KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Some observations from Wednesday’s Kansas City Chiefs practice:
The controversy over wide receiver Tyreek Hill and whether he should have been drafted by the Chiefs obscured something about the fifth-round pick. He’s very fast. He showed flashes of his speed in a recent rookie camp, but turned on the burners for the full squad when he got through a hole quickly when returning a kickoff. Hill reportedly ran a 4.24 40 at his pro day coming out of West Alabama. Some fans were unhappy that the Chiefs drafted Hill, who last year pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation stemming from a 2014 incident.
The Chiefs are still finding a use for Knile Davis, who is third on the current depth chart at running back behind Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware, and will drop to fourth once the rehabbing Jamaal Charles returns to the practice field. Davis was first in a long line of kickoff returners, the others being Hill, Chris Conley, Frankie Hammond Jr. and De'Anthony Thomas. It seems unlikely the Chiefs would keep Davis on the regular-season roster as a kickoff returner and a fourth running back, but Davis is the only proven NFL kickoff returner the Chiefs have. His 106-yard return for a touchdown to begin the postseason last year against Houston was the single biggest play of the Chiefs’ first playoff win in 22 years.
Defensive back Marcus Cooper is another player whose roster spot appeared to be in danger when the Chiefs drafted three cornerbacks. But Cooper is getting a lot of work with the first team, more than any of the rookies. Cooper has plenty to prove before he earns a roster spot, but it’s clear he’s going to get the chance to prove it.
Linebacker Tamba Hali, who is rehabbing from recent arthroscopic knee surgery, attended part of practice. Hali didn’t participate in practice.
The Chiefs constantly shuffled players on their offensive line during offseason practice, but have used the same five starters in both of their practices so far: Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz at tackle, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Zach Fulton at guard and Mitch Morse at center.