NFL Mock Draft roundup: Chiefs linked to new defensive linemen
By Matt Conner
Let’s look at some of the latest prospect projected to go to the Kansas City Chiefs in various mock drafts, including some new edge rushers.
With another week comes another round of mock drafts, and as we’re getting closer to the actual 2023 NFL Draft, we’re starting to see some new names attached to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs select at No. 31 overall, the rewards of winning Super Bowl LVII, and that means that the majority of impact players will be gone at this point. Instead, the Chiefs will be dealing with some level of projection or limitation unless they decide to go with a player at a non-premium position.
The latest round of mock drafts has the Chiefs sticking with positions of need—especially at defensive end—but there are some newer names we’ve not heard often and that’s exciting to think that the Chiefs might have some real options here.
Let’s take a look at some of the latest mock drafts to see who the Chiefs are projected to take and see what we think of each move.
Keion White, DL, Georgia Tech
Will Brinson has posted his latest mock draft at CBS Sports and he has the Chiefs going with a defensive lineman. What’s interesting here is that the name attached is quite uncommon to see in mocks as the Chiefs would be taking Keion White, a prospect from Georgia Tech.
White came to Georgia Tech after three seasons at Old Dominion. He’s toyed with playing both tight end and defensive end in the past, and his first season with the Yellow Jackets was marred by injury. This year, he broke through with a strong season of 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss and some truly dominant performances.
There’s no denying that White has the raw tools necessary to succeed as a penetrating lineman at the next level, but the question is whether he’ll put it all together and just how high that ceiling can go. He’s raw in many ways, and that sort of projection is why White is hardly ever listed as a first-round prospect in mocks.
White is the ultimate gamble for a team like the Chiefs who would be picking at the end of the first round. By this point, it’s likely that at least 5 other players at the position are gone and maybe even a couple more than that. By going with White, the team would be reaching for more potential than proven production, but White’s ideal size and strength could be worth the sort of projection that would yield big-time results.