A pair of 2018 draft picks selected by the Kansas City Chiefs were waived by their respective teams on Sunday. Kahlil McKenzie and Tremon Smith were both selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Chiefs and neither player made it more than a season with the team.
Expectations were high for McKenzie after general manager Brett Veach talked up his potential. McKenzie switched to guard in the NFL after playing defensive tackle at the University of Tennessee. The Chiefs did say they would have liked to keep McKenzie on the practice squad, but he joined the Seattle Seahawks following 53-man roster cuts in 2019.
Smith was a standout special teamer during his first year in Kansas City. He amassed 33 kick returns for 886 yards and averaged 26.8 yards per return. That was good for the third-most kick return yards in the NFL during 2018. Unfortunately, Smith struggled to learn the cornerback spot with the team. The Chiefs tried Smith at RB before releasing him just after the start of the 2019 season.
Both McKenzie and Smith cleared waivers on Monday. They are free to sign with any team. It’s possible that the Chiefs could seek a reunion with these players as they’re familiar with the system in Kansas City. Smith, in particular, is someone for fans to watch as the Chiefs look to get Mecole Hardman more involved on offense. They’re in need of a solid return specialist and special teams coordinator Dave Toub could seek a reunion.
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