That fourth-round pick from Oregon, Jadon Canady, just flashed some serious man-to-man coverage skills over the first two days of Chiefs training camp. This ain’t the full squad yet, just rookies, quarterbacks, and a few vets, but when a rookie jumps out like this, you gotta pay attention. Canady straight-up balled out in the red-zone 7-on-7 sessions, making plays that caught the eye of folks on the ground.
Rookie DBs Making Early Noise
Canady wasn’t just sitting back, either. He broke up a pass from Patrick Mahomes himself, intended for receiver Andrew Armstrong. Think about that for a second. Then, just three plays later, he showed off his athleticism, climbing over undrafted receiver Xavier Loyd to dive and pick off Justin Fields right on the goal line. After the fact, Canady kept it simple about his approach, saying, “I just grabbed my man, stayed attached to his hip. The ball came out, and from there, pretty much for me, it’s ‘see the ball, get the ball.’” That’s the kind of direct, confident playmaking you love to see from a young guy looking to make an impact.
But Canady wasn’t the only rookie getting some shine. On Sunday, fifth-round receiver Cyrus Allen made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone between two defenders off a Mahomes pass. Allen was pretty pumped about it, telling reporters it was “still a surreal moment” because he used to play Madden with Mahomes and the Chiefs were his favorite team. Talk about a dream coming true, huh? Then there’s rookie safety Xavier Nwankpa, who almost snagged a Mahomes pass on Saturday while playing zone and did pick off Justin Fields on an option route. He also racked up a couple of other deflections. These defensive backs are definitely making their presence felt early.
A New Look at Linebacker?
Beyond the rookie highlights, there’s one starting job still up for grabs: the third linebacker spot. With Leo Chenal heading to Washington, there’s a real opening there. Drue Tranquill might slide into a base SAM role, which could open up another opportunity for someone else to step in and grab a role. It’s definitely something to watch as more veterans join the mix and the competition heats up.
With the full training camp kicking off this week, these rookies gotta keep this energy going. It’s one thing to stand out against a limited group, but repeating those performances when the big dogs are unleashed is the real test. Canady’s “see the ball, get the ball” mentality is exactly what you want from a DB trying to earn his stripes, and all eyes will be on him and the other new faces to see if they can lock down roles heading into the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
Leave a Reply