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Kansas City Chiefs fans have heard plenty about most of their rookie class during training camp. One player who has circumvented the hype so far is fifth-round rookie WR Cornell Powell.
Powell opened up as a fifth-string wide receiver on the Kansas City depth chart, getting action behind the likes of players like Marcus Kemp, Antonio Callaway, Daurice Fountain and Gehrig Dieter. Powell’s work at training camp suggests he’s that far down the food chain too. He’s seen most of his snaps with backup quarterbacks Shane Buechele and Anthony Gordon so far.
Powell was even spotted getting an earful from Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy at practice one day. The offensive scheme in Kansas City is known for being tough on first-year receivers because they’re asked to do so much. Instead of defying expectations as several others have in this rookie draft class, Powell is performing like a rookie is expected to perform and that’s OK according to Bieniemy.
“Cornell (Powell) is a rookie, and he’s learning,” Bieniemy told reporters on Monday. “First of all, he’s a beautiful soul, he’s a great kid. He has a tremendous amount of talent in front of him, and the thing that I appreciate about those guys is that they support one another. So, if he does something wrong, they’re on him, ‘Hey man, listen, pick your head up and let’s go line up the next play.’ The best thing about him is that he understands the importance of coming to work every single day, and that’s what I appreciate about him.”
Showing a good work ethic and the ability to correct mistakes can go a long way with this coaching staff. Bieniemy admitted that they want more out of Powell than they’ve currently been getting. The good news is that the veteran offensive coordinator believe’s that Powell is trending in the right direction as we approach the 2021 NFL preseason.
“Now, is he quite where we want him to be? No,” Bieniemy explained. “Is he working in that direction? Yes, he is, and I appreciate his work ethic each and every day.”
Powell can do a lot for himself with a good performance in the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers. If he can continue working in the right direction during practice, while also impressing on offense and special teams in the preseason, he’ll put himself in a good position with roster cuts looming.
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