Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft 2023 guide: Picks, predictions and key needs
Andrew Mckinney The Athletic has around-the-clock coverage of the NFL Draft. Follow our NFL Draft Round 4-7 live blog and round 2-3 winners and losers, round 2 grades and best available players.
A year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs, led by general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid, put together one of the franchise’s best draft classes. The collection of 10 players all finished last season on the active roster and several of them — such as cornerback Trent McDuffie, defensive end George Karlaftis and running back Isiah Pacheco — played a pivotal role in the Chiefs’ memorable 2022 campaign, which ended with them beating the Philadelphia Eagles to become Super Bowl LVII champions.
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The Chiefs are again loaded with picks (10) for the seven-round 2023 NFL Draft, including two picks in Rounds 4, 6 and 7. That said, they could use that additional draft capital to move up in the first 3 to 4 rounds. Their first pick is at No. 31 when Round 1 begins on April 27. The event this year will be held in Kansas City for the first time.
Chiefs’ draft picks
| Round | Pick | Overall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 31 | 31 | |
2 | 32 | 63 | |
3 | 32 | 95 | |
4 | 20 | 122 | From Dolphins |
4 | 32 | 134 | |
5 | 32 | 166 | |
6 | 1 | 178 | From Dolphins |
6 | 40 | 217 | Compensatory |
7 | 32 | 249 | |
7 | 33 | 250 | Compensatory |
Full draft order
Every pick in the seven-round NFL Draft.
NFL Draft details
• Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET
• Rounds 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m. ET
• Rounds 4-7: April 29, Noon ET
All rounds will be televised on ESPN/ABC and NFL Network and in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
About the Chiefs
• Head coach: Andy Reid (11th season with Chiefs; 25th season overall)
• General manager: Brett Veach
• Last year’s record: 14-3; first place in AFC West, AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed
Chiefs’ key position needs
Wide receiver: The Chiefs made a run at signing Odell Beckham Jr., who signed with the Ravens, and undoubtedly considered a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire DeAndre Hopkins. But an argument can be made that the Chiefs should always select at least one receiver in every draft in the next decade to support superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. By acquiring another talented receiver through the draft, the Chiefs would enter the upcoming season with at least five quality pass-catchers, including receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore and superstar tight end Travis Kelce.
GO DEEPER
Chiefs interested in Odell Beckham Jr. but still have confidence in current WR corps
Defensive end: The Chiefs’ biggest defensive free agency acquisition has been signing pass rusher Charles Omenihu to be a starter alongside defensive end George Karlaftis, who was selected in the first round last year. Omenihu was acquired to replace Frank Clark, but the team still needs depth at the position. With Mike Danna as a reliable rotational defender, adding a fourth player at the position would be a wise move for Veach. That prospect would develop alongside Karlaftis with Danna in the final year of his rookie contract. The other two players returning are Malik Herring and Joshua Kaindoh. LSU edge rusher BJ Ojulari has been mentioned as a potential Day 1 draft target.
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Right tackle: Similar to last year, this position is listed here more for roster insurance. The Chiefs were unable to re-sign incumbent starting RT Andrew Wylie, who joined the Washington Commanders in free agency. The projected starter at the moment is Lucas Niang, the third-round pick in 2020 who lost his starting role in January 2022 after sustaining a torn left patellar tendon. Prior to his injury, Niang showed promising development, starting nine games. If the Chiefs want to add competition, they could select a right tackle prospect, perhaps in the second or third round. If Niang wins the starting job after training camp, the prospect could spend their rookie season serving as the team’s swing tackle.
Defensive tackle: The Chiefs were able to re-sign Derrick Nnadi on a one-year deal, but the only other players at the position on the roster are superstar Chris Jones, Byron Cowart, Phil Hoskins and Tershawn Wharton, who is returning from a torn ACL in his left knee. Selecting a prospect at this position in the draft could help replace some of the production generated last season by Khalen Saunders, who signed with the New Orleans Saints.
Chiefs draft analysis
Draft tendencies: What Veach’s past drafts say about what he’ll do in this one.
First-round priority? Veach could value adding pass rusher over WR early.
Chiefs big board 3.0: Pass rushers, WRs and OTs fill early targets list.
KC’s to-do list: Chris Jones extension among remaining tasks this offseason.
