Chiefs Trade Up, Select Chamarri Conner With No. 119 Overall Pick
The Kansas City Chiefs opened Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft with their first selection of the slate being pick No. 134. That didn't last too long, though, as general manager Brett Veach and company executed a trade-up with the Minnesota Vikings (per Field Yates of ESPN) that saw No. 134 and a 2024 fifth-round pick go to Minnesota in exchange for pick 119.
With the fourth-round selection, Kansas City is drafting Virginia Tech defensive back Chamarri Conner.
Conner, who turns 23 this summer, amassed 314 tackles over the course of his career with the Hokies. The defensive back also logged 21 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four interceptions and 19 passes broken up. He forced four fumbles in the process, serving as a legitimate factor in the Virginia Tech secondary.
According to Conner's Pro Football Focus NFL Draft profile, he lined up in various different spots for Virginia Tech over the course of his career. In his senior campaign, he spent 279 snaps in the slot but also logged 253 snaps deep and 121 in the box. He was a jack-of-all-trades for the Hokies, and that makes him an intriguing fit in Steve Spagnuolo's defense in Kansas City.
Conner is a 6-foot, 202-pound primary safety who had a stellar pre-draft process. Posting elite grades for explosion on the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) scale, he also ran a nice 4.51-second 40-yard dash and his 10-yard split was equally impressive. Conner's athleticism will help him early in his career as he likely latches on with the special teams unit and works his way up from there.
The NFL Draft Bible on Sports Illustrated has a brief scouting report on Conner's game:
An experienced defensive back who was misused in 2019 and 2020, Chamarri Conner has flashed the athleticism and potential to develop into a contributor at strong safety in the NFL; to reach that point, he must improve his tackling and awareness in coverage.
Chiefs area scout Anthony McGee praises Conner's willingness and ability to do whatever the team needs from him, also projecting him as a special teams ace of sorts:
Conner joins a safety room that already features Justin Reid and Bryan Cook leading the way at the top of the depth chart. Behind them, free agent acquisition Mike Edwards projects to be safety No. 3 and Deon Bush was re-signed on another one-year deal during the offseason. Additionally, 2022 seventh-round pick Nazeeh Johnson is in the picture. Conner will make that group quite a crowded one, but his versatility could be what helps him stand a solid chance of latching onto Kansas City's roster as a rookie.
