Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs reach deal with six of nine draft picks, including Chris Jones

Published May. 5, 2016 8:35 p.m. ET

foxsports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs have signed six of their nine draft picks, including second-round pick Chris Jones, along with seven undrafted free agents ahead of a three-day minicamp that begins this weekend.

Jones, a defensive tackle out of Mississippi State, agreed to terms on a four-year deal Thursday before making it official Friday.

Also signing were offensive lineman Parker Ehinger, a fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati; Demarcus Robinson, a wide receiver out of Florida; quarterback Kevin Hogan from Stanford; defensive back D.J. White of Georgia Tech; and Virginia Tech linebacker Dadi Nicolas.

The undrafted free agents included offensive linemen Jake Bernstein and Ben Clark; cornerbacks Vernon Harris, Tre Jones and Shak Randolph; linebacker Terrance Smith; and wide receiver Mitch Mathews.

The Chiefs traded away their first-round pick last weekend, so Jones was their first selection with the No. 37 overall pick. He is expected to join a defensive line rotation that includes Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard and Allen Bailey but lost veteran Mike DeVito to retirement. Nick Williams and Rakeem Nunez-Roches also provide some depth on the line, but they may be fighting for roster spots in training camp.

"I know they are a very competitive team. I know they have good coaches in Mr. (Andy) Reid, and they have a heck of a D-line coach," Jones said. "They're a playoff team. I'd love to get up there and compete with the guys that are already on the D-line and look for ways to make me better as a player."

Many draft experts had a first-round grade on Jones, who made a big leap in production between his sophomore and junior seasons. He decided to leave with a year of eligibility remaining.

"He can play a bunch of different spots for you," Reid said. "The one thing that I'd love to be able to do is throw fastballs at the offense. He allows you to do that. He's got to come in here and work and do the things he needs to do, obviously, but when you get him in that mix with that crew, you keep them fresh throughout the game and throughout the season. I think that could be a little plus."

Jones certainly doesn't lack for confidence. The first name he mentioned when asked for a comparison was Texans star J.J. Watt, though he proceeded to say that he'd rather not compare himself to anybody.

"I'd rather just go out, compete and show the world what I have to give," he said.