The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Penn State defensive tackle Coziah Izzard to an undrafted free agent contract, allowing him to fight for a roster spot. A fifth-year senior in 2024, Izzard was a four-year player who brought a nice blend of strength and explosion to the mix for the Nittany Lions.

Player profile

Izzard is slightly undersized to play defensive tackle in the NFL, but he makes up for it with a great blend of athletic ability.

At 6’2” and 298 lbs., he isn’t a load or a space-eating defensive tackle, but his solid testing numbers in all categories show a player with the needed explosion and strength to play at the professional level.

A regular contributor through four seasons at Penn State, Izzard has seen high levels of college competition and was a mainstay in the front seven rotation.

Izzard played primarily as a 3-technique in college, but could be rotated into other spots along the line based on down and distance.

Finishing his college career with nine sacks and 21 tackles for loss, Izzard’s production wasn’t tremendous, but with his athletic tools and film, he was a player worth taking a shot on post-draft.

Run defense

Izzard isn’t a traditional run-stuffing defensive lineman; instead, he uses his quick first step and athletic ability to shoot gaps and create penetration in the backfield.

Izzard has impressive short-area movement skills, and when combined with his burst off the ball, they help him make athletic plays around the line of scrimmage.

A spot where Izzard thrived in college was playing as the back-side 3-technique on zone plays, going to the opposite side of the field.

Izzard made these look tough on offensive tackles, who would be tasked with reaching blocking him by play design. By using his quickness and agility to prevent himself from being reached, Izzard took away the critical cutback lanes that running backs rely on in zone looks.

The Chiefs play multiple defensive fronts, but defensive tackles who can play shades and create penetration on the backside of running plays return to the core fundamentals of Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 under base looks.

Finding players athletic enough to create penetration and close running lanes consistently is not easy, and this is the skill set that likely caused the Chiefs to give him a chance to compete for a job.

Pass rush

Izzard was only a modest pass rusher at Penn State and didn’t often see the field on throwing downs. Still, with his quickness and lateral mobility, he does have the physical tools to develop into a quality rusher.

The best tools that Izzard has for rushing the passer are his quick first step and 34-inch arms. The good first step will allow him to get off the ball quickly, while his long arms and power will help him to engage with tackles and get off blocks if he can develop his game further.

Izzard relied heavily on his athletic ability to make plays as a pass rusher in college, and he will have to develop his game further to make an impact in the NFL.

The bottom line

Undrafted rookie free agents have no guarantees of making even the practice squad, let alone the roster. Izzard was a solid contributor in college, but he will need to make drastic improvements to find a home on an active NFL roster.

The Chiefs are banking on his high athletic profile, which will give them something to work with and set a baseline for how his game will come together.

In some respects, Izzard’s game is comparable to the Chiefs’ second-round pick Omarr Norman-Lott, who also uses an explosive penetrating style of play to impact games. They are worlds apart regarding talent and roster security, but they both play a similar game style.

Izzard won’t provide much value as a true run stuffer, and his pass rush is not close to the professional level at the moment. Still, he is a tremendous candidate to be a practice squad player during his first year in Kansas City, where he will be able to develop his skills further and adjust to the speed of the NFL game.

With top-notch athletic ability and a nose for the football, the Chiefs’ defensive coaching staff should be more than willing to work with Izzard and help him unlock his potential.