The 2023 NFL Draft is officially over, and analysts around the league have handed out grades to the Kansas City Chiefs. The reigning Super Bowl champions entered the event with a decent amount of draft capital, but were they able to make the most of their opportunities on the clock?
Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft Grades Roundup
Nate Davis – USA Today: B+
Davis believes that the Chiefs had the ninth-best draft out of the 32 teams, and one of the big reasons for that is the confidence Brett Veach and Andy Reid have earned over the past few seasons. The NFL analyst also notes that “first-round DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, second-round WR Rashee Rice, and third-round RT Wanya Morris all seemed to arrive at the intersection of need and value.”
For what it’s worth, Anudike-Uzomah and Rashee Rice were both slight reaches based on our site’s rankings, but both players should still be able to help this team defend their title. The Wayna Morris selection is especially interesting, as he should have a chance to start with Jawaan Taylor playing left tackle. Lucas Niang isn’t exactly a proven commodity, and it should be one of the most fascinating training camp battles to monitor.
Rob Maadii – AP: C+
“Reached for DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah at No. 31. WR Rashee Rice and OT Wanya Morris in Day 2 fill holes.”
Unlike Davis, Rob Maadii does not appear to be giving the Kansas City Chiefs the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the Felix Anudike-Uzomah selection. It’s interesting to see an NFL draft grade this low when he appears to believe the Chiefs made the right calls in the second and third rounds. Maadi also does not mention any of Kansas City’s Day 3 picks, but seeing as those players are not expected to make much of an impact for any of the 32 NFL teams, one can understand why they weren’t mentioned here.
Cade Clodi – Last Word on Sports: 8/10
Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft Review
Clodi splits the difference between the previous two analysts, giving the Chiefs a solid B- for their efforts. In his analysis, Clodi says that Felix Anudike-Uzomah is “without a doubt” their best player, and that’s hard to dispute, even if he was a bit of a reach in the first round.
Clodi also believes that Morris was a steal at the back of the third round and fully expects him to compete for the starting job, although he acknowledges that he needs to be more consistent before he stands a chance at winning the starting job.
The analyst also points out that fourth-round pick Chamarri Conner could be a major player as soon as 2024. Kansas City traded up to select him, which was a bit of a surprise at the time, but upon further analysis, he could end up replacing L’Jarius Sneed. The veteran nickel cornerback is entering the final year of his deal, and Conner could be a cost-effective replacement.
Main Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski – USA Today Sports
