NFL OTAs are less than two weeks away, giving the Kansas City Chiefs a chance to see all of the talent on the 91-man offseason roster in one setting.
This season’s team will not be short on rookies, and the Chiefs have signed a few interesting undrafted free agents to add to the pool of young talent.
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The Chiefs invested heavily in a cornerback in the draft, selecting Mansoor Delane from LSU with the sixth-overall selection and Jadon Canady with the 109th pick in the fourth round. These two will round out a unit that will also include Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton, along with a few other new faces.
To add to the room, the Chiefs signed an undrafted free agent from San Diego State shortly after the draft.
Bryce Phillips
From Long Beach, California, Phillips played a single season at Santa Anna College, two at Tennessee State, and two for San Diego State to finish up his college career.
During his final season at San Diego State, Phillips finished with 34 tackles, nine passes defensed, and one interception.
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With OTAs nearly underway and only three months until training camp, Phillips has plenty of chances coming to prove he is worthy of sticking around after preseason cuts.
Player evaluation
Phillips is a solid athlete with a seemingly good frame for playing corner in the Chiefs’ defense, standing 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 202 pounds.
His explosive tests were good — 37.5-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 10 feet 8 inches — and he had a decent 40-yard dash time (4.56 seconds). Phillips has the needed athletic ability to play in the NFL, even if these numbers don’t blow anyone away.
Phillips lined up across from his teammate, and Miami Dolphins first-round draft pick Chris Johnson, during his time at SDSU. The pair was one of the best duos in College Football in 2025, and Phillips was seen by many as worth a pick leading into the draft.
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While he did not get drafted, his tape shows a player capable of developing in Kansas City and one who fits defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme.
Phillips can play man or zone defense, and his physical nature makes him a good fit in Kansas City’s multiple coverage schemes.
Phillips plays tight-man coverage on the wide receiver and does a good job of running stride for stride against the outside release. As the ball is delivered, Phillips starts to work his head around while the wideout stops and goes back for the ball. Phillips continues running downfield, and when the receiver jumps up for the ball, he goes with him to force an incomplete pass.
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This sticky style of play and tight coverage are sure to entice Spagnuolo, who has long preferred physical cornerbacks.
Speaking of physical, Phillips is a fine tackler and good at attacking the football.
On the snap, the offense goes with an outside screen across from Phillips. With good play recognition, he quickly slips free of the block and attacks the football, driving the receiver out of bounds.
The downhill style of play and physical nature will be welcome in Kansas City.
The bottom line
Phillips will enter OTAs with a big opportunity to make a positive impression as the summer progresses and eventually into training camp.
One of the highest-paid undrafted free agent players, Phillips, will have a chance to compete quickly for a job on the practice squad, but could be in play to make the active roster at some point during the season.
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With this much financial investment, the Chiefs may very well see Phillips as a player who will have a chance to crack the active roster at some point in the season, and he will likely have a chance to find the field as a special teams contributor.
The top of Kansas City’s roster is solid at corner, with Delane and Williams set to line up opposite one another, but the depth falls flat after that.
With more questions than answers, the Chiefs’ front office is doing its best to position itself to find players capable of finding the field and competing in 2026. Like all undrafted free agents, Phillips is a long shot, but he could have an inside track to making the roster if he can outshine the projected back half of the Chiefs’ cornerback unit.
