The NFL Draft had its final day in Kansas City this past Saturday, and now that the dust has settled, initial thoughts on the draft are pouring in. As to be expected, I have some thoughts on it as well that I'd like to share, and I hope you have some thoughts you'd like to share as well! Let's get started.
Name | College | Position | Rd | Pick | Grade |
Felix Anudike-Uzomah | Kansas State | EDGE | 1 | 31 | B+ |
Rashee Rice | SMU | WR | 2 | 55 | B |
Wanya Morris | Oklahoma | OT | 3 | 91 | A- |
Chamarri Conner | Virginia Tech | S | 4 | 119 | A- |
BJ Thompson | Stephen F. Austin | EDGE | 5 | 166 | A |
Keondre Coburn | Texas | DT | 6 | 194 | A- |
Nic Jones | Ball State | CB | 7 | 250 | B |
OVERALL | - | - | - | - | A- |
Overall, I give this draft a solid A-. Not as ideal as it could have been, in my opinion, but still solid and wildly underrated by other pundits. The Chiefs filled their needs and did it with guys that could potentially be plug and play starters. Let's start with Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The hometown kid from Lee's Summit with explosiveness, strength, and a high ceiling. He will still need to develop a bit, but given the development of George Karlaftis this past season, that shouldn't be a big worry. It could potentially be seen as a reach, and the Chiefs did try to trade up for who I assume to be one of those wide receivers taken off the board in picks 20-25, but I think FAU is certainly a great talent and could develop with a chip on his shoulder, being a first rounder and local kid. Rashee Rice could also be seen as a reach, however according to Veach they were quite high on him. He's got length and speed that could make him a force in a deep Chiefs wide receiver room. The group of 5 player label though I think scares a few. Wanya Morris played with Trey Smith at Tennessee before transferring to OU and has excellent pass pro skills and serviceable run block ability. Paired with Smith at Tennessee, they made for a deadly combo on film, which has me excited. Chamarri Conner is the Juan Thornhill replacement and potentially the La'Jarius Sneed replacement if things fall through in 2024, and the fact that the Chiefs traded up to get him has me intrigued as to what exactly they saw. On film, he looks pretty good and he has good numbers stat wise but falling to round 4 is something to watch. BJ Thompson is potentially my favorite pick of this draft. While he is a small school guy, he's a Baylor transfer that is incredibly explosive (a 4.4 40 as an EDGE is DANGEROUS), excels in the pass rush, and is lengthy and bendy as all get out. His age and size are the only gripes with him, and they're really not problems given the fact that 24 is still rookie age and given that it's the NFL, he'll be on a 10,000-calorie diet in no time. Keondre Coburn is a massive body that fits that nose tackle interior position Veach has been looking for. His run stopping ability is something to note and if he gets quicker, he could be a force inside. Finally, Nic Jones I think will fit in well on special teams and could potentially become a rotational starter. He's small, but quick and can make plays. A few undrafted free agents of note include Tennessee OT Jerome Carvin, Fresno State WR Nikko Remigio (Returner of the Year last year), and local products from Missouri State and Washburn in DB Dillon Thomas (A guy I played with in high school, good luck to him and I hope he makes it), WR Ty Scott, and WR James Letcher.
What do you think though? What is your opinion on the draft for the Chiefs? Leave your opinions in the comments below. We'll talk more in the upcoming ScorchCast. If you got to go, tell me how it was too! What you liked, what you didn't like, what could be improved, etc.
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