.
He also mentioned that offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho had a leg issue that put him on the physically-unable-to-perform list.
Practices during this portion of training camp is closed to the public.
The first practice open to the public will be on Thursday, July 28, at 9:15 a.m.
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