Among the several undrafted free agents that the Kansas City Chiefs have signed is Clemson tight end Jake Briningstool.
Over the last three year at Clemson, Briningstool recorded 124 receptions (a school record) for 1,313 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and 241 pounds, and possesses good straight line speed and flexibility.
Despite those traits and his production with the Tigers, Briningstool didn’t get his name called during the 2025 NFL Draft. However, he now has a golden opportunity with the Chiefs, who know a thing or two about developing tight ends.
Kansas City is pretty well set at the TE position for the 2025 season, but it could become a greater need in 2026 if Travis Kelce decides to retire. Kelce pondered retirement following the conclusion of the 2024 season and has just one year remaining on his contract.
Behind Kelce, the Chiefs have five other TEs on their roster, including:
- Noah Gray
- Jared Wiley
- Robert Tonyan
- Anthony Firkser
- Baylor Cupp
- That means Briningstool will have to show some promise during OTAs and training camp if he wants to stick around in K.C. It will be an uphill battle, but he has the tools to at least make the practice squad. Briningstool’s size, fluidity, and strong hands are reminiscent of Kelce, and now he gets to learn from the man himself.Briningstool will be an intriguing developmental player for the Chiefs. They have embraced using multiple tight end sets over the last couple of years, and Briningstool has perhaps the highest upside as a pass catcher among all other TEs on K.C.’s roster. In a draft where the Chiefs made several picks based on upside, they could have gotten another tremendous value in Briningstool.
