As hardcore Kansas City Chiefs fans well know, the upcoming Super Bowl isn’t the only game in town right now. The 2026 Panini Senior Bowl was played in Mobile, Alabama yesterday, and the Chiefs doubtless had a full crew of scouts and management types present to watch the American Team defeat the National Team, 17-9, at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Part of the fun of watching games like this is that the players who show out don’t come with hypothetical fits for their best team on draft day. It doesn’t take much for a college prospect to make a mark, and there were some intriguing names for Chiefs fans to watch.
This was especially true for the running backs, given that this was a defensive struggle. One back in particular who stood out was Jaydn Ott of Oklahoma, who followed up on a strong week of practice by rushing for 42 yards for the American Team. In addition, Ott displayed some solid pass protection skills, which will always draw attention at this kind of game.
Ott had something of a lost season in 2025, according to Eric Edholm of NFL.com in his game wrap-up story, but before that he rushed for 1,300 yards at Cal. At 5’10” 200 pounds, Ott has the size to run between the tackles, which is a big need for the Chiefs this season.
Running back Kaelon Black of Indiana also had a good game after what Edholm described as an up-and-down week of practice as he added 45 yards and did some nice work between the tackles.
The offensive lines had some noteworthy performances as well, and this is definitely an offseason area of need for the Chiefs. The players who helped open holes for the American Team included Florida center Jake Slaughter and Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor. On the National side, Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge stood out, which shouldn’t be surprising for anyone who watched Georgia Tech’s running game this year.
On defense, Missouri edge rusher Zion Young had a good week of practice as he seeks to improve his draft stock, and he earned Defensive MVP honors. Chiefs GM Brett Veach will definitely be looking to upgrade the pass rush in the draft this season, and Young is yet another player who could be a match.
Other names included Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who made a game-high 10 tackles, and Boston College edge rusher Quintayvious Hutchins showed out with three tackles for a loss and a key stop on running back Cole Payton in a two-point conversion attempt.