Kansas City Chiefs Kick Off Day 1 of Rookie Minicamp

A total of 104 players present on first day of a three-day rookie minicamp

May 6, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the facility before the Kansas City Chiefs rookie mini camp at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Chiefs assistant and position coaches barking instructions as players went through drills on the practice field Friday afternoon means one thing – football is back.

Well, sort of.

The sights and sounds of football were at least in the air on the first day of Chiefs rookie minicamp, which saw a total of 104 rookies, including 75 on a tryout basis, and a first-year player (wide receiver Andrew Armstrong) on the field at the team’s training facility.

But much of Friday’s attention fell on the Chiefs’ seven draft picks, which included four rookies who addressed the media before taking the practice field.

And for cornerback Mansoor Delane, the Chiefs’ first of two-first round picks (sixth overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft, getting back in the swing of things after months of predraft preparations is a good thing.

“It’s great, just to actually get to play football now and do what I do,” Delane said. “So, it feels good just getting back to doing what I do.”

Wide receiver Cyrus Allen, the Chiefs’ fifth-round pick, is still soaking in atmosphere.

“It’s crazy I am not going to lie to you,” Allen said. “It’s still surreal for me that I’m here because I worked extremely hard to get here. I’m still amazed, kind of.”

The Chiefs’ rookies have multiple opportunities to absorb their surrounding and the playbook throughout the three-day rookie minicamp, which concludes Sunday.

For pass rusher R Mason Thomas, the Chiefs’ second-round pick, the overall environment reminds him of college.

“It’s a lot like Oklahoma, really,” Thomas said. “Kansas City is not too far from Oklahoma, but it’s definitely – you see all the trophies and Lombardi’s. It’s definitely different and it’s definitely a program that’s a dynasty, for sure.”

The players are on the field in practice jersey, shorts and helmets without full pads, and contact is prohibited. The rookie camp also marks the first time that the coaching staff get their hands on the rookies, either in classroom or on-field environments.

And there will be a lot of information put on the players’ plates.

“I’m swimming a little bit; I can’t lie to you but it’s good,” Allen said. “I’m learning everything, learning different positions, learning what everybody has.

“That’s how I like to learn, so it will probably be a little harder for me, but it’s good. I’ve been learning everything and everything has been good.”

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, the Chiefs’ seventh-round pick, agreed.

“It’s been a lot of learning, a lot of grinding,” Nussmeier said. “I’m excited to continue to get to do that.”

Ultimately, the rookie players can use their time in classrooms and football field as a building block for the next phase of the Chiefs’ offseason workout program.

Voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) are scheduled for May 26-28 and June 1-3, followed by mandatory minicamp on June 9-11 before the Chiefs go on a break ahead of training camp in late July.

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Coach Andy Reid and the remaining draft picks – defensive tackle Peter Woods, cornerback Jadon Canady and running back Emmett Johnson – are scheduled to address the media on Saturday.