Chiefs

Chiefs CB Jadon Canady enters his rookie season after being a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft. Canady thinks playing at both Ole Miss and Oregon during his college career will help him quickly learn Kansas City’s defense. 

“I feel like for me it is different because I came from three schools,” Canady said, via ChiefsWire. “Going from Ole Miss to Oregon. (Head) Coach (Dan) Lanning, (Head) Coach (Pete) Golden run the same very hard defense, and I am coming in there, first year, having to play right away and learn right away. So, you know, I am glad I went through that to make this easier, but it was definitely hard as well here. Not going to lie to you.”

Canady said that he put on weight to prepare for DC Steve Spagnuolo‘s system. 

“I would say just going home and putting on weight,” Canady said. “Doing the skills that are needed for Coach Spags (Spagnuolo), like certain type of drops or certain type of patterns. Just going home and really keying in on what Coach Spags wants from me.”

Raiders

The Raiders signed veteran QB Kirk Cousins with the expectation of starting him in 2026 ahead of No. 1 overall Fernando Mendoza. Dan Graziano of ESPN cites an agent who indicated that Las Vegas was telling people at the NFL Combine that they want to avoid playing Mendoza as a rookie. 

“[The Raiders] were telling everyone at the combine that they didn’t want to play Mendoza right away,” the agent said. “It wasn’t a surprise when they went out and got Cousins.”

One AFC assistant coach thinks the Raiders would start Aidan O’Connell ahead of Mendoza if Cousins suffered an injury this season. 

“I honestly believe that if something were to happen to Cousins, they’d start Aidan O’Connell before Mendoza right now,” the coach said. “They absolutely do not want to rush [Mendoza].”

Raiders

Raiders assistant GM Brian Stark said third-round OLB Keyron Crawford’s personality matched the intensity he showed on the field during the pre-draft process.

“I love him,” Stark said, via the team’s website. “He talks just like he plays, f—-ing fast and out of control.”

Crawford said his competitiveness comes from his upbringing and allows him to play with violence and relentless effort.

“It’s definitely a competitiveness because where I grew up, [where] I’m from and what my mom taught me, I just really don’t take BS from really anybody,” Crawford said with a laugh. “Being able to translate that to a game, where you can do really whatever you want – you might get a flag, but at the end it’s in between the lines – you can be able to play relentless, play violent, and just be able to also enjoy and love it with the guys that surround you.”

Crawford said his late grandfather, professional wrestler Eddie “The Snowman” Crawford, helped shape the way he approaches football and life.

“My granddad, he’s definitely my hero,” Crawford said. “I lost my dad at a young age, around 7 years old, and my granddad has always been there. He’s always been a guiding force as a man, and taking us to church every Sunday, all the way to Little Rock. It’s those stories, it’s that person that actually, he’s definitely one of the reasons why I play the way I play. I didn’t understand back then, as far as being a man and building the foundation of what he was trying to teach us. But looking back on it, it’s crazy to see because now you understand what he was actually trying to teach us.”

Crawford said he wants to bring energy, passion and a team-first mentality to the Raiders’ defensive front.

“I bring the relentlessness, I bring the effort, I bring the passion, but also just being able to explore with the other guys is the main point, the main focus, as far as being a part of the Raiders,” he said. “Because we can have every last component, every last bit of energy, but if we’re not all connected as one, it doesn’t mean anything. I’m a part of the Raiders, but I want to be able to actually contribute [so] everybody can feel the energy and the love that I bring towards the game.”