The 2023 NFL draft is in the books for the Kansas City Chiefs, and they have welcomed seven new players to their team.
Brett Veach, Mike Borgonzi and the rest of the scouting department addressed several needs on Kansas City’s roster, adding key pieces at edge rusher, wide receiver and offensive line in the first two days of the draft. On Day 3, the team added some intriguing skill sets on both sides of the ball.
Take a look at the Chiefs’ entire 2023 rookie draft class below:
Kansas State EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 255 pounds
Bio (via Chiefs draft packet): Saw time in 32 games with 27 starts for Kansas State … Finished his career tied for sixth in school history in career sacks (20.5), while hetied for fourth in career forced fumbles (eight) … The second player in school history to tally three games with 3.0 or more sacks (DL Nyle Wiren) … Left college football ranking fourth nationally and tops in the Big 12 among active players in forced fumbles per game (0.25),
while he was sixth nationally and tops in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.64) … Received the following awards and honors: 2022 Lott
IMPACT Trophy Finalist, 2022 Ted Hendricks Award Finalist, 2022 Second Team All-American (Walter Camp, FWAA, AFCA, CBS Sports),
2022 Third Team All-American (Associated Press), 2022 Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist, 2022 Rotary Lombardi Award Semifinalist,
2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (Coaches, AP), 2022 Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year (Coaches), 2022 Bronko Nagurski
Trophy watch list, 2022 Lombardi Award watch list, 2021-22 First Team All-Big 12 (Coaches, Associated Press), 2022 Lott IMPACT Trophy
Player of the Week (Texas Tech), 2021 Third Team All-American (Phil Steele), 2021 Big 12 co-Defensive Lineman of the Year (Coaches),
2021 Honorable Mention Big 12 Def. Player of the Year (Coaches), 2021 Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (TCU), 2021
Bednarik Award Player of the Week (TCU), 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Player of the Week (TCU), 2021 Big 12 Defensive Player of the
Week (TCU), 2021 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Southern Illinois) and 2021 Ted Hendricks Award watch list.
Fit: With the departures of Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap, Anudike-Uzomah figures into the team’s rotation of edge rushers. Andy Reid has indicated that he expects Anudike-Uzomah will get no less action than George Karlaftis saw a season ago. Mike Borgonzi compared him to Chiefs legend Tamba Hali. Where exactly he’ll fit into that rotation remains to be seen, but he’ll certainly face fewer double teams than he did at Kansas State where he was often playing in a 3-3-5 defensive look.
SMU WR Rashee Rice
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 204 pounds
Bio (via Chiefs draft packet): Played in 44 games and started 33 for the Mustangs … In four years (2019-22), Rice hauled in 233 passes for 3,111 yards and 25 touchdowns … Led the FBS in receiving yards per game (112.9) in 2022 … His 1,355 receiving yards (third) and 8.0 receptions per game
(fifth) were top five in the nation during his senior year (2022) … In 2022, was 13th nationally with 10 receiving TDs … Left SMU holding
the single-season receiving yard (1,355 yards in 2022) … Received the finals awards and honors: 2022 AP All-America second-team, 2022
Reese’s Senior Bowl Invite, 2022 Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist, 2022 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist, 2022 Pro Football
Focus second-team All-American and All-AAC first-team, 2022 All-AAC first-team, 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl All-American Offensive Team,
2022 ESPN Top 100: No. 70, 2022 PFF The Athletic Midseason All-American: second-team, 2022 DCTF All-Texas first-team, 2022 Pro
Football Focus Midseason All-American: second-team, 2022 Cajun Bowl Invite, 2022 Phil Steele All-America and All-AAC first-teams, 2022
East-West Shrine Bowl Breakout Offensive Player (Oct. 31), 2022 AAC Weekly Honor Roll (Nov. 28, Oct. 31, Sept. 12), 2022 Earl Campbell
Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention (Nov. 1, Sept. 13, Sept. 6), 2022 Senior Bowl Watch List, 2021 All-AAC Honorable Mention, 2021
Biletnikoff Award Watch List, 2021 PFF All-AAC second-team, 2021 Phil Steele All-AAC third-team, 2021 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award
Honorable Mention (Sept. 21), 2020 Dave Campbell’s All-Texas College second-team and 2020 Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
Fit: A physical wide receiver with an impressive highlight reel of contested catches, Rice will provide the Chiefs with a brand of receiver that they don’t necessarily have on the roster. He’s really strong at tracking the deep ball and making plays outside of the structure of the offense. It’s a skillset that also seems to mesh well with what Patrick Mahomes does in Kansas City.
Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris:
Measurables: 6-foot-6, 307 pounds
Bio (via Chiefs draft packet): Spent 2019-20 seasons at Tennessee before transferring to Oklahoma for 2021-22 seasons … Played in 37 career games (15 at Oklahoma) and made 27 starts (eight at OU) … While at Tennessee in 2020, allowed two sacks on 195 pass-blocking plays according to PFF and was flagged for just three penalties on 398 total snaps … During his true-freshman year at Tennessee in 2019, he helped pave way for a season-high 297-yard rushing performance against Vanderbilt (11/30), helped protect Jarrett Guarantano at Missouri when the
quarterback became the third Volunteer to ever pass for 400 yards (11/23) and started at left tackle vs. Georgia State (8/31) to become
first Tennessee true freshman offensive lineman to start in a season opener since 2017 … Received the following awards and honors:
2022 AP All-Big 12 second-team, 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team, 2019 247Sports True Freshman All-America Team and 2019 The
Athletic’s Midseason Freshman All-America Team.
