Xavier Nwankpa didn’t walk into Chiefs camp with much certainty. Undrafted rookies rarely do. But by the time Kansas City got to its second preseason game in Tampa Bay, the safety had a real chance to show he belonged - and a last-minute twist helped put him in the spotlight.
Alohi Gilman was ruled out shortly before kickoff, and Nwankpa was told to start. That surprise assignment turned into a meaningful moment in his push for a roster spot.
“It was kind of crazy,” Nwankpa said. “I found out in the locker room, but it really was just next-man-up mentality. I was blessed to be in that position and then went out and played a pretty solid game.”
The Chiefs carried that evaluation through the preseason and the rest of the offseason, ultimately keeping Nwankpa as the fourth safety when cuts were made earlier this week. For a player who came in after four seasons at Iowa, it was the payoff for a steady climb.
“I felt super blessed,” Nwankpa said. “I wanted to make it a tough decision, and they obviously made the decision to keep me. So I’m pretty ecstatic and just blessed to be here.”
Nwankpa never treated the path as closed off. Even after the draft, he stayed in contact with teams and did his own work on where he might fit. Kansas City stood out to him because of the scheme under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and because the safety room felt open after the departure of free safety Bryan Cook.
“It was kind of a fresh room,” Nwankpa said.
He also understood early that special teams would be part of the deal. That wasn’t a detour for him - it was the route.
“It’s basically what I want to do, play special teams, then carve out a role on defense,” Nwankpa said.
And for Nwankpa, the message for other undrafted players is straightforward: special teams can be the difference.
“Whatever side of the ball you’re on ... really try to stand out on special teams the best way you can,” he said.
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