Kansas City Chiefs fourth-round draft pick Jared Wiley is making a strong first impression on his position coach through the first two weeks of Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
Chiefs TE coach Tom Melvin spoke to media members about the TCU product after practice on Thursday. Wiley has excelled picking up the verbiage in Kansas City, but the part that every rookie has to contend with in Andy Reid's scheme is the sheer volume of plays and responsibilities for pass-catchers.
“It’s been nice. We got a lot in," Melvin explained. "We’re throwing a lot at all these guys, and he’s done a very good job assimilating to what we call things – (he was in a) similar offense so it’s really not that foreign (but) the volume is. He’s done a nice job doing that. He’s playing a little bit faster every day we go, so it’s good to see. He has a long way to go, but we’re encouraged with where he’s at and what he’s been doing.”
Playing faster every day is the goal at this point of the offseason for rookies. Nothing regarding playing time will be decided in late May, but so long as he can continue to stack good days, he'll have a good shot to contribute during his first year in the league.
Wiley's hidden advantage in picking up the Chiefs' offense
After the 2024 NFL draft, Wiley revealed to Chiefs reporters that he had to learn five different offenses in college between his time at the University of Texas and TCU. That makes Andy Reid's offense in Kansas City the sixth one that he's had to learn in six years. He has become a professional when it comes to learning new systems.
Being that he's not unfamiliar with the process, he's been able to jump right in, perhaps quicker than expected. It also helps that TCU's last offense shared plenty of concepts with the Chiefs. It's just a matter of getting down the new language and being able to process it quickly on the field.
“Yeah, the expectation of him having to come in, understand a new language, understand that someone is asking him to do that same thing but calling it something different," Melvin explained. "I guess you could look at it that it benefits him as far as him having to do it that way. He’s handling it well; we’re encouraged with that.”
