KC Laboratory Film Room on Trey Smith and breaking down Chiefs' rookie minicamp

A few weeks have passed since the NFL Draft and all of the early judging and over-analyzing of draft picks has finally ended, to a certain extent.

For me, a few weeks after the NFL Draft is the perfect time to start diving into what a prospect can actually offer to a team on the field. You start moving past instant reactions, preconceived thoughts and emotional influences while reviewing film more objectively and looking at things from a different point of view. Rather than looking for strengths and weaknesses, you can shift your focus toward why the Chiefs have an interest in this player and where he fits with the team. During the “homer phase” right after the draft, every player can look good for a team when the euphoria is high, and that is what makes the NFL Draft so great.

Without further ado, let’s take a dive into the Chiefs 2021 Draft Class and look at Trey Smith, a player who most intrigued me since the draft and through the recent rookie minicamp. I wanted to start with Smith because while working through his film I found myself seeing quite a few parallels to things the Chiefs currently do or I anticipate them doing in 2021. The more I watched, the more I liked him. Then rookie minicamp rolled around and — beyond looking the part and moving like a quality NFL player — I really enjoyed his interview and his passion for the game and hunger to improve.

This Trey Smith review is going to span over three days covering a different topic each day — run blocking, pass protecting and usage with the Chiefs. Even more exciting — for some — will be the fact that these film review sessions will be available with video as well.

Trey Smith Film Review: Run blocking

When thinking of Trey Smith, the first things that come to mind are his ability to dominate in the run game utilizing his power, explosive first step and nasty demeanor on the field.

The example below is the essence of Smith as a run blocker. It looks like a simple climb up to the second level of the defense but it’s the technical approach that allows him to be so successful. He starts with the slide step inside to chip the nose tackle, allowing the center to reach him. Since Smith is able to stay square the entire time, he can seamlessly transition to climbing up to the second level. He covers enough ground with ease and cuts off the backside linebacker trying to pursue the play.

Smith is in his comfort zone working on a linear plane trying to displace bodies along a well-thought-out path. He has great hand technique and footwork off the line of scrimmage that allows him to stay square to his target and not deviate from his aiming point. Using his shoulder and hip to chip the nose tackle allows him to stay square in his climb. Little things like that can make a player great rather than merely good.

Smith is excellent at working on these power concepts but that doesn’t mean he’s a limited mover. He is incredibly flexible through his hips and able to open up off the line of scrimmage and pull with ease. This quick pull has him transitioning to a lead blocker that is turning up the field on a short pull to the outside. To execute this play, he has to be out of his stance quickly and travel the shortest path possible, which he does before framing the first defender who can impact the play on the move.

It doesn’t matter if he’s pulling outside, across the offensive line or just to settle into pass protection, Smith’s flexibility out of his stance and explosion allows him to execute it all. Tennessee didn’t put him in too many positions to pull or show off that ability but when they did, it looked really promising. I almost feel robbed not getting to see Smith block for Duo or Power more than 10 times every single game because of his ability to operate in that system so well.

Smith is a ton of fun to watch as a run blocker. While there are very clear areas in which he excels, that doesn’t mean he’s a liability elsewhere. He has the natural athleticism and footwork to operate in any scheme but if you can scheme him up opportunities to utilize his size and power he will make fans happy. If you can get that size and power on the move — in any direction — he will get everyone up out of their seat.

WATCH FOR PART 2 AND PART 3 OF THE KC LABORATORY FILM ROOM ON TREY SMITH ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY!

Breaking down what unfolded at Chiefs’ rookie minicamp

The Chiefs conducted the three-day rookie minicamp culminating on Sunday with 29 players in attendance, including the club’s 2021 rookie draft class.

Rain forced the squad indoors on Sunday but head coach Andy Reid was pleased with the work the club accomplished.

“It wasn’t as big of a group as we normally have for the rookie minicamp, but, boy did they work hard and really did everything we asked them to do,” Reid said. “(General manager) Brett’s (Veach) brought some good talent in here where we could have a good camp.”

Two players attending the camp on a tryout basis impressed coaches enough to land a spot on the 90-man roster. The club signed wide receiver Daurice Fountain and cornerback Manny Patterson on Monday. The club made space on the roster by waiving cornerback Jaylon McClain-Sapp and releasing receiver Tajae Sharpe.

Fountain was a fifth-round pick for the Colts in 2018 and spent parts of the past three seasons on the club’s practice squad and active roster. The former Northern Iowa receiver caught two passes for 23 yards in five games for the Colts last season.

Patterson spent time on the practice squad for both Washington and Houston last season. A torn ACL ended his senior season in 2019 at Maine, where he was a consensus preseason All-American at the Division I FCS level.

Minicamp notebook

• Pass catchers looked sharp during the portion of Friday’s practice open to the media with tight end Noah Gray making a couple of grabs. Fifth-round receiver Cornell Powell made a nice high-point catch on a throw pass from Shane Buechele one play after making a drop. Former Kansas State star and Blue Valley Northwest product Dalton Schoen made a nice sliding catch.

• Defensive backs to watch during OTAs and training camp: Western Kentucky rookie Devon Key lined up as one of the top defensive backs and had broken up a pass intended for Jody Fortson on Friday. Key and BYU’s Zayne Anderson are both candidates to watch at safety. Cornerbacks Dicaprio Bootle and Marlon Character also saw significant action.

• Difficult to judge the offensive line in a camp with only four linemen and no contact, but definitely put Lucas Niang in the competition at right tackle and Creed Humphrey in the mix at center. Trey Smith shows the ability to play on both the left and the right sides.

• Georgia defensive end Malik Herring, an undrafted free agent, attended the camp but did not participate as he continues recovering from an ACL injury. He’s a likely candidate to spend the season on the non-football injury list with a chance to compete for a role next offseason. Defensive back Rodney Clemons also attended camp and participated in stretching but did not take part in drills.

• Is Jody Fortson a wide receiver or a tight end? He’s bounced around in different position groups since joining the Chiefs in 2019, but the 6-foot-6, 230-pound Fortson has found a home in the tight end room. He’ll have a chance to compete for a roster spot there, and he’s wearing the No. 88 of Tony Gonzalez.

Chiefs start phase two of offseason program

Monday marked the beginning of phase two of the NFL’s offseason program, and while some players around the league are skipping the voluntary workouts as part of the NFLPA’s campaign to eliminate much of the offseason workouts, the Chiefs reportedly had close to a full house on day one.

Herbie Teope @HerbieTeope

I'm told the Chiefs had 81 players present for today's start of Phase II of the NFL's offseason workout program, which is, of course, voluntary. That's a great number. Chiefs kick off Phase III next week with OTAs.

A total of 81 players in-house for the Chiefs starting phase two isn’t much of a surprise. The Chiefs have at least 25 players — second behind Buffalo with 28 — with workout bonuses in their contracts totaling at least $3.053 million. Players representing a majority of the league’s clubs issued statements through the NFLPA announcing intentions to skip the voluntary workouts, but the Chiefs were not among them.

Phase two starting on Monday runs for one week and allows for up to two hours per day of virtual meetings and 90 minutes per day of on-field instruction. Only offensive players can line up across offensive players and only defensive players can match up against defensive players. No contact is allowed and drills can only be conducted at a walkthrough pace.

Phase three starts on May 24, which includes 10 voluntary organized team practice activities (OTAs) and a mandatory three-day minicamp. During phase three, teams can conduct seven-on-seven, nine-on-seven and full team periods but no contact is allowed.