As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Kansas City Chiefs.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Chiefs pick in the NFL Draft?
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Felix Anudike-Uzomah (EDGE, Kansas State) with the 31st pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs added Rashee Rice (WR, SMU) with the No. 55 pick.
Kansas City selected Wanya Morris (OT, Oklahoma) with the 92nd pick.
Chiefs Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Wide Receiver
- EDGE
- Offensive Tackle
What Picks do the Kansas City Chiefs have in 2023?
The Kansas City Chiefs have 10 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (31)
- Round 2 (63)
- Round 3 (95)
- Round 4 (122)
- Round 4 (134)
- Round 5 (166)
- Round 6 (178)
- Round 6 (217)
- Round 7 (249)
- Round 7 (250)
Kansas City Chiefs Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Chiefs Sharp Draft Value Rank: 18 of 32 teams
- Chiefs AV Model Draft Value Rank: 21 of 32 teams
- Chiefs OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 15 of 32 teams
Kansas City Chiefs Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Chiefs' draft value is 9% lower than the league average of all 32 teams. 17 other teams have higher draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kansas City Chiefs Draft Prediction:
The Chiefs are predicted to draft O'Cyrus Torrence (OL, Florida) with their 1st round pick (#31 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Chiefs predicted to draft Quentin Johnston (WR, TCU) with their 1st round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Kansas City Chiefs Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Kansas City Chiefs have the third hardest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Kansas City Chiefs Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Kansas City Chiefs, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- Patrick Mahomes
- Shane Buechele
- Chris Oladokun
Patrick Mahomes was as dominant as ever in 2022.
Even after the trade of Tyreek Hill and working with a rotating motley crew of pass catchers outside of Travis Kelce, Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards (5,250), touchdowns (41), and expected points added per dropback (0.27).
Mahomes is under contract through the 2031 season with dead cap numbers north of $50 million over the next three seasons.
We can anticipate Mahomes will be with the Chiefs for a long time, and they will not need to address the position with tangible draft capital for the foreseeable future.
Even if it does not involve draft capital, we should see Kansas City look to bring in competition or experience behind Mahomes following the retirement of Chad Henne. Henne actually provided value in two of the past three postseason runs for the Chiefs.
Neither Shane Buechele nor Chris Oladokun has any in-game NFL experience and neither is signed beyond the 2023 season.
Running Back Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- Isiah Pacheco
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire
- La’Mical Perine
The Kansas City running game has been an ancillary component to the offense under Patrick Mahomes, and last season was no different.
The Chiefs closed the season 19th in EPA (-0.07), 12th in success rate (40.0%), and 15th in yards per carry (4.5) on running back attempts.
Isiah Pacheco improved on those totals once he took over as the primary ball carrier in Week 10. From that point forward, Pacheco was seventh among all running backs in success rate (44.4%) and yards per carry (5.0).
Just 7.9% of his carries over that span failed to gain yardage, the lowest rate among 44 backs to have 50 or more carries over that period.
On the other hand, just 8.7% of his carries gained 10 or more yards (30th), and Pacheco played over 50% of the offensive snaps in just three games (with a high of 57%).
It is unlikely the Chiefs are done adding to this backfield.
Pacheco was underserved in the passing game, which is the primary area of focus for this offense.
Kansas City running backs were second in the NFL in receiving yards (826) in 2022 and led the league with 12 receiving touchdowns.
The team could still bring back Jerick McKinnon, who remains a free agent. McKinnon accounted for a 56-512-9 receiving line on 71 targets a year ago after signing with the team in June.
However, he will soon be 31 years old, so Kansas City should be expected to add another young back even if McKinnon returns.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire is also still floating around. Edwards-Helaire was phased out of the offense before missing the final seven games of the regular season and then was a healthy scratch in the Super Bowl.
He enters 2023 in the final season of his rookie contract. The Chiefs do still have the fifth-year option available, but there is a low probability of that happening before the May 1st deadline.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Kadarius Toney
- Skyy Moore
- Richie James
- Justyn Ross
- Ty Fryfogle
- John Ross
- Jerrion Ealy
- Cornell Powell
- Ihmir Smith-Marsette
The Chiefs had a revolving door at wide receiver a year ago. They ranked 31st in target rate to their wide receivers (48.9%), and no Kansas City wide receiver caught more than four touchdown passes.
JuJu Smith-Schuster led the wide receiver room in targets (113), receptions (88), and yardage (1,022) through the air but left the team this free agency period.
They also lost Mecole Hardman, who scored six total touchdowns a year ago and was fifth on the team in targets.
