Somewhat surprisingly, the Kansas City Chiefs didn't add another weapon for Patrick Mahomes early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, they invested most of their resources on the defensive side of the field.
General manager Brett Veach used his first four picks on defensive players, and he waited until the fifth round to land Cyrus Allen. Nevertheless, he may not be the most promising pass catcher in this year's class for the Chiefs.
Shortly after the draft ended, the Chiefs reached an agreement with Cincinnati's Jeff Caldwell. He drew an unofficial 10.0 RAS score, a stat that measures athleticism, ranking 2 out of 3830 WR from 1987 to 2026, behind Hall of Famer Calvin "Megatron" Johnson.
The Chiefs may have struck gold with UDFA Jeff Caldwell
Despite his enticing and undeniable physical traits, Caldwell didn't always stand out from the rest of the pack. He began his collegiate career as an unranked recruit at Lindewood, earning First-Team Ohio Valley Conference honors. Then, after two years of FCS football, he finally transferred to Cincinnati for the 2025 campaign.
To the naked eye, Caldwell's production wasn't anything special; he registered 32 receptions for 478 yards and six scores. Even so, at 6-foot-5 and 216 pounds, watching him run a 4.31-second 40-yard dash should've been enough for a team to roll the dice on him in Day 3. Fortunately for the Chiefs, that wasn't the case.
Caldwell plays with a huge chip on his shoulder -- like all guys who had to get everything out of the mud. He slowly carved a bigger role in college and let the world know that they made a mistake by overlooking him coming out of high school.
While he may not be the most polished route-runner at this point in his development, his blend of size, athleticism, and otherworldly speed gives the Chiefs an intriguing piece to develop. Right now, Caldwell can be a big-play threat in go-routes, but he can turn out to be a massive steal once he develops his route tree.
The Chiefs could certainly use some playmakers for the passing game. Rashee Rice has yet to earn a contract extension, and Xavier Worthy hasn't lived up to expectations. Tyreek Hill might still return, but he's not likely to be the player he used to be.
Caldwell needs to crack the 53-man roster first, and that will be a battle in itself. But if he stays in Andy Reid's radar, it wouldn't be shocking to see him mold him into the second coming of DK Metcalf, a big-bodied bully who can also win with his speed.
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