NFL OTAs are less than two weeks away, giving the Kansas City Chiefs a chance to see all of the talent on the 91-man offseason roster in one setting.
This season’s team will not be short on rookies, and the Chiefs have signed a few interesting undrafted free agents to add to the pool of young talent.
Of the undrafted free agents, one of the most intriguing is tight end John Michael-Gyllenborg from the University of Wyoming
John Michael-Gyllenborg
Gyllenborg is from Kansas City, Missouri and went to Rockhurst High School, playing
only one season of high school football, enough to earn a scholarship from Wyoming.
After quickly earning a scholarship, he went on to play four years for the Cowboys and was a second-team all Mountain West performer in 2024.
A dip in production during the 2025 season likely caused his draft stock to drop somewhat, but he remained a hot commodity with teams due to an excellent athletic profile.
As fate would have it, Gyllenborg was not selected in the draft, but this gave him the chance to sign with his hometown Chiefs.
At the team’s rookie minicamp, he described what the experience meant to him so far.
Gyllenborg has a real path to making the active roster once its cut down to 53 players before Week 1, given the lack of surefire depth behind star tight end Travis Kelce.
Player analysis
With very little organized football under his belt, Gyllenborg relied heavily on athletic ability and yard-after-catch situations to create big plays. They did not come often, but when they did, he created explosive plays for his team.
Using his larger frame to create separation at the catch point, Gyllenborg makes the contested catch, keeps his balance, and fights for yards after the play.
A good vertical route runner, Gyllenborg has the explosion and timing to haul in downfield passing plays. It’s this ability, combined with the athletic profile, that makes him an interesting prospect.
One area he will be able to show off right away in Kansas City is his ability to create yards after the catch.
Running a simple flat route away from the run fake, the quarterback dumps the ball down to Gyllenborg, who makes the catch and turns on the jets.
This play is a good example of how Wyoming schemed to open Gyllenborg on pass plays to take advantage of his physical gifts.
Despite those abilities, Gyllenborg still has several areas of his game that need improvement. His blocking is below average, and his overall route running needs to take a step forward to survive in the NFL.
The flashes are great, but he still needs plenty of development in his overall game to have a chance to make the team.
The bottom line
Gyllenborg should be a shoo-in for the practice squad and a dark-horse candidate for the active roster. He is not a complete prospect yet, but the Chiefs have a tremendous need for another playmaker at his position.
The current state of the Chiefs’ tight end room is not great, and the only players guaranteed roster spots are Kelce and Noah Gray, with third-year tight end, former fourth-round pick Jared Wiley, looking to break out.
If any other player were to emerge from the rest of the pack as a standout, they would have the fast track to make the active roster.
Gyllenborg will be a player to keep an eye on in camp, and could be a future playmaker for the Chiefs.
