Breaking down Chiefs’ picks in Dane Brugler’s 7-round mock draft
The 2023 NFL draft is almost here.
With the first round drawing closer, we’re getting some final mock seven-round mock drafts for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The latest full seven rounds come from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who is their top NFL draft authority and the author of “The Beast” draft guide.
Below you’ll find a quick breakdown and reaction to each pick:
Round 1, Pick 31: Georgia Tech EDGE Keion White
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The Chiefs will be examining their pass-rush options early, and White will be near the top of their list. The NFL announced that White is one of 17 prospects who will be attending this year’s draft, and he’s the last of those 17 to appear in this mock. With the draft being held in Kansas City, though, it would make for good TV to have the Chiefs’ selection already in town.
With the depth of talent in this edge rusher class, this feels a bit like a reach for Kansas City. By Brugler’s own draft guide, it’s a reach. White is the ninth-ranked edge rusher in the class and only six players at the position are selected prior to him. I’m not as down on the 24-year-old edge rusher as others may be as I feel like there is a good chunk of his skill set (get-off, power, length) that will translate to the NFL.
Round 2, Pick 63: Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott
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With the Chiefs expected to add wide receiver help at some point in the first three rounds, Scott is a name to keep on the radar. A true three-level threat, he will be drafted somewhere in the 50-100 range and look like a steal three years from now.
Scott is one of my favorite receivers in this draft class and his skill set feels very reminiscent of what Kansas City has coveted in the past. He has elite acceleration or what I like to call “easy speed.” He’s a great YAC weapon with the ball in his hands, but he also has the ability to beat you deep on post routes, corner routes and go routes. He might not be the big-bodied “X” receiver that everyone is hoping for, but he could certainly be a weapon in the Chiefs’ offense.
Round 3, Pick 95: Maryland OT Jaelyn Duncan
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Duncan recently took a top-30 visit with the Chiefs. He’s an intriguing athlete with great movement skills, but he also gave up nine sacks during his four-year college career. There are also some pretty notable concerns about adding strength and good weight at the next level without losing some of that movement ability.
Round 4, Pick 122: BYU QB Jaren Hall
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The BYU connection between Andy Reid and Hall is a fun story, but I’m told the Chiefs “love” Hall’s skill set. Kansas City understands the importance of the backup quarterback, so much so that the Chiefs might even make this pick a round earlier.
I don’t mind Hall as a backup quarterback prospect. He did a solid job at the Senior Bowl and I was impressed with his throwing at the combine. All of that said, I don’t buy that the Chiefs are all that interested in drafting a quarterback prospect. They’ve been grooming Shane Buechele for the No. 2 job for three years now. Chris Oladokun is down in Texas working with both Patrick Mahomes and Buechele. They’ve also met with Utah State QB Logan Bonner, who is a projected priority free agent. Bonner has been spotted working at APEC in DFW with Mahomes and company this offseason as well.
Round 4, Pick 134: Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown
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The Chiefs already have a stacked linebacker room, so this move would be a bit of a surprise. Overshown is listed at nearly 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds and is a solid athlete. He’s got sideline-to-sideline weakside linebacker ability, but I’m just not sure how you get him on the field with a room that has Nick Bolton, Willie Gay Jr., Leo Chenal and Drue Tranquill already taking snaps.
Round 5, Pick 166: Toledo DT Desjuan Johnson
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This is very high for the Toledo d-tackle by Brugler’s own ranking. He has Johnson listed as a priority free agent in his draft guide. Not sure of the thinking here, other than knowing that Kansas City is interested. He’s a fun developmental prospect as a 3-technique, but the Chiefs already have a lot of cooks in the kitchen at that spot.
Round 6, Pick 178: Syracuse RB Sean Tucker
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The medical question marks might drop Tucker on draft weekend — how far is anyone’s guess. But the value at this point in the draft would make him well worth the risk for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs have been known to take advantage of players who slide due to medical issues (see: Trey Smith). Tucker recently received medical clearance and will hold a pro day on April 24. He’s a squatty, compact and speedy running back prospect, who reminds me a bit of Maurice Jones-Drew. He’s elusive, has good hands and his vision is quite impressive too. I’d be just fine if he was the pick for Kansas City at 178.
Round 6, Pick 217: Charlotte WR Grant DuBose
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I recently wrote up DuBose in our wide receiver preview for the 2023 NFL draft:
DuBose’s started his NCAA career at D-II Miles College before eventually earning a scholarship as a walk-on with Charlotte. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds and ran 4.57s 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He’s a red zone weapon, with 11 touchdowns in that area of the field over the past two seasons. He’s a selfless blocker and plays on special teams, but he’s also capable of doing the dirty work across the middle of the field or making contested grabs in tight coverage.
Round 7, Pick 249: Wake Forest TE Blake Whiteheart
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Whiteheart thrives as a blocking tight end, but he was really underutilized at Wake Forest as a receiver. He showcased some route-running ability at the East-West Shrine Bowl and feels sort of like a lottery ticket type who could turn into a much better professional than he was as a college player.
Round 7, Pick 250: Ball State CB Nic Jones
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I love this prospect for the Chiefs. Jones was often tasked with covering the top opposing wide receiver at Ball State. His ability to stay in phase through contact and make plays on the ball was exceptional. At 6 feet and 185 pounds, this corner came away with 15 passes defended and three interceptions over the past two seasons.
