Survey: KC Chiefs See Significant Drop in Fan Reaction Following 2023 NFL Draft
The football world isn't even a full month removed from the 2023 NFL Draft just yet, leaving fanbases with plenty of opportunities to reflect on the job their respective teams did in acquiring new talent with their picks. For the Kansas City Chiefs, their seven-selection haul has met some mixed reviews in recent weeks. In conjunction with that, fans are also varying in terms of their responses to general manager Brett Veach's draft.
In April, Sportsbook Review conducted a pre-draft survey of 3,000-plus fans throughout North America to inquire about their confidence in their favorite team's ability to have a successful 2023 draft. With an average anticipation/confidence score of 7.32, Kansas City took home the second overall spot among all NFL clubs. Now that the draft is in the rearview mirror, however, a follow-up survey with the same fans showed a change of heart relative to expectation.
In Sportsbook Review's follow-up, the Chiefs' average score based on fan assessment of draft performance dropped by 0.47 points. That was the second-largest decline amongst all 32 teams, trailing only the Jacksonville Jaguars (-0.57 compared to the original score). Here's a detailed look at the bottom 16:
Despite the severe decrease in average score, the Chiefs' 6.85 average still ranked sixth in the league. Dropping out of the top five is noteworthy, although fans weren't too negative about the performance of Veach and company in April's draft. Finishing ahead of Kansas City in the follow-up survey were the New York Giants (6.93), Pittsburgh Steelers (7.40), Houston Texans (7.44), Seattle Seahawks (7.67) and Philadelphia Eagles (8.04).
The Chiefs' 2023 draft saw the team make a pick in each of the seven rounds after making a few trades over the course of the weekend. Highlighted by defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah and wide receiver Rashee Rice at the top, the rookie crop also has intriguing depth pieces such as Wanya Morris, BJ Thompson and others scattered throughout Days Two and Three. The value of this specific draft class won't be determined for quite some time and while the surveyed fans didn't feel as great as they initially did, their responses managed to compare favorably league-wide.
