When the NFL draft concludes, it’s always a mad dash for the front office to sign undrafted free agents. Many of the top undrafted free agents have multiple teams calling them in an attempt to coax them to their rosters.
One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ top undrafted free agent signings, Tulsa RB Deneric Prince, told reporters that he had a pair of options to choose from following the 2023 NFL draft.
“I just had two options,” Prince said. “The Dolphins and the Chiefs.”
So why did Prince choose Kansas City? He says that new Chiefs running backs coach Todd Pinkston and assistant running back coach Porter Ellett played a big part in convincing him.
“I did a few zooms with the coaches, like during the draft process,” Prince said. “I really liked the coaching staff (and) the running back coaches (Running Backs Coach Todd Pinkston and Assistant Running Backs Coach Porter Ellett) (and) I feel like they like me, so I feel like this will be a good fit for me.”
Pinkston is new to the role for the Chiefs after Greg Lewis’ departure this offseason. Ellett was promoted to assistant RBs coach after serving as an offensive quality control coach in Kansas City. It’s pretty unique to see two new coaches making such an impact on a player this early into their tenure.
Prince didn’t only feel convinced that the system would be a good fit for him, but he saw how Isiah Pacheco was treated as a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL season.
“Seeing how they play (Isiah Pacheco) as like a seventh-round pick just showed that they’ll put the best player in,” Prince said.
Prince is hoping that he can show enough during the offseason that he can seize that same type of opportunity in Kansas City. He’s confident that he’ll get a chance, so long as he competes and shows that he’s the best.
