The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII with the help of their 2022 NFL draft class. A whopping nine draft picks played snaps, with four drawing starts in the big game.
For Kansas City, the draft will become ever more vital as they get deeper into Patrick Mahomes’ contract. They must continue to find young talent to contribute early in their careers, to keep their window open in a very competitive AFC conference.
With free agency winding down, all 32 NFL teams are paying attention to the 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City. Free agency has shaken up their needs and that has impacted some things during recent mock drafts.
Here’s a look at the latest mock drafts and who analysts have sent to the Chiefs in the first round:
USA TODAY – Nate Davis
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs select Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison.
He primarily served as the Sooners’ left tackle the past three seasons, although he did log time on the right side in 2022. Regardless, Harrison would be a boon to the Super Bowl champs, who parted with last season’s starting tackle, Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie. Harrison’s experience on the blind side would also allow newly signed Jawaan Taylor to remain at his more familiar right tackle position.
College Sports Wire – Patrick Conn
AP Photo/Artie Walker Jr.
Chiefs select Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith.
The addition of Smith to the defense gives more rotational depth at the edge for the Chiefs as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2023.
Bears Wire – Jarrett Bailey
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs select Georgia TE Darnell Washington.
It wouldn’t be fair if the Chiefs add this physical specimen to their offense. Washington is every bit of 6-foot-7, a great blocker, and would give the Chiefs a dominant tight end duo with Travis Kelce.
NFL.com – Chad Reuter
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs trade up to No. 22 to select Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt.
Opinions are mixed about Hyatt’s ability to become a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL, but the Chiefs’ offense will play to his strengths: gliding past defenders in the open field and weaving through traffic to make short passes into long gains. The Ravens traded second- and fifth-round picks to the Bears for linebacker Roquan Smith last fall, so adding a third- and fourth-rounder from the Chiefs in this trade will help build depth.
Charles Davis – NFL.com
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs select Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt.
A breakout season in 2022 earned him the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top WR. With plenty of speed to rip the top off a defense, Hyatt allows Kansas City to put the long ball back in the game plan.
Josh Edwards – CBS Sports
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs select Ohio State OT Dawand Jones.
After signing Jawaan Taylor in free agency, Kansas City is expected to move him to the left side to replace Orlando Brown Jr. The loss of Andrew Wylie still leaves a void on the right side that could theoretically be filled by Darian Kinnard or Lucas Niang. In this scenario, they select Dawand Jones to literally anchor that side of the line.
Daniel Jeremiah – NFL.com
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs select Iowa State DE Will McDonald IV.
McDonald’s is an elite bender coming off the edge. The Chiefs moved on from Frank Clark this offseason and need to add more firepower to their pass rush.
Mel Kiper Jr. – ESPN
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs select Kansas State EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
The Chiefs let JuJu Smith-Schuster leave in free agency, and their wide receiver depth chart looks a little thin. I thought about Jalin Hyatt (Tennessee) as a new deep threat for Patrick Mahomes, but I’m going to trust in Andy Reid’s ability to find contributors just about anywhere. That leads me to the edge rushers, and Anudike-Uzomah is a player I really wanted to get in these predictions somewhere.
There’s some buzz among NFL teams about Anudike-Uzomah after the combine. He had a great workout there, and he was super productive in college, racking up 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Kansas City replaced Frank Clark with Charles Omenihu, so Anudike-Uzomah would likely be a situational pass-rusher as a rookie.
Notes on latest mock drafts:
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Outside of the Darnell Washington pick, the Chiefs’ needs are still pretty commonly perceived as WR, OT or EDGE. I found the main choice at receiver this week to be interesting. Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt seems to be gaining some steam as a first-round pick likely because the overall crop of receiver talent at the top of the draft is lacking, but also because he’s a 21-year-old Biletnikoff winner. I also think the fit with Kansas City is probably spot on because Brett Veach and Andy Reid are going to see DeSean Jackson when they watch the tape. That said, his game isn’t well-rounded and he certainly won’t replace the possession receiver they’re now lacking with JuJu Smith-Schuster’s departure.
Story originally appeared on Chiefs Wire