6 Chiefs Whose Stock Has Fallen Ahead of Training Camp

5. Irv Smith, Jr., Tight End

The NFL Draft has always been an inexact science. Players that seem NFL-ready don't always succeed. There are also cases where a late-round pick turns into a stud. The Chiefs faced one such player in the Super Bowl this past season. Brock Purdy was the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and nearly led his team to a title in 2023.

Irv Smith, Jr. is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He followed in the footsteps of Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, who was a first-round pick in 2017. Smith had a modest campaign in 2017 but then took his game to the next level in 2018. That year, he had 44 receptions for 710 yards and seven touchdowns for the Crimson Tide.

He was selected 50th overall by the Minnesota Vikings, who saw him as a receiving threat at tight end. He had a solid start to his career with 311 yards as a rookie and 365 in year two with seven touchdowns in the two years.

A torn meniscus led to Smith missing the entire 2021 campaign and then an ankle injury cost him nine more games in 2022. He saw his numbers decline and wasn't re-signed in the offseason. Instead, he joined the Cincinnati Bengals but again struggled. Smith had just 18 receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown.

This year, he looks to get back on track with the Chiefs, who signed him to a one-year deal worth $1.3 million. This might be the perfect offense for him to get back on track but it won't be easy for Smith to make the roster. Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, and Jared Wiley all have spots locked up, so he has to prove he has enough talent for them to go four-deep at the position. That's a far cry from the promise he had when taken in the top 50.