kansascity
Kansas City has long been a breeding ground for professional athletes, and football remains at the forefront. The metro area has consistently supplied the NFL with players who range from superstars to key contributors and practice squad members. This year's group of local talent is no exception, featuring several individuals who appear poised for long and successful careers.
Drew Lock Shines as Seahawks' Backup
After being called into action in Week 1, Drew Lock, a Lee's Summit High graduate, has made the most of his opportunity while filling in for the injured Sam Darnold. The Denver Broncos' 2019 second-round pick has established himself as a dependable backup in his eighth NFL season. A Missouri Tigers Hall of Famer, Lock is in his second stint with the Seahawks, having previously served as both a starter and backup for the Broncos and New York Giants.
In two games against the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, the 29-year-old has thrown for 422 yards and four touchdowns. His 127.3 passer rating leads the NFL, and his 72.9% completion rate ranks fifth among starting quarterbacks. The Seahawks' run-oriented offense, which helped them win the Super Bowl last season, provides a quarterback-friendly system for Lock.
Seattle's roster features several other Kansas City connections. Lock takes snaps from Maryville native Jalen Sundell at center. Sundell, a North Dakota State product, is in his second year as the team's starter after entering the league as an undrafted free agent. Blue Springs High alum and Iowa Hawkeye Beau Stephens, a fifth-round rookie, is earning reps at right guard. His former Iowa teammate and Blue Valley alum Mason Richman is on Seattle's injured reserve. While Darnold could return as soon as Sunday against the Washington Commanders, the Seahawks have a reliable insurance policy in Lock.
Devin Lloyd Anchors Panthers' Defense
Although Devin Lloyd moved away from Kansas City at a young age, the dynamic linebacker still considers KCMO home. He spent the first seven years of his life in KC before his military family relocated. Lloyd, 27, attended high school in California and was a first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. After recording 100-plus tackles in each of his first three seasons, he broke out last year with 81 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a career-high five interceptions, including a historic 99-yard pick-six against Patrick Mahomes in Week 5.
In the offseason, Lloyd signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Carolina Panthers and is quickly proving his worth. In Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons' backup quarterbacks, he delivered a standout performance with nine solo tackles (two for loss), two interceptions, a pick-six, and a sack. He is the first linebacker to achieve such a stat line since 1982, when sacks became an official statistic. The NFC Defensive Player of the Week possesses elite athleticism and coverage skills at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds. Lloyd continues to improve and could be primed for his best season yet. He also plays alongside Olathe North product and former first-round pick Isaiah Simmons, a versatile Clemson alum who has spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Green Bay Packers.
Rachaad White's Improbable Journey to the NFL
Rachaad White's path from Center to the NFL is one of Kansas City's greatest success stories. Without a Division I offer in high school, he redshirted at Division II Nebraska-Kearney before grinding through junior college at Mt. San Antonio College and eventually starring at Arizona State. White, 27, was a third-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 and led the team in rushing in 2023 with a career-high 990 yards and six touchdowns. He scored his first NFL touchdown against the Chiefs in October 2022 in Tampa. Now with the Washington Commanders, White has accumulated 110 yards this season. In his young career, he has rushed for 2,721 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging nearly 4 yards per carry, while also posing a threat as a receiver with 1,495 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
Maliek Collins: Underrated Interior Rusher
Maliek Collins has quietly been one of the league's most impactful interior pass rushers since entering the NFL. The Center alum was a third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. The 31-year-old recorded 14.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 40 quarterback hits in four years with the Cowboys. After a one-year stint with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, Collins thrived for three seasons with the Houston Texans, amassing 107 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and 35 quarterback hits. He then spent a year with the San Francisco 49ers and is now in his second season with the Cleveland Browns. The Nebraska Cornhusker has posted at least five sacks, five tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits in each of his past three seasons. Last year, he recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks in 12 games with the Browns before a quad injury ended his season. Although he has yet to record a sack through two games this year, his history and play suggest it's only a matter of time for the 11-year veteran.
Young Offensive Linemen Making Their Mark
Several young offensive linemen from the Kansas City area have secured starting roles. Cooper Beebe (Dallas Cowboys), Aireontae Ersery (Houston Texans), and Armand Membou (New York Jets) are all anchoring their respective offensive lines. Beebe, a Piper High and Kansas State alum, is in his third straight season as Dak Prescott's center in Dallas. The 2024 third-round pick was a two-time All-America guard for the Wildcats. Ersery, a Ruskin product, became an All-Big Ten left tackle at Minnesota and was selected by the Texans in the second round of last year's draft; he now protects CJ Stroud's blind side. The Jets are hoping for a leap from right tackle Armand Membou, a Lee's Summit North product who was the seventh-overall pick in last year's draft. Membou was an All-SEC tackle for the Missouri Tigers and is already showing signs of becoming a staple at his position.
Jacob Parrish: A Third-Round Steal?
Olathe North product Jacob Parrish looks like a potential third-round steal from the 2025 draft. At 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds, Parrish primarily played nickel corner in Todd Bowles' aggressive scheme and excelled as a rookie. The Kansas State alum recorded 76 tackles (seven for loss), seven pass deflections, two interceptions, and two sacks in his first year. Parrish missed the Buccaneers' Week 2 game against the Browns but is trending toward a return. His presence in the secondary often makes a noticeable impact when he's on the field.
Defensive Linemen with Nigerian Roots
Adetomiwa Adebawore (Indianapolis Colts) and Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas City Chiefs) are a pair of defensive linemen with Nigerian heritage who make their living as athletic, versatile interior pass rushers. Adebawore, a Northwestern alum, primarily plays defensive tackle and provides depth to the Colts' athletic defensive line. The North Kansas City High product is coming off one of his best seasons as a 2023 fourth-round pick, recording a career-high four sacks and five tackles for loss last year. Anudike-Uzomah's story is well-known to Kansas Citians. The Lee's Summit alum was the hometown first-round pick when the NFL Draft was held in Kansas City in 2023. After an All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year career at Kansas State, he has had a lackluster start to his pro career, collecting eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles in his first two seasons. He missed last season with a hamstring injury and was denied a fifth-year option in the offseason. However, he has started his contract year with a bang, forcing a strip sack in the season opener against the Broncos and displaying explosiveness as an interior rusher. At just 24, Anudike-Uzomah is the healthiest he's been in the NFL and is aiming for a breakout year.
Rookies Poised for Impact
Domonique Orange (Minnesota Vikings) and Cashius Howell (Cincinnati Bengals) have the potential to make the biggest impact among Kansas City's rookies. Orange, another North Kansas City alum, is an athletic big body in the interior of the defense. At 6-foot-2 and 322 pounds, 'Big Citrus' was named among the most athletic college football players in the country during his time at Iowa State. As a third-round pick, Orange is rotating into Brian Flores' defense and has already made impactful plays, such as stopping Jordan Love on a fourth-down quarterback sneak in his first NFL game. Howell is another underrated recruit turned potential NFL star. The Rockhurst alum began his career at Bowling Green, where he led the conference in sacks as a redshirt sophomore. He then starred at Texas A&M for two years, earning unanimous All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors before the Bengals selected him in the second round. At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, Howell was among several top pass rushers dinged for arm length in the draft, but he is already impressing with varied rushes through the first two weeks. He is still seeking his first NFL sack. Chiefs fans may hear Howell's name frequently when the AFC rivals meet in December, but they might know about him well before then if he continues his ascent.
Originally reported by kansascity.