The 2023 NFL draft is upon us.
In just a few days, we’ll know who the Kansas City Chiefs have selected with their top draft pick. With that in mind, it’s time to hear from some of the Chiefs Wire staff about the players that they’ve come to call favorites during the course of draft season. These players could be surefire first-rounders, guys with high upside, sleepers, or really any of a multitude of draft superlatives.
Here’s a look at some of our 2023 NFL draft crushes:
Charles Goldman:
Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith: I know that Smith isn’t for everyone with his injury history and lack of elite production. He admittedly takes a ton of projection, but he’s one of those players who just moves differently than everyone else on the field when you watch him. Even when he’s not making the play, he seems to be finding a way to impact it.
He’s an elite run defender for his size (6-foot-2 and 239 pounds), which tells me he’s not going to be pigeon-holed into a “pass-rush specialist” designation. His first step is incredibly quick, sudden and he can bend the corner with the best of them in this draft class. He’s also clearly a student of the game because he plays with so much decisiveness on a snap-to-snap basis. He always has a plan and an idea about how he can exploit a certain look.
Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott: I know that Chiefs fans yearn for a big receiver, possession-type receiver to replace some of what the team lost in JuJu Smith-Schuster. I still tend to think that the biggest boon to this offense is adding speed – and Scott has it. He’s only 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, but his ability to go from 0-to-100 is unrivaled in this draft class. It didn’t translate at the combine, but what he showed on tape at Cincinnati is crazy impressive.
He had 84 receptions for 1,419 yards and 14 touchdowns in the past two seasons at Cincinnati without having top-tier quarterback play. He can beat you vertically on deep posts and corner routes, but he can also be a yard-after-the-catch threat on crossing routes, slants and screen passes.
Oklahoma RT Wanya Morris: In a draft class that is really lacking at the offensive tackle position, Morris is a pleasant surprise. This 6-foot-5 and 307-pound tackle prospect has experience at both the left and right tackle positions. He also played left guard in 2019 at Tennessee.
He’s long, athletic and powerful to boot. He also has a nasty streak in the run game and in pass protection with a knack for finishing plays. I suspect that he got some of that mentality playing next to Trey Smith with the Volunteers prior to transferring to Oklahoma. It’d be really cool to see those two reunited in Kansas City. He has the potential to be a 10-year starter in this league.
Wesley Roesch:
Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman: I hate to list one of the same players as my brother did below, but great minds think alike. Tillman is perfect for what the Chiefs need at receiver: a big-bodied bully who can take and deliver punishment and be used on all parts of the field. He’d be a perfect replacement for JuJu Smith-Schuster and could likely contribute right away.
Tillman may have just decent speed, but that doesn’t matter because Kansas City has enough speedy receivers. What they need is a strong wideout who can use his length to make tough catches. I could imagine Tillman being a rock for Patrick Mahomes to lean on in dire situations.
Georgia OT Broderick Jones: It’s a shame that Jones likely won’t be available when the Chiefs pick because he’s one of the most pro-ready players in this draft in my opinion. He offers impressive athleticism that the Chiefs have needed at left tackle, plus good footwork, strong hands and veteran-like instincts.
Jones will need to develop a bit more strength in the pros, but he has such great skills for someone that has started for less than two years at left tackle. To me, the Chiefs could actually put him at starting left tackle Day 1 if they were to draft him — the downside is that it’d require K.C. to move up to get him. Would it be worth it? I think so.
Texas DT Keondre Coburn: I really hope Coburn is available for the Chiefs to take on day three because he’s a beast and would be a perfect fit next to Chris Jones on first and second downs. Coburn is huge and has an effective bull rush, but can also work side to side to get after runners in between the tackles.
Coburn isn’t exactly known for his pass-rushing prowess, but that’s something that can be developed as he works on his hand technique. In year one he can contribute as a run defender which the Chiefs desperately need in the middle of their defensive line.
Nick Roesch:
Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison: Look, I know Patrick Mahomes leading the Chiefs to a Super Bowl championship on one leg was legendary, but it’s not something I want to see again. I want my franchise quarterback upright and healthy. Selecting Harrison would solidify the offensive line and make it one of the best in the league. He has the size, length, strength and hands to succeed in the NFL and start as a rookie. Harrison also has quick feet and the athleticism that the Chiefs like to see in their offensive linemen.
The biggest concern with Harrison is that he played in an offense at Oklahoma that was run first and didn’t stretch the field vertically much. However, I believe that there’s enough tape of his athletic traits on display to have confidence in his ability to sustain blocks for long periods of time. The Chiefs could give reps to Harrison and Jawaan Taylor at both left and right tackle during the offseason and determine who is the best fit for each side.
Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman: The Chiefs have plenty of small, speedy receivers. Even Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who has good size at 6-foot-4, is a speedster who struggles with drops. K.C. needs a receiver like Tillman, who is as physical as they come. He can make tough catches in traffic, has big, reliable hands (just five drops on 104 career targets) and is tough to tackle in space.
Tillman would be the perfect replacement for JuJu-Smith Schuster and would be an instant contributor for the Chiefs’ offense. He absolutely dominated elite SEC programs Alabama and Georgia, catching a combined 17 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns against them. That tells me he can handle NFL competition.
Missouri EDGE Isaiah McGuire: From a height and weight perspective, McGuire fits what defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes in a defensive end to a t. In fact, McGuire kind of reminds me of a young Frank Clark. At 6-foot-4 and 268 pounds, McGuire is a beast who possesses awesome power and has multiple pass rushing moves.
He tested very well at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.7 40-yard dash and a 35-inch vertical. He needs some fine tuning as a run defender, but easily has the size to set the edge effectively. With this draft class being so deep at edge, someone is going to get a steal with McGuire, and I hope it’s the Chiefs.
John Dillon:
Auburn RB Tank Bigsby: This guy is an absolute wrecking ball, and would be closer to the top of the board at the running back position in a weaker class. Bigsby still has some work to do if he intends to secure an every-down role in the NFL, and is something of a one-trick pony who excels primarily between the tackles, but his upside is unquestionable.
His uncanny lateral quickness should translate well in the pros and with a larger frame than most backs in the class, Bigsby should have a chance to compete for snap share as a rookie. He’ll need some time to develop, but in a system that needs an explosive runner out of the backfield, he is likely to carve out a niche for himself as a capable second option early in his career.
Florida State DB Jammie Robinson: Robinson seems to fit the mold of what Chiefs general manager Brett Veach likes in his defensive backs. He can play nearly every position in the secondary and will enter the NFL as one of the more experienced rookie defenders in the 2023 class with 37 starts under his belt as a collegian. Pair that with one of the best names that this draft has to offer, and you’ve got everything a writer might like in a potential prospect.
He didn’t test particularly well at the combine, and won’t be the tallest or fastest guy on a team’s defense, but his tape tells the tale of a prospect that plays at a far higher level than his physical attributes might otherwise indicate. Robinson’s versatility should warrant a selection early on day three, though a team with needs in their secondary may look to sneak him in as a late third-round selection.
Baylor DT Siaki Ika: Kansas City lost Khalen Saunders to free agency and could stand to add some beef to their defensive line to compensate for it. Enter Siaki Ika, one of the biggest players in the class and an absolute space-eater on the defensive line who has enough craft in his game to consistently keep centers and guards on their toes.
The Chiefs finally started to figure out how to put up an effective defense in 2022 but struggled to stop the run at times. Ika could become a key figure for the team as a run-stuffer up front if he were to make his way to Kansas City, and likely wouldn’t cost the team their first or second-round picks to bring him in.