Justin Watson, who remains a free agent, was third on the team a year ago with 330 routes run.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling remains on the roster. In 20 games played a year ago, MVS reached 50 yards just seven times and caught more than four passes in just two games.
Valdes-Scantling is signed through the 2024 season but only carries a $2 million dead cap hit after this season.
As it stands right now, the Chiefs will be counting on major contributions from Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore.
Toney has missed 15 games over his first two years in the NFL. He ran just 85 total pass routes with the Chiefs last season, but he was targeted on 31.8% of those routes, which led the team.
Moore was selected 54th overall in last year’s draft, but he managed to get on the field for just 29% of the offensive snaps, catching 27 passes for 267 yards and one touchdown.
His 9.9 yards per reception were the fewest for any Kansas City wide receiver.
Both Toney and Moore are on their rookie contracts and were selected with tangible draft capital.
There is room for both to grow attached to Mahomes, but the Chiefs are still looking for a legitimate WR1 option, especially as we wind down on the time Travis Kelce may have left as a premier pass catcher.
Mahomes makes up for a lot, but much of the immediate success for the Kansas City passing game still falls into Kelce’s continued dominance and health.
Banking on either young wideout fully stepping up to that level leaves a wide margin for error.
The other Kansas City wideouts signed beyond this season are Justyn Ross and Ty Fryfogle.
Tight End Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- Travis Kelce
- Noah Gray
- Kendall Blanton
- Jody Fortson
- Blake Bell
- Matt Bushman
Travis Kelce turned in another elite season a year ago, which provided the security blanket for the Kansas City wide receiver room.
Kelce set career-highs in targets (152), catches (110), and touchdowns (12) at age 33. His 1,338 yards were the second most over a season in his career and also his seventh consecutive season going over 1,000 yards receiving.
No other tight end in league history has more than four 1,000-yard seasons over their entire career, let alone seven in a row.
Kelce is signed through 2025 should he wish to continue playing that long.
He does not have the ongoing iron man streak of his brother because he has missed some season finales for player rest and one game in 2021 due to COVID protocols, but Kelce has not missed a game due to injury since his rookie season.
Noah Gray has two years remaining on this rookie contract, and the team still has the restricted rights to Jody Fortson after this season.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Chiefs:
LT: Jawaan Taylor/Prince Tega Wanogho
LG: Joe Thuney/Nick Allegretti
C: Creed Humphrey/Austin Reiter
RG: Trey Smith/Mike Caliendo
RT: Lucas Niang/Darian Kinnard
The Chiefs fielded one of the best offensive lines in the NFL a year ago, ranking first in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric (75%) and third in run block win rate (74%).
Pro Football Focus collectively ranked Kansas City fifth in pass blocking and sixth in run blocking.
The interior of this offensive line is a major strength.
Both Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith have two years remaining on their rookie contracts while Joe Thuney is under contract through the 2025 season.
The Chiefs are reshuffling the deck at both tackle spots.
Jawaan Taylor will replace Orlando Brown at left tackle and may be an upgrade.
Taylor allowed a 2.9% pressure rate in 2022, which ranked seventh among all tackles. Brown was at 6.9%, which was 65th, but was only credited with four sacks allowed compared to Taylor’s five.
Taylor also will be moving to the premier hot spot on the offensive line after spending his early career primarily at right tackle. Taylor played 18 snaps at left tackle on his rookie deal in Jacksonville.
Right tackle is more up in the air after last season’s right tackle Andrew Wylie left via free agency.
Wylie was credited with allowing a team-high nine sacks last season and was at the bottom of the position in pressure rate allowed in 2021 (81st among tackles).
This has already been the weakest area of this overall sturdy offensive line unit.
Kansas City still has Lucas Niang in the fold to compete for that spot.
Selected in the third round in 2020, Niang opted out of that season due to COVID. He made nine starts in his first NFL season in 2021, allowing a 7.8% pressure rate (76th among tackles).
He suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury in Week 17 of that season, which limited his availability a year ago.
By the end of things, Niang played just nine snaps in 2022. The Chiefs should add competition here at right tackle.
All five of the projected starters today are signed for multiple seasons. Last year’s fifth-round pick Darian Kinnard is the only bench player signed past this season.
Kansas City Chiefs Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Dan Pizzuta breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Kansas City Chiefs, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- Chris Jones
- Derrick Nnadi
- Tershawn Wharton
- Danny Shelton
- Byron Cowart
- Daniel Wise
- Phil Hoskins
Chris Jones played at a Defensive Player of the Year level last season.