Chiefs to address WR in draft: With Odell Beckham Jr. off the table, the Chiefs change focus to the draft in their WR search.
Kansas City to continue youth movement on D: How revamping the defense can help QB Patrick Mahomes.
Chiefs big board 2.0: Targets include wide receivers, right tackles and pass rushers.
Roster review: Which position groups were most and least stable heading into the offseason?
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Mailbag: Will the Chiefs trade up in the first round?
The Athletic’s most recent mock drafts
April 24: Chiefs 7-round mock draft
Hefty haul includes trade up in first round.
April 17: NFL 7-Round Mock Draft
Dane Brugler has the Chiefs taking an edge rusher, receiver and tackle, respectively, in the first three rounds.
April 7: 2023 NFL Mock Draft: How each team should attack Rounds 1-3
Nick Baumgardner has the Chiefs taking a tackle in the first round, an edge rusher in the second round and a receiver in the third round of our latest mock.
March 29: What sources say about C.J. Stroud, Hendon Hooker, Anthony Richardson and more
Bruce Feldman mocks Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald to the Chiefs at 31: “A fixture on (Bruce Feldman’s) Freaks List for most of his college career, McDonald, who ranked No. 5 in 2022, had 27 sacks, 35 TFLs and eight forced fumbles the last three years, while also doing a lot of the dirty work for the Cyclones defense.”
March 22: Beat writer mock draft: QBs go quickly, surprise trade, Aaron Rodgers stalemate
Nate Taylor takes a speedy receiver at No. 31 to help out Mahomes.
March 13: After Panthers trade for No. 1, quarterbacks go 1-2-3-4
Ben Standig has the Chiefs trading up to No. 16 to get a high-upside edge rusher.
March 10: Chiefs mock draft 2.0
Trading up for a LT (prior to Jawaan Taylor signing), then trading down to pick defenders
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NFL Draft 2023 Big Board: The Athletic’s updated top 100 prospect rankings
Chiefs’ last five top picks
2022: CB Trent McDuffie, pick 21 — As a rookie, McDuffie blossomed into a quality starter in the second half of last season after returning from a hamstring injury. He showed the ability to be effective as the nickel cornerback or on the perimeter. In 11 games, McDuffie recorded seven pass breakups, one sack and one fumble recovery. One area where McDuffie can improve next season is creating more turnovers; he missed a few chances last year to record his first career interception.
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2021: LB Nick Bolton, pick No. 58 — In just two seasons, Bolton has become one of the Chiefs’ most dependable players. He set the franchise record for most tackles in a single season last year with 180. He also had two sacks, seven quarterback hits, two interceptions, three pass breakups and one forced fumble. Bolton’s biggest highlight was when he returned a fumble recovery 36 yards for a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Known for his durability, Bolton has missed just one game in his career.
2020: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, pick 31 — Edwards-Helaire lost the starting job midway through last season to Pacheco, who was selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft. Edwards-Helaire then sustained a high ankle sprain, an injury that forced him to miss the rest of the season. When the Chiefs acquired Edwards-Helaire, he was projected to be a versatile, dual-threat weapon, a player who could be effective as both a rusher and a receiver. But Edwards-Helaire’s best year has been his rookie season, when he produced 1,100 all-purpose yards in 13 games.
2019: WR Mecole Hardman, pick No. 56 — Hardman’s arrival should always be viewed as a bit of a luxury pick for the Chiefs, but his speed did benefit the Chiefs offense. His highest receiving production was in 2021, when he finished with 693 yards, but Hardman scored six touchdowns in eight games prior to him sustaining an abdominal injury that forced him to miss the rest of the regular season. His last play with the Chiefs was a critical third-down reception against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game that helped the team score a touchdown. As a first-time free agent, Hardman signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets.
2018: DE Breeland Speaks, pick No. 46 — The Chiefs moved up eight spots to select Speaks in the second round. The decision was risky at the time and Speaks never became an impact player for the Chiefs. He began his career as an outside linebacker under former defensive coordinator Bob Sutton then missed the entire 2019 season with a knee injury. He was released by the Chiefs before the start of the 2020 season, and although he has joined the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants in the past two years, Speaks’ last game in the league was with the Chiefs in the 2018 AFC Championship Game.
(Top photo of Michigan DL Mazi Smith: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty Images)