NFL Mock Draft roundup: Who do experts have the Chiefs taking?

Now that the primary waves of free agency have come and gone, the next marquee event of the NFL offseason is the NFL Draft. Fortunately for fans of the Chiefs, the 2023 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 27-29 in our very own backyard at Union Station in Kansas City.

The Chiefs are currently set to pick 31st overall in the first round (the Miami Dolphins forfeited their 2023 1st round pick due to “integrity of the game violations”). When a team picks that late in the first round, it is more difficult to predict which players will be available. It’s also unknown what positions a team will opt to target early in the draft and what positions they may wait to address later in the draft.

What kind of players are the Chiefs potentially interested in? Which positions will they target? How will the 2023 draft class for Brett Veach and the Chiefs compare to the historic 2022 class?

It’s a little too early to know for sure, but there are countless NFL mock drafts across the internet, so let’s take a quick look at what a few draft analysts are projecting for Kansas City in the first round.

NFL Mock Draft roundup: Who will the Kansas City Chiefs take?

Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia (Draft Network)

Here is Keith Sanchez’s analysis of the pick:

"The Chiefs appear to just be hitting their stride at the start of a dynasty. They’ve done a masterful job of adding new young pieces and addressing the right positional needs. With this pick, they continue to add to the defense and draft Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith. Smith is an elite-level athlete that, if put in the right situations, can develop to one of the best pass rushers in the NFL."

Nolan Smith is an interesting prospect for the Chiefs for a multitude of reasons. First, he plays a position the team needs both short and long-term. Second, he’s an athletic freak that ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash time among all defensive linemen at the 2023 NFL Combine at 4.39 seconds. Third, he’s a physical player that’s a willing run defender.

There are some downsides when it comes to Smith. The biggest concern is that he’s coming off a pectoral muscle suffered in late October that knocked him out for the final 2.5 months of Georgia’s season. In addition, he’s a little undersized (at about 238 pounds) for what Steve Spagnuolo generally likes in his edge defenders. Third, he’s still developing as a pass rusher and that, mixed with a season-ending injury, could lead to a quiet rookie campaign.

Although there are some questions regarding Nolan Smith, he would still be a solid pick for the Chiefs, if they pulled the trigger on him at 31. I don’t believe a pectoral injury will have much of an impact on his NFL career and it would be a different story if it was a knee or ankle surgery that he was recovering from.

Though being sub-240 pounds is not ideal for a Steve Spagnuolo defensive end, his solid run defense should lower those concerns. Also, with George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, and Charles Omenihu on the roster, the Chiefs would be in no hurry to throw him onto the field before he’s ready, if he needs some time to develop.

A lot of fans might be turned off by his size, injury, and rawness as a pass rusher, but he is exactly what the Chiefs need long-term. George Karlaftis is more powerful than fast and struggles versus the run, while Smith has the speed and run defense ability to complement the 2022 30th overall pick. In the modern NFL, a team can never have too many pass rushers in their arsenal and Nolan Smith would strengthen the Chiefs’ depth in the short term and potential in the long run.

Will McDonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State (Pro Football Network)

Here is what James Fragoza said about the pick:

"It took me a while, but I’m fully aboard the Will McDonald IV train. Iowa State used him out of position as a 4i-5-tech defensive end — a role he won’t touch in the NFL. He’s a stand-up/wide-9 pass rusher and a damn good one at that.With near-35″ arms, quantifiable explosiveness (36″ vertical, 11″ broad jump), and the ability to win around the arc in a class full of power rushers, McDonald could go higher than many expect."

To put it frankly: I love this pick. Will McDonald isn’t a name that you’ll in the first round of many mock drafts but he has the pure talent to be picked in the Top 15. As James Fragoza stated, the Iowa State coaching staff did him a disservice with how they used him. If he was at a program that deployed him to his full potential, there’s a good chance that he would be long gone by the time the Chiefs are on the clock.

One thing working against McDonald is his age; he turns 24 in June. For reference, George Karlaftis will be 22 on April 3. Also, he’s not a very strong run defender and, like Nolan Smith, is undersized for what Spagnuolo has preferred in the past. In addition, his 2021 season was a lot more productive than his 2022 campaign, seeing his sack total drop from 11.5 to 5.

Although there are questions regarding Will McDonald, I believe that he has the tools of a player that should be picked well before 31. His age and lack of production may cause some hesitation but the potential upside is very well worth the risk, especially since the Chiefs are picking so late in the first round.

Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee (Pro Football Network)

Here is Charles Davis’ analysis:

"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."

Out of the three prospects we’ve reviewed, Jalin Hyatt is my least favorite. That doesn’t mean I view him as a bad player, but I wouldn’t love the value of selecting him at 31st overall.

There’s a lot to like about Hyatt, including his blazing speed and explosiveness, but there are some significant question marks about his game that I have. To begin with, Hyatt did not have an extensive route tree while at Tennessee and was pretty much only a vertical threat, offering relatively little outside of deep balls.

Another concern I have is the lack of production in the early parts of his college career. In 2020 and 2021, in 23 games, he managed just over 500 receiving yards. In 2022 alone, he racked up almost 1,267 in 12 games. He did win the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver but teams will have to determine whether 2022 was a mirage or if he finally broke out as a player.

Though I have questions about Hyatt’s game, I also have little doubt that Andy Reid will have a plan for him if the Chiefs were to pick him. Kansas City lacks a true deep threat on its roster (MVS and Mahomes never quite got on the same page last season) and Hyatt would surely fill that hole. I don’t foresee him ever developing into a true No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL, but that may not matter in Kansas City, where Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback and Andy Reid is the coach.