Chiefs may have struck gold with this under-the-radar rookie class

Training camp has wrapped up in St. Joseph, Missouri, for the Kansas City Chiefs. Not much time is left before the start of the regular season. There are going to be plenty of difficult decisions to make when it comes to final roster cuts. However, much of that has been made even more challenging because of how the Chiefs' rookies have stood out so far.

First-round offensive tackle Josh Simmons just needed to be medically cleared. Since then, he has solidified himself as the projected starter at left tackle and has not looked back. His feet and athleticism are as advertised. Simmons has also been able to stand out with his power at the point of attack. He and fellow rookie Ashton Gillotte have provided incredible combat battles. Gillotte's effort and feistiness should not go unnoticed in those spots.

Beyond Simmons, plenty of other rookies have already turned heads during training camp. This was felt further in the first preseason game. For instance, Nohl Williams and Jeffrey Bassa each had noteworthy results in the first preseason game. They translated what was a standout training camp into highlights from the start.

Meanwhile, Jalen Royals has already gained a leg up in the wide receiver room. His comfort and polish on routes are already impressive. Royals displayed fine-tuning within his tempo in the preseason opener. Moreover, he has seemingly built early trust with the rest of the Chiefs' starting offense from training camp reps.

Brashard Smith has been a fascinating name to follow among rookies in training camp. His history and comfort as a pass catcher are certainly elements the Chiefs want to utilize from the running back spot. However, Smith was noticeably taking his time to learn and adjust to the playbook. In a weaker running back room in terms of depth, Smith will look to secure third-down reps as quickly as possible. If he maintains steady improvement over the next couple of weeks, he could be able to garner initial opportunities.

Of all the Chiefs' rookies, Omarr Norman-Lott has been more grounded in training camp. It took him some time to develop a sense of timing and reactive quickness. His history of playing a low snap count in college likely contributed to that a bit. Yet, Norman-Lott is seemingly bulking up as well. That puts him in an intriguing spot. Will his usage be clearer at the start of the regular season? Or will Norman-Lott be more of a rotational piece from the onset of his rookie season?

All in all, many of the rookies in Kansas City have immediately made their presence felt. The Chiefs have largely been able to find steals and lottery tickets from recent draft classes. This past draft haul was seen as solid and not too flashy.

But even if some of their new names failed to grab headlines right after the draft, the Chiefs will still prefer to have these new pieces jump out from under the radar. It could lead to a huge boost for the team if all of these young players hit the ground running and continue to produce this year as rookies after a strong training camp.