Free agency is mostly over, which means that it’s officially mock draft season for the Chiefs and the other 31 teams. General manager Brett Veach deserves a lot of credit, as he built a Super Bowl roster and still left the team with 10 picks in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. So, let’s take a look at what Kansas City might do with those selections.
Note that, for the purposes of this exercise, trades were not included. Also, this Chiefs mock draft was performed using the Pro Football Network Mock Draft Machine. If the player was on the board when the Chiefs were on the clock, they were fair game.
Seven-Round Kansas City Chiefs Mock Draft
31st Overall: Brian Branch, S
Talent and need perfectly align here, as the Chiefs land the best safety in the draft with their first pick. Alabama’s Brian Branch is the ideal do-it-all safety with the versatility to line up all over the formation. With Juan Thornhill on the Browns, Branch will have the opportunity to start right away and help fix this secondary.
Brian Branch is a dawg. pic.twitter.com/SBjWqX02xb
— Word On The Birds (@WordOnTheBirds) March 20, 2023
63rd Overall: Dalton Kincaid, TE
The Chiefs need another pass-catching weapon, and with all the good wide receivers unavailable, the Chiefs pivot to tight end Dalton Kincaid. Travis Kelce isn’t getting any younger, and the Chiefs find his eventual heir in this mock draft. In the short term, Kincaid can effectively just play as a big slot receiver, while in the long term, he can take over for Kelce. He will never be as good as Travis Kelce, but he has the potential to be one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league.
95th Overall: Matthew Bergeron, OT
The Chiefs lost both of their starting tackles in free agency, and while they have replaced Orlando Brown with Jawaan Taylor, they are putting a lot of faith in Lucas Niang to be the right takcle of the future. Niang only played 10 snaps last year and was something of a mixed bag in 2021, so the team should bring in an insurance policy. Matthew Bergeron can play both tackle positions and could perform at an adequate level if Niang struggles. Additionally, he could also move to guard and play well if injuries struck.
122nd Overall: DeMarvion Overshown, LB
DeMarvion Overshown is a modern-age linebacker, in that he’s a converted safety that’s better in coverage than he is against the run. When you play in a division with Justin Herbert and share a conference with Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and (most likely) Aaron Rodgers, you need to be good at stopping the pass. The linebacker has improved dramatically in coverage over the past two seasons and has the ability to diagnose route patterns and break on the ball before it’s thrown.
134th Overall: Sean Tucker, RB
It isn’t a Chiefs mock draft without a running back. Sean Tucker will battle Isiah Pacheco for the starting job, but these two would likely combine to form a two-headed backfield. While Pacheco has the experience, Tucker has more straight-line speed, and his 36 receptions in 2022 show that he is probably more of a pass-catching threat.
Sean Tucker
HT: 5090
WT: 207
Arm: 30
Hand: 9 1/2Pre-combine testing results (released by him)
40-yard: 4.33u
10-yard: n/a
Vertical: 41.5
Broad: n/a
3-cone: n/a
Shuttle: n/a
Bench: 28 reps #FantasyFootball pic.twitter.com/RIs7tpfjkd— Jeremy (@PopesFFH) March 19, 2023
166th Overall: Colby Wooden, DT
Colby Wooden is a much better interior pass rusher than a run defender, which makes him a good fit for the Chiefs. Kansas City’s offense scores at insane rates, and other teams will always be throwing to try and keep up. Wooden pairs nicely as a situational pass rusher that could generate some pressure in obvious passing situations.
178th Overall: Riley Moss, CB
Riley Moss possesses a great nose for the ball with the instincts to excel when playing zone coverage. While he lacks the speed to develop into anyone’s definition of an ideal starter, his ability to make plays makes him an ideal depth cornerback that could see the field when other teams are in obvious pass situations.
217th Overall: Jalen Redmond, DT
At this point in the mock draft, the Chiefs just need to go with the best player avaiable and worry about team need later. Jalen Redmond’s atheltic profile does not match his on-field play, which means that there is some untapped potential here. While nothing will likely come of it, Kansas City should take the risk and see if they can find a diamond in the rough.
249th Overall: Byron Young, EDGE
Seventh-round picks likely won’t ever make an impact on the NFL stage, so the Chiefs might as well shoot for the moon. Like Redmond, Byron Young is an impressive athlete that doesn’t really know how to play the position. Perhaps the right coaching can unlock his potential and reward the Chiefs with a valuable situational pass-rusher.
250th Overall: Tommy DeVito, QB
If Tommy DeVito ever sees the field, something has gone horribly, horribly wrong for the Chiefs. However, the Chiefs need a backup with Chad Henne retired, and they might as well throw a dart with their final pick in this mock draft and see if they get lucky like the 49ers did with Brock Purdy.
Main Photo: Andrew Wevers – USA Today Sports