Fit: A physical blocker with a nasty streak, Morris has multi-positional versatility. He’ll likely come in to compete at the right tackle position, but he’s the type of player who could end up playing multiple spots if necessary through the course of a season. He’s really calm and collected in his pass sets with the ability to get adequate depth in K.C.’s pass-heavy offense. He has the necessary power and movement skills to be an effective run blocker in the NFL game too.
Virginia Tech DB Chamarri Conner
Measurables: 6-foot, 202 pounds
Bio (via Chiefs draft packet): Played 61 games (starting 57) in five seasons (2018-22) for Virginia Tech … Recorded 314 tackles (207 solo), 21 TFLs (-110yds), 7.5 sacks (-73yds), four interceptions returned for 20 yards, 23 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and one block … Finished his college career ranked 10th all-time at VT in career tackles … Received the following awards and honors: 2022-23 Reese’s Senior Bowl selection, 2021 All-ACC Honorable Mention (S), 2021 Phil Steele All-ACC Second Team, 2021 ESPN All-ACC Midseason Team, ACC Defensive Back of the Week (Sept. 7, 2021), 2020 All-ACC Honorable Mention (CB) and 2020 Phil Steele All-ACC Third Team.
Fit: A multi-phase special teamer and utility defensive back at Virginia Tech, Conner looks to pick up where he left off in college with his new team in the NFL. He says he models his game after Budda Baker and that certainly shows up in his tape. He’s physical when attacking downhill and is opportunistic when making plays on the football, especially when it comes to forcing fumbles and breaking up passes. He was also a really productive player in the blitz game with 7.5 sacks during his career.
SFA DE BJ Thompson
Measurables: 6-foot-6, 240 pounds
Bio (via Chiefs draft packet): Transferred to Stephen F. Austin, where he had to sit out during the 2019 season due to NCAA rules … Recorded 20.0 sacks in three seasons (2020-22) with the Lumberjacks … In 2022, Thompson was a first-team All-WAC selection, leading the team with 5.0 sacks along
with 25 tackles, 6.5 for loss and three forced fumbles in 11 starts … Originally committed to Baylor, playing two seasons there (2017-18)
and seeing action in 19 games (three starts) … As a Bear, accumulated 18 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, three quaterback pressures, one pass breakup and three blocked kicks … Won football team slam dunk contest during halftime of Baylor basketball game in Feb. 2018.
Fit: Thompson is a developmental speed rusher with 34-inch arms, who needs to add more weight to his frame. He’s someone with high upside who will push some guys at the bottom of the roster in Kansas City. He also has potential to be an impact contributor on special teams with three blocked kicks during his career at Stephen F. Austin.
Texas DT Keondre Coburn
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 332 pounds
Bio (via Chiefs draft packet): A five-year defensive lineman who played in 51 career games and started 45 times at Texas … Named second-team All-Big 12 by the league’s coaches and the AP in 2022 … A 2022 third-team All-Big 12 Preseason selection by Athlon Sports … Named preseason fourth-team All-Big 12 by Phil Steele in 2022 … Selected to the 2021 Bednarik Award preseason watch list … A third-team All-Big 12 Preseason selection by Athlon Sports in 2021 … Named a fourth-team All-Big 12 Preseason selection by Phil Steele in 2021 … Named All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2020 and 2021 … Earned Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2021 … A first-team preseason All-Texas
selection by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine in 2020 … An All-Big 12 Preseason selection by Phil Steele in 2019 and 2020 …Was a high school All-American and three-time all-district honoree … A four-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
(spring 2020, fall 2020, spring 2021, fall 2022).
Fit: Kansas City had no defensive tackles under contract beyond the 2023 NFL season. This was quietly a big position of need for the team, who lost Khalen Saunders to the Saints in free agency. Coburn will immediately earn snaps in a rotation that features DT Derrick Nnadi as the only other true run-stopping nose tackle on the team. He has a ton of experience with over 45 career starts at Texas, which should translate to the next level.
Ball State CB Nic Jones
Measurables: 6-foot, 185 pounds
Bio (via Chiefs draft packet): Played in 37 games at Ball State (2019-22) … Notched 64 tackles (49 solo), one tackle for loss, three interceptions returned for 12 yards, 22 passes defensed and two blocks … Returned five kicks for 94 yards … Received the Ball State John Hodge Award given to the team’s most outstanding freshman in 2019.
Fit: Jones can play inside/out on the defensive side of the ball, but he was also a core special teamer at Ball State. He played on the punt coverage and kick coverage teams and made some really good plays for those units. Shifting back to defense, Jones has some really nice ball skills with 15 career passes defended and three interceptions. He also notched an interception in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
