Chiefs Waive Rookie Fifth-Round Pick WR Cornell Powell
The Kansas City Chiefs released rookie wide receiver Cornell Powell as they cut their roster down to the NFL-mandated 53 on Tuesday. Powell was a fifth-round pick for the Chiefs, selected 181st overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. With his release, Powell becomes the first drafted rookie to miss the 53-man roster in Brett Veach's time as Chiefs general manager over the course of four draft classes.
Powell struggled to see the field alongside the first-team or second-team offenses in training camp and into the preseason, ultimately catching two passes for 20 yards, one catch for six yards and one catch for eight yards in the Chiefs' three preseason games.
Powell also slipped below some less-widely-known receivers on the depth chart, with Marcus Kemp and Daurice Fountain making plays over the course of camp and the preseason. Fountain made the initial 53-man roster, and Kemp is reportedly set to return after being released on Tuesday. The Chiefs also kept four tight ends, with the rise of receiver-to-tight-end-convert Jody Fortson, only adding to the numbers crunch among Chiefs pass-catchers.
Could Powell stay with KC?
Powell seems like the surest of sure-things as a candidate to return to the Chiefs' practice squad — if they get the chance. That's where things get dicey. Powell will have to go through waivers, allowing the rest of the league a chance to claim Powell and add him to their active roster. Starting with the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterbacked by Powell's college quarterback Trevor Lawrence, all the way through the rest of a receiver-needy league, Powell could be a relatively hot commodity. Being let go by a team with substantial talent like the Chiefs wouldn't necessarily serve as a red flag for a team who may have liked Powell out of college just a few months ago.
