What the Chiefs see in rookie Cyrus Allen — and the obstacle that remains

NFL Preseason

Cyrus Allen has been one of the Chiefs' stars of the summer, but rookie wide receivers typically need time to get fully comfortable with Andy Reid's playbook. Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is ready to tell a training camp story.

It’s two weeks ago in his office dorm room at Missouri Western, and in a short anecdote, Reid is about to reveal exactly where the Chiefs stand when it comes to the potential of fifth-round receiver Cyrus Allen.

While also speaking about some of the expected pitfalls the rookie could face.

Reid said it was evident then that Allen was still getting all the play calls down. During practices — and also the first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams — he wasn’t always ending up where he was supposed to.

What happened immediately after, though, Reid says, is just important.

“Even when there were a couple routes he ran the wrong thing and lined up the wrong way in the game, the quarterback still threw the ball to him. He made the catch,” Reid said with a smile. “You go, ‘All right. There’s a certain trust there.’ And he’ll work through all the other stuff.”

This is where the complexity lies with Allen — and also in trying to predict his rookie season, even after he was one of the team’s top performers during August’s practices.

The flashes have been there. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes labeled Allen as one of the team’s standouts at the end of training camp, and the fact that he kept peppering him with the ball while covered in the summer’s organized team activities signaled that the young receiver has already built up chemistry with his QB.

There’s a reason, though, that rookie receivers typically need time to become fully comfortable with Reid’s extensive playbook.

After the team’s second preseason game against Tampa Bay, Allen acknowledged in the locker room that recalling information remains an obstacle as he trains at all three receiver positions.

“Just slowing down my thought process,” Allen said when describing what he was working on most, “and just having to learn everything.”

Zoom out to the bigger picture — while projecting not just this season but the next four — and it’s easy to see why the Chiefs have been so encouraged by Allen.

Reid is quick to say he’s “got tools in there that work in this offense.” Receiver teammate Xavier Worthy has called Allen an “electric route runner,” while assistant general manager Mike Bradway says he takes coaching well with a unique skill set.

“We try to temper expectations a little bit, but you can just be out here watching him move around,” Bradway told The Athletic at training camp on Aug. 19. “You can tell he belongs.”

Allen’s path to Kansas City — and the NFL — wasn’t always direct. He wasn’t invited to the NFL combine, which meant teams had to do extra work to figure out if he was worth adding as a late-round draft pick.

Through it all, Allen said the Chiefs remained one of the most interested teams in him from the start.

It meant something a few months ago — and still does now.

“I appreciate that, for them having me here,” Allen said. “So I’ve got to make them right.”

Getting a head start

Immediately after his pro day at Cincinnati in late March, Allen was on the road to Kansas City.

The Chiefs scheduled him for his first top-30 visit. And Allen said the timing wasn’t a coincidence.

“They were honest with me,” Allen said. “They were like, ‘You’re a dawg. We wanted you here. That’s why we got you up here early.'”

Chiefs vice president of player personnel Ryne Nutt said in April that Allen’s impressive run through the all-star game circuit demanded the team take an extended look.

Allen first stood out at the American Bowl, with Nutt saying he was “routing up dudes left and right” while displaying quickness and elite route-running ability. After that, Allen was just as impressive against better competition in the Senior Bowl, which moved him further up the Chiefs’ board.

“Throughout the process,” Nutt said, “we just felt like he crushed it.”

That continued during Allen’s top-30 visit in K.C.

Bradway remembered talking with Allen in his office for about 15 minutes, with his demeanor standing out immediately.

“The kid was just a ton of juice, ton of confidence, ton of personality,” Bradway said. “He carries himself like he knows he’s a good player, and he’s used that slight at the combine for motivation.”

A recent comparison

Chiefs northeast area scout Cassidy Kaminski, meanwhile, said in April that his chat with Allen stood out as “one of the best interviews that I had.” Allen’s tone reflected some New Orleans swagger from his hometown, yet his words also came across as both passionate and authentic.

In terms of competitive energy and bravado, Kaminski immediately flashed back to his first interactions with former Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco — a hard-nosed player who helped set the practice tone during his four seasons with the team.

Kaminski also said Allen’s coaches at Cincinnati gave positive reviews about how he bounced back from a dislocated elbow before his senior season. Allen’s work ethic then seemed to reflect a bigger theme about who he was.

“Yeah, he’s 185 pounds,” Kaminski said, “but pound-for-pound, you’re not going to question this kid’s toughness in any capacity.”

The Chiefs had all this in mind before reshuffling their NFL Draft board on Day 3.

Bradway said a pair of skill-position players, Allen and Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson, moved toward the top of the team’s list based on their on-field traits and willingness to take coaching. Those two also had consensus buy-in across the organization among coaches, scouts and support staff, who all believed that they’d be productive with the Chiefs.

K.C. traded up to select Johnson with the 161st pick, then took Allen after that at No. 176.

Almost immediately, Bradway said he heard from colleagues outside the building about Allen.

“He’s one of those guys where you pick him, and you get a ton of texts from guys around the league saying, ‘We really liked him,'” Bradway said. “It was one of those where the process kind of pays off — where you really identify a guy months before the draft.”

What’s next for Allen

While it’s too early to know how all this will end up, Allen has certainly made good on his first impression.

As early as June, Worthy was saying Allen had a “special ability to him.” Bradway also says some of the Chiefs’ scouting beliefs about Allen were reinforced during his first few months; most notably, Allen plays faster on the field than his 4.47-second 40-yard dash time would suggest, and he also shows an innate feel for how to get open against man coverage.

The Chiefs’ internal feelings about Allen also have been reflected in the moves they didn’t make. While many outsiders suggested they should add a veteran receiver as insurance, the fact they didn’t shows that they’ve seen enough from Allen not to want to block some of his expected playing time with another body.

Now, of course, comes the hard part — even if it might sound simple to most of the outside world.

Receivers coach Chad O’Shea says the biggest hurdle for Allen is getting accustomed to NFL play calls. That means getting in the huddle, processing the quarterback’s words, getting lined up correctly to the left or right side of the formation, then positioning with the exact alignment and split to ensure proper spacing with teammates.

“All those things are new, and they’re new to most players who are rookies in this league,” O’Shea said on Aug. 19. “We’ve just got to continue to really focus on those things, and great things will happen if we focus on the little things.”

It’s that hidden part of the game that has kept rookie receivers from getting early production in Reid’s offense before. And that’s not even taking into account that Allen is working to learn all of the Chiefs’ receiver positions — something the team doesn’t typically ask of its wideouts early in their rookie years.

The good news, for now? Reid has seen someone in Allen who isn’t afraid to challenge himself.

“We’ve loaded him up, and we’ve moved him around, which is tough,” Reid said. “But that’s what he wants. He wants to learn it all. But the more he plays, the better.”

Allen says he’s taking all the feedback seriously. Following the team’s second preseason game, he said one of his top accomplishments was correcting alignment issues Reid had brought up in previous days.

It’s the type of growth that’s made Allen confident in his abilities over time.

While giving the Chiefs hope that his best football is ahead.

“I put myself in this shell to where I’m just going to outwork you,” Allen said. “And it’s gonna show on the field.”

Connections: Sports Edition

Spot the pattern. Connect the terms

Find the hidden link between sports terms