NFL

Kansas City Chiefs Draft Picks 2023 – The Chiefs select a home-town prospect

April 30, 2023 10:28 am

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Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI/ABACAPRESS.COM
By Icon Sport

Winning the Super Bowl LVII gave the last first round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs at the 2023 NFL Draft. It didn’t look like a opportunity to grab a talent that will boost the team in the upcoming season but the feeling is that the Chiefs, as usual, did a great job.

Chiefs Draft Picks 2023

The Chiefs have the right of 8 picks at this years’ NFL draft.

First-round pick (31st): Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State

The Chiefs were more focused on free agency than on the Draft but things went pretty good on day 1 of the event that this year takes place in Kansas City. The Chiefs selected Felix Anudike-Uzomah who is born in Kansas City and played college football at Kansas State. Many are surprised to see him being picked in the first round but the Chiefs knew exactly what they need.

Anudike-Uzomah could not dream of a better selection as he will stay home to play professional football for the reigning Super Bowl winners. He is a 6-ffot-4, 255 pounds defensive edge who could have been in his junior year in college. Anudike-Uzomah was a standout at Lee’s Summit High School in Kansas City earning first-team all-state honors in his senior year. He didn’t play much in his freshman season with the Jayhawks, making 5 appearances with three tackles and one sack. He had a breakout season in his sophomore year as he shared the Big 12 Conference Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year award with Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV. Anudike-Uzomak was named to the first-team all-conference selection tied for the FBS lead with six forced fumbles and tied for 10th with 11 sacks. He also earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors with team highs of 11 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Second-round pick (55th from Minnesota through Detroit): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU

SMU has not made some significant accomplishments regarding winning trophies, but they have been one of the best schools for producing wide receivers for the NFL. Their last product is Rashee Rice who the Chiefs selected late in the second round. He is a 6-foot-1, 204 pounds wide receiver with a compact frame and an excellent proportional length. With his overall athleticism, Rice can be a very valuable threat. He has come a long way from being a three-star recruit coming off high school, to a solid college player and finally being drafted for the NFL. He is coming off an impressive senior season with the Mustangs putting up 96 catches for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns across 12 games, all while dealing with a lingering foot injury.

Third-round pick (92nd from Cincinnati): Wanya Morris, OL, Oklahoma

The Chiefs traded both of their starting offensive tackles from last season and selecting Wanya Morris in the third round may give this Sooner a real chance from Day 1 in the big league. Morris has the appropriate arm length for the NFL just like the foot speed and pedigree as a former five-star recruit going into college. He has experience at both left and right tackle, making him a viable option to be the swing tackle for the Chiefs. The defending champions will surely benefit from this pick whether he becomes the starter at right tackle or he pushes another player to perform better to hold his spot. For him to become the starter on a winning team, Morris has to continue to improve his functional strength and develop his hands better.

Fourth-round pick (119th): Chamarri Conner, CB, Virginia Tech

Conner had numerous options coming from high school and he chose to go at Virginia Tech. He had a slow start with the Hokies but made progress every year. Going to his fifth year in college, he did not made the leap everyone expected of him having 67 total tackles without any sacks or interceptions. He finished his college career with 207 solo tackles, 107 assisted tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and four interceptions.

Fifth-round pick (166th): BJ Thompson, Edge, Stephen F. Austin

Thompson is a talented player and could have been drafted much higher if he wasn’t a thin build and is easily out-positioned by tight ends. He definitely lakes some bulk and didn’t have strong senior season. However, he is a Chief now and will need a year under the wight program in Kansas City to gain the body that is needed to get playing time with the Chiefs.

Sixth-round pick (194th from Detroit): Keondre Coburn, DT, Texas

Coburn is a quick, explosive defensive tackle with outstanding size and a NFL-ready body. Being 6-foot-1 and 338 pounds, he can fire off the snap with a quick first step, consistently getting leverage on opponents, and is tough to knock off the point. Coburn appeared in 13 games with 12 starts, totaling 28 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two quarterback hurries. He was named honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year by the league’s coaches.

Seventh-round pick (250th): Nick Jones, CB, Ball State

Jones is coming off a solid senior season with Ball State as he racked up 23 tackles, two interceptions, and 12 deflections, earning second-team All-MAC honors in the process. He is a well-built cornerback with excellent proportional length and reach. He flashes great initial explosiveness and long-strider acceleration coming downhill. Jones has enough long-strider speed to carry receivers up field and gather with his length and the high-level reactive athleticism, twitch, and foot speed to match off the line.

Chiefs Draft Grade: B-

There is not a lot of hype for Anudike-Uzomak who will not make any difference on the star-packed Chiefs team. Still, this is a solid move by the Chiefs given the position they had in the first round. They got a 21-year-old local product who has made huge improvement last year. With his potential, work ethic and the chance to work in Chiefs organization, Anudike-Uzomak can become a valuable asset for the Chiefs defense in the future. He plays with the sense of urgency and relentlessness and the fact that he will stay home will make his adaptation to the big league much easier. Many analyst think that the Chiefs could have traded pick No. 31 and still have Anudike-Uzomak available in the second round. However, they got a talent they can work with and that can be ready to take over some of the load when Mike Danna becomes a free agent in 2024. Drafting Rice that late in the second round may prove to be a real steal for the Chiefs.

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