The Kansas City Chiefs grabbed Texas DT Keondre Coburn with the 194th pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
This was a move that was needed in Kansas City. The defensive line room is lacking investment beyond the 2023 NFL season and they lost a key interior piece from a season ago in Khalen Saunders.
Listed 6-foot-2, 332 pounds, Coburn is a defensive tackle who can play nose tackle in a few different fronts. He’s strong as an ox and plays with great effort, energy and poise. He’s got short arms, but interior defensive linemen can get away with a lack of length at times. His get-off is noticeably quick for a player of his size and stature.
Pass-rushing isn’t going to be his strength, but he has shown some pass-rush ability during his career at Texas. Last season, he recorded over 30 pressures, including four sacks for the Longhorns defense.
Expect him to come in and immediately push for snaps in a rotation with Derrick Nnadi. Don’t be surprised if he’s playing upwards of 25 snaps per game by the end of the season as a rookie. Consistency will be the big thing that the Chiefs’ coaching staff will need to work with him on in order to reach his full potential.
