Chiefs Scouts reveal thoughts on 5th round selection WR Cyrus Allen

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Cyrus Allen with the 176th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chiefs’ scouting department weighed in strongly on the decision to select Allen in the 5th round during their post-draft press conference.

“His (Cyrus Allen) competitive energy, his spirit, the way he goes about every day.” said Northeast Area Scout Cassidy Kaminski, “He showed up with an injury that he had to work through and practice through, and you couldn’t get one single person in that building to say anything but very strong, positive things about the way he approached the rehab,the way he showed up competitively, even though he couldn’t compete yet. He was competitive through that process.”

Allen’s impressive acceleration and top-end speed help him separate from defenders regularly. He’s a standout on go routes and slot fades, making him an ideal fit into the Chiefs’ current roster, according to Kaminski.

“I think he’s (Cyrus Allen) a guy that probably more predominantly lights up the inside for us, in more of a slot type of receiver, but (he) does have the ability to win at the line of scrimmage on the outside,” said Kaminski. “So, I think he comes in and provides some of that ability as a slot guy right away with some of those traits to possibly translate outside.”

Allen tied for third last season in the FBS with 13 receiving touchdowns, setting a University of Cincinnati single-season record.

“He is a guy we were just talking about that times well, but when somebody is chasing him, he just seems to run faster,” said Kaminski. “It’s one of those guys that the more the competitive element are there, the more you’re going to get out of him. So yeah, I think RAC is going to be something this guy’s going to definitely be able to help us out with.”

Last season, Allen was named Second-team All-Big 12 Conference and led Cincinnati with 51 receptions and 674 receiving yards. He started all 13 games in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs Scouts reveal thoughts on 5th round selection WR Cyrus Allen