Top 3 players KC Chiefs should completely avoid in 2023 NFL Draft

Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan

Look, there’s nothing wrong on the surface with Luke Schoonmaker. He makes for a fine tight end prospect in the NFL Draft and he could certainly carve out a meaningful role on all 32 NFL teams—including the Chiefs. The case for avoiding Schoonmaker, when it comes to the Chiefs, is all about the roster as its currently constructed and the specific skill set that Schoonmaker brings.

Remember this: if the Chiefs are going to reach for a tight end early in the draft, and we take that to mean anything from the first three-four rounds of the draft, then the mindset has been about replacing Travis Kelce as the team’s primary option down the road. The biggest names in the draft class have been mentioned because of this, depending on whether or not the team’s front office wants to draft for succession or not.

But Schoonmaker is not that guy. While he comes with a day two grade, he’s never produced close to anything on Kelce’s level in college even if you add up his career statistics at Michigan (54 catches for 637 yards). He’s also a year older than Noah Gray, so it’s not as if there are years of upside to project here. Given that he’s dealt with myriad injuries over the years, it’s just tough to stomach on multiple levels.

Overall, Schoonmaker projects as a solid TE2 at the pro level. If the Chiefs are going to invest in the position, what they need is either upside or a solid blocker late in the draft. Sitting in the middle makes zero sense.