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Chiefs Draft Grades: Rating every pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

By Lucas Strozinsky

Dec 3, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (91) and TCU Horned Frogs offensive tackle Brandon Coleman (77) in action during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Kansas State Wildcats at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (91) and TCU Horned Frogs offensive tackle Brandon Coleman (77) in action during the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Kansas State Wildcats at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2021; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan (15) breaks away from Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (91) during the first quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2021; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan (15) breaks away from Kansas State Wildcats defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (91) during the first quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports /

Round 1, Pick 31: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State

The Chiefs made a significant move in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Felix Anudike-Uzomah out of Kansas State with the 31st overall pick. Anudike-Uzomah is a versatile pass rusher with impressive athleticism, making him a potentially early impactful addition to Kansas City’s defensive line. What makes this pick a little bit sweeter is that FAU is a native of the Kansas City metro and now has the opportunity to win a Super Bowl with his childhood team.

To begin with, FAU exhibited a great sense of drive and urgency while with the Wildcats. He can rush from almost any alignment on the defensive line and was fantastic at converting speed to power while rushing the passer. He can win both as a power rusher and as a speed rusher. Anudike-Uzomah is still extremely young and inexperienced, having just turned 21 years old in late January and logging only 700 career pass-rushing snaps while at Kansas State. He’s NFL-ready and has no true weakness in his game. The fact that he’s already this refined with relatively little experience should be an exciting thought for Chiefs fans.

With youth and inexperience comes inconsistent technique, and his hand placement and other areas of his craft will need to improve for him to thrive at the NFL level. He also is a little undersized but should bulk up when he enters the Chiefs facility. Although he is a willing run defender, which Steve Spagnuolo values, he still needs to clean up that part of his game,

Nevertheless, his athletic build, speed rush, and explosion are exactly what the Chiefs needed from their edge rushers, and he will complement the power of 2022 rookie George Karlaftis.

Although the value wasn’t tremendous, Felix Anudike-Uzomah was expected to be selected anywhere from the late first to early second rounds of the draft, and he plays a position that is both a premium one and a long-term need for the Chiefs. This pick isn’t a home run, but it’s a solid one that fills a need on the Chiefs’ roster.

The Grade: B+

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