The 2025 rookie class for the Kansas City Chiefs showed promise, despite the absence of a potential breakout player.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed Clemson Tigers tight end Jake Briningstool as an undrafted free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft. He showed strong promise during training camp and seemed poised to be a hidden gem of the draft class. Briningstool suffered a hamstring injury in camp, which sidelined him for the entire season and put him on injured reserve.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know what Travis (Kelce) has been able to do. I think it’s very appealing to somebody that plays tight end.” said Briningstool during last year’s rookie minicamp, “I think just being able to come in here and learn from him, learn from the other guys that really play at a high level, and just be able to, come in here and use my skill set and, see how I can make an impact.”

During his last three seasons at Clemson, Briningstool caught 124 passes for 1,313 yards and 16 touchdowns. He expressed a desire to learn from Kelce, hoping to add another weapon with similar traits to the Chiefs in 2026.