The Kansas City Chiefs drafted defensive tackle Kondre Coburn to help shore up their run defense in 2023, but the lineman’s nimbleness may prove to help him do more than eat up space as a member of the team’s front four.
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Coburn was asked about his exceptional ability to move with fluidity despite his 6-foot-2 and 322-pound girth. He made it clear that he has been a gifted athlete since his childhood, and was always able to surprise observers with his mobility.
“Since I was a kid I knew that I could move with my size,” Coburn explained. “Probably some people look at you and be like, ‘ah he’s not going to be able to get there.’ Then I got there, and they were surprised. I’m not surprised but they are, but it is what it is (laughter). It’s funny when I get on the field and they just judge a book by its cover so things like that. It feels good right now that I can run right now and things like that.”
His ability to rush the passer, registering four sacks and 31 total pressures in 2022, is one of the reasons that Touchdown Wire thinks Coburn could be the Chiefs’ biggest steal. Kansas City will need Coburn to make good on the athleticism he showed at the University of Texas over the course of his collegiate career.
Fans will have to wait until training camp opens to see his skills in the flesh, but early indications from rookie minicamp are bullish on his ability to impress once the padded practices are open to the public.
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Story originally appeared on Chiefs Wire