Chiefs 2023 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 1.0
The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII with quite a bit of assistance from their rookie class, and the 2023 NFL Draft presents general manager Brett Veach with an opportunity to keep adding to his resume as a talent evaluator.
With Kansas City hosting the draft, all eyes will be on how the defending champions insulate their roster with additional depth. The team has already been busy on the news front before the new league year even begins, as left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. wasn't offered a franchise tag and defensive end Frank Clark was released by the team. That opens the door for some potential shuffling in free agency but also, April's draft has an abundant prospect pool across the board.
In Mock Draft Roundup 1.0, let's take a look at some of the top sites and analysts from draft circles and see who they're predicting will become a Chief ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. With a variety of different options listed and more to come in the weeks leading up to the draft, there will be no shortage of draft coverage to go around. That certainly applies to Kansas City, an organization with a ton of capital to work with.
All mocks are updated as of March 8.
The Athletic: Dawand Jones (OT, Ohio State)
Dane Brugler, one of the most respected folks in draft circles on a yearly basis, published his mock draft 3.0 on Tuesday morning. In it, he has the Chiefs taking Ohio State offensive lineman Dawand Jones. The 374-pounder is almost surely a fit on the right side of the line and has drawn (perhaps easy) comparisons to Brown. Here's more from Brugler:
The Chiefs will be tasked with reworking their depth chart at offensive tackle this offseason, so they potentially could address the position with this pick. At 6-8 and 374 pounds with 36 3/8-inch arms, Jones (who is still only 21 years old) is a mammoth blocker and made tremendous strides over the last calendar year with his big-man balance.
NFL.com: Derick Hall (EDGE, Auburn)
In Lance Zierlein's NFL mock draft 2.0, he has the Chiefs rolling the dice on Auburn defensive end prospect Derick Hall. Hall, who recorded 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in his senior season with the Tigers, posted terrific speed grades at the Combine fueled by a 4.55-second 40-yard dash. His size (6'23/4", 254 pounds) falls a bit below the bottom end of typical Steve Spagnuolo thresholds, though, which may be a concern for anyone in Chiefs circles. More from Zierlein:
With Frank Clark on his way out, Hall could become a coveted target here, allowing the Chiefs to pair the Auburn product with George Karlaftis as a young tandem able to crater the edges while Chris Jones wrecks shop inside.
ESPN: Hall
Nothing different here from ESPN's Todd McShay, as he also has the Chiefs taking Hall. His reasoning is set up by entertaining options at safety, running back and even tight end before he ultimately decided on a pass-rusher being added into the mix. Here's his second paragraph — one that explains the Hall projection:
All decent options. But adding another pass-rusher never hurts, and while the Chiefs were second in sacks last season, 21 of their 55 came when defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo dialed up a blitz. Hall had 16 sacks and 26 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, and he just posted a 10-foot-7 broad jump and ran the 40 in 4.55 seconds at 254 pounds at the combine. That's really good. He's sudden and takes off in a flash. Let's add him to the mix in K.C. opposite 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis, especially with Carlos Dunlap and now Frank Clark hitting free agency.
Bleacher Report: Will McDonald IV (EDGE, Iowa State)
B/R's scouting department which consists of Brandon Thorn, Brent Sobleski, Cory Giddings, Derrik Klassen and Matt Holder came up with the site's post-Combine mock draft. Holder appears to have been in primary charge of the Chiefs' selection, one that sees Will McDonald sport a uniform in Kansas City next season. The Iowa State product collected 34 sacks throughout his college career, including double-digit totals in 2020 and 2021 before having five in his final season. He's significantly undersized for a typical Chiefs pass-rusher, though. Below is the reasoning behind the pick:
"Kansas City's No. 1 goal this offseason should be to get Chris Jones some pass rush help," Holder said. "While Iowa State's Will McDonald IV must add bulk to his 6'4", 239-pound frame and strength to become an every-down player, he specializes in getting after the quarterback.
"The good news for Chiefs fans is Karlaftis can handle the first- and second-down duties and then the Cyclone can come in on third downs to form a nice pass-rush trio."
Pro Football Focus: Felix Anudike-Uzomah (EDGE, Kansas State)
Renowned PFF analysts Mike Renner and Sam Monson got together to host a live mock draft using the site's simulator, and the results came out with the Chiefs landing a local prospect. Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the No. 33 player on their big board, posted solid measurables (considering the expectations for him) at the Combine but didn't work out. He's one of the better speed-rushing EDGE prospects in this draft class, however, which should lead to his stock only being helped once he has a Pro Day. Here's Monson on the pick:
“Not only does he have good tape, good production, but the stuff he was saying at the podium [at the combine] demonstrates intelligence and a plan. He understands what he's doing — he has a game plan and approach to rushing the passer.” — Sam Monson
The 33rd Team: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, Ohio State)
Mock Draft 4.0 from The 33rd Team's scouting department is a three-round effort for all 32 teams. At pick No. 31, the group sends Ohio State wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba to Kansas City. Smith-Njigba posted a surprising 9.39 Relative Athletic Score based on the work he did do at the Combine, headlined by some elite agility scores. His looming 40-yard dash time will likely make or break his draft stock, which could either benefit or hurt the Chiefs' chances of landing him. Here's more on the selection:
There are serious questions about the speed of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but it is difficult to argue with results. The talented receiver posted 95 receptions, 1,606 yards, and nine touchdowns as a true sophomore while sharing the field with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. This could be a sneaky good pick and should work well with Patrick Mahomes.
CBS Sports: Multiple different players
The CBS Sports crew has four different major mock drafts on its site, and each analyst listed has the Chiefs picking a separate player. Ryan Wilson's pick is Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, and Chris Trapasso has Kansas City landing another Clemson defensive line prospect in Myles Murphy. Elsewhere, Josh Edwards and Kyle Stackpole project that the team will select George EDGE Nolan Smith and Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, respectively.
