Chiefs may have found the undrafted gem of the 2026 NFL Draft in Jeff Caldwell

From FCS dominance to a puzzling draft slide, Jeff Caldwell now gets a chance to develop with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid

The NFL Draft doesn't end when Mr. Irrelevant is announced. All 32 teams are already negotiating deals. Future NFL stars like Tony Romo, Antonio Gates and James Harrison all went undrafted, so anything can happen. 

The Kansas City Chiefs may have scored one of the steals of the offseason as an undrafted free agent, as they agreed to terms with former Cincinnati wide receiver Jeff Caldwell. He is a 6-foot-5 pass-catcher that CBS Sports ranked as the No. 167 overall prospect in this entire class. NFL.com also projected him as a fourth-round pick. Yet, Caldwell went undrafted! 

If you're looking for a lofty NFL comparison for this prospect, Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson's name has been thrown around. Let's take a look at Caldwell, and why he's arguably the most intriguing undrafted free agent this year.

Athleticism

Not only does Caldwell possess great size at nearly 6-6 and 216 pounds, but he's also a freak athlete. At the NFL combine, he ran a 4.31 40-yard dash, registered a 1.48 10-yard split, 42-inch vertical and 11-foot-2 broad jump. He ranked in the top four among all receivers in those drills, plus the 1.48 10-yard split ranked No. 1 among everyone in Indy.

Describing Caldwell as a winner of the genetic lottery is an understatement. If you subscribe to the Relative Athletic Score, Caldwell registered a perfect 10.00 out of 10.00. It ranked No. 2 out of 3,926 wide receivers from 1987 to 2026, behind only ... Calvin Johnson. Again, this guy went undrafted.

Jeff Caldwell is a WR prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 10.00 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 2 out of 3926 WR from 1987 to 2026. Behind Calvin Johnson, pending pro day.https://t.co/ouxCKYCrgp pic.twitter.com/GK7dXNMK8s

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 21, 2026

Production

Caldwell began his collegiate career at FCS Lindenwood. In 28 games played, he caught 93 passes for 1,722 yards and 23 touchdowns. In 2024, Caldwell tied an FCS single-game record with four receiving touchdowns against Eastern Illinois, and was a finalist for FCS Offensive Player of the Year. Then, he transferred to Cincinnati.

This is where Caldwell's story gets curious. In 13 games played for the Bearcats last season, Caldwell caught just 32 passes for 478 yards and six touchdowns. He simply wasn't a focal point of Cincinnati's offense, and there were moments where Caldwell didn't exactly look polished. He's not going to rival Jaxon Smith-Njigba with his route-running ability. Still, with the frame Caldwell possesses plus his athleticism, the pieces are all there. 

What others are saying about Jeff Caldwell

Please please please let @GoBearcatsFB WR Jeff Caldwell get drafted by a team with a good WR room/WR coach and good QB. He is going to BLOW UP if so…. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) April 21, 2026

Jeff Caldwell is inarguably the closest thing we've ever seen to Calvin Johnson based on athletic testing, and yet, he's supposed to go.... Round 5 or Round 6 in the Draft? Pretty crazy I know I'm the "athleticism doesn't matter for WRs" guy, but this is literally the most… pic.twitter.com/dKi03bZ6eC

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 21, 2026

Steve Smith’s breakdown of WR Jeff Caldwell pic.twitter.com/9khWDkcNC9

— Dante' Jones (@Dantej21) April 25, 2026

Jeff Caldwell is 6’5, 216lbs and runs a 4.31 40 with a 42” vertical… but how’s the tape? ➕ vertical speed ➕ catch radius ➕ RAC ability ➖ limited route tree ➖ inconsistent at catch point ➖ telegraphs stop/comeback routes ➖ over 1/3 of production vs inferior competition pic.twitter.com/RyBNEbtGQo

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 2, 2026

Fit with the Chiefs

Kansas City did not address wide receiver in the way many projected the Chiefs would this offseason. Brett Veach re-signed Tyquan Thornton, but did allow Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster to walk. Then, when the draft rolled around, the Chiefs used their first four selections all on the defensive side of the ball.

Kansas City used a pick on a wide receiver in the fifth round, and coincidentally, that player came from Cincinnati in Cyrus Allen. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy headline the wide receiver room, but Caldwell is going to have his chance to prove himself. 

The Chiefs are going to be considered a fantastic landing spot for any wide receiver for as long as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are in town. But this passing attack ranked No. 16 last year. The Chiefs have not boasted a prolific passing attack in several seasons now. Furthermore, there are wide receivers who failed in Kansas City. People were excited about Skyy Moore from Western Michigan in 2022, but he never reached 250 yards receiving with the Chiefs. Former undrafted Clemson wideout Justyn Ross seemingly made headlines every training camp. Yet, he caught just six passes for 53 yards in 12 NFL games played.

The fact that Caldwell is an athletic freak does not guarantee he will be a legitimate NFL player, and the fact that he landed with the Chiefs organization guarantees nothing either. But put those two things together, and Caldwell is worth watching.