He was third among all defenders in quarterback hits and fourth in sacks. Jones also ranked first at the position in ESPN’s pass rush win rate.
He only produced a tackle on 8% of his run snaps, but that’s nothing to worry about with such a dominant impact against the pass.
Khalen Saunders was the Chiefs’ best run defender with a tackle on 22% of his run snaps, but he left in free agency. That will put Derrick Nnadi and Tershawn Wharton in bigger roles next to Jones.
Wharton could be the key here. He had an impressive first two seasons but only played five games in 2022.
EDGE Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- George Karlaftis
- Charles Omenihu
- Mike Danna
- Malik Herring
- Joshua Kaindoh
George Karlaftis had the highest pressure rate of the first-round edge rushers last season and was second behind Aidan Hutchinson in sacks.
That is a promising start for a player now slated to be the team’s top pass rusher with Frank Clark no longer on the roster.
Adding Charles Omenihu could be a big move for the defensive line.
After a year and a half in the Kris Kocurek school for pass rushers in San Francisco, Omenihu showed the ability to get after the quarterback with 16 quarterback hits in a rotational role in 2022.
He is still just 26 years old and signed a three-year deal.
This is a spot where the Chiefs could use some more depth at the least. It would be a big ask to have Karlafits and Omenihu lead this group without much behind them.
Adding something to this unit feels like a necessity at some point in the draft.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- Nick Bolton
- Willie Gay
- Drue Tranquill
- Leo Chenal
- Cole Christiansen
- Jack Cochrane
Only two teams used dime personnel more often than the Chiefs last season, but they could be swinging back to base given how the team now stacks up at linebacker.
Nick Bolton was a tackling machine in 2022, finishing second in overall tackles and third in tackles which produced a positive play for the defense.
Bolton was about average among linebackers in coverage by yards allowed per coverage snap, which is passable when he’s consistently pursuing the play.
Willie Gay had an up-and-down year in coverage.
He was 52nd of 70 linebackers in yards allowed per coverage snap but was able to make some impact plays with eight passes defensed.
Gay missed a few games early in the season but played no less than 55% of the defensive snaps in each game he was active.
Adding Drue Tranquill could be the tip-off to more linebacker usage.
Tranquill was an underrated player in the middle of the Chargers' defense who was able to rack up positive tackles and play plus coverage. However, Tranquill only signed a one-year deal with Kansas City this offseason.
2022 third-round pick Leo Chenal flashed when he was on the field for about 250 defensive snaps. Chenal was able to make some valuable tackles and rushed the passer on 19% of his pass snaps.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- L’Jarius Sneed
- Jaylen Watson
- Trent McDuffie
- Joshua Williams
- Nazeeh Johnson
- Dicaprio Bootle
The Chiefs took a bit of a swing last season and went into the year relying on youth at cornerback after Charvarius Ward left in free agency.
Individually the pieces worked on the field, but some inconsistencies left Kansas City 22nd in defensive EPA per dropback.
However, on the 188 snaps the Chiefs had their top three cornerbacks on the field together, their EPA per dropback, yards per play, and success rate all would have ranked first among defenses.
L’Jarius Sneed was the standout in his third season.
Sneed played 96% of the team’s defensive snaps and was one of the league’s most effective slot corners. He ranked ninth among 43 qualified slot corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap.
2022 first-round pick Trent McDuffie played 59% of the defensive snaps and was great when he played on the outside.
Opponents tried to pick on the rookie by throwing at him often, but McDuffie ended the season eighth among outside corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap.
Jaylen Watson was around average in yards allowed per coverage snap, but it is a great thing if that’s the weak link. That is also more than could have been expected from a seventh-round rookie.
Safety Depth Chart, Chiefs:
- Justin Reid
- Mike Edwards
- Bryan Cook
- Deon Bush
This position has completely turned over the past few seasons.
Justin Reid had an impressive first season with the Chiefs playing all around the secondary. He didn’t have an interception but had seven passes defensed and was a solid enough tackler on the back end.
Mike Edwards comes over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played a majority of his snaps deep. That should fit well in Kansas City.
The Chiefs played middle of the field open coverages at the highest rate in the league last season by a significant margin.
Per TruMedia, Kansas City played two-high 64.4% of the time. The next highest team was at 54.5%.
2022 second-round pick Bryan Cook got on the field for just under 30% of the team’s defensive snaps.
Cook lined up deep 65% of the time but had a few plays near the line of scrimmage, including two quarterback hits and a sack.
There is youth at the position, but given how often the Chiefs use their safeties, more depth is needed.
