The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII with the help of their 2022 NFL draft class. A whopping nine draft picks played snaps, with four drawing starts in the big game.
For Kansas City, the draft will become ever more vital as they get deeper into Patrick Mahomes’ contract. They must continue to find young talent to contribute early in their careers to keep their window open in a very competitive AFC conference.
With less than a month until the draft, all 32 NFL teams are narrowing their options before making it official in Kansas City. Free agency has shaken up team needs, impacting some things during recent mock drafts.
Here’s a look at the latest mock drafts and who analysts have sent to the Chiefs in the first round:
NFL.com - Cynthia Frelund
Chiefs select Kansas State EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Bryan Bresee, Will McDonald and Adetomiwa Adebawore all flag as valuable picks here, too, but Anudike-Uzomah slightly edges them all out. Oh the puns. The former Wildcat ranked eighth in the FBS last year in pass-rush win rate on true pass sets (34%) and seventh in pressure rate (28%), per PFF.
ESPN - Jordan Reid
Chiefs select Northwestern EDGE Adetomiwa Adebawore
Based on the defenders the Chiefs have targeted in previous drafts, they highly covet prospects who can generate consistent pressure. Watch Adebawore’s performance against Ohio State from last season and you’ll see he’s capable of that. That game film is what scouts and evaluators bring up when mentioning why he’ll be a first-round pick. He didn’t have a sack, but he was really solid. Add on running a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at 6-2, 282 pounds, and Adebawore is a unique player who would be a welcome addition to an ascending defense. Adding him to play with George Karlaftis, a first-round pick last season, and recently signed Charles Omenihu would give Kansas City three options off the edge who all are physical run defenders too.
CBS Sports - Kyle Stockpole
Chiefs select Michigan DT Mazi Smith.
The Chiefs go interior instead of edge here, pairing the ultra-athletic Mazi Smith with All-Pro Chris Jones.
Bleacher Report - NFL Scouting Department
Chiefs select South Dakota State TE Tucker Kraft.
At 6’5″ and 254 pounds, Kraft is an excellent athlete for the position. He brings a blend of speed, change of direction and power that you often only see from the league’s elite tight ends. He’s a bit clunky in how he moves right now, which is more a product of playing with an unrefined skill set at a lower level of football than anything else. But he has all the athletic tools to get cleaned up and blossom into a star.
Pro Football Focus- Gordon McGuinness
Chiefs select Ohio State OT Dawand Jones.
The Chiefs can sit and wait to see which edge rushers or tackles fall to No. 31. Jones measures in at a whopping 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds and allowed just five pressures from 419 pass-blocking snaps in 2022.
Impressive at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, Hall has posted PFF pass-rushing grades of at least 80.0 in each of the past three seasons. In 2022, he registered 47 total pressures from 349 pass-rushing snaps.
Notes on latest mock drafts:
The Chiefs have various options on the defensive line and will be in the market to replace veterans. The departures of Frank Clark and Khalen Saunders have opened the door to more youth on the defensive line, with the possibility of a selection in the first round.
Tucker Kraft feels doubtful, with Kansas City boasting considerable depth at the position following the re-signing of veteran Blake Bell. The group of mock drafts we looked at this week didn’t feature any wide receivers, which is surprising considering the Chiefs’ lack of free-agency movement at the position. The offensive line could use a new addition, but that may be addressed in later rounds.
