David Bell
All I Know
There is not much information out there to state that a certain 15+ players in the first round are truly in the Chiefs eyepiece. As this article comes to fruition, we are 23 days from the first day of the 2023 Draft in Kansas City at Union Station. Because I am not a fly on the wall in the halls of the Chiefs meeting rooms, I have no real clue about who to draft and often in which round. Further, I am sure there will be draft picks that I had to eye on — for example, Fayetteville State’s CB Joshua Williams in the 2022 draft.
I run a Mock Draft every now and then to get an ideas of who is consistently drafted in rounds one through five. This gives me an idea of how other “outsiders” view the players in the draft. I pay attention to player breakdowns from several analysts and observers. How realistic are the appraisals and ratings and by whom were they made?
Most of the diehard Chiefs fans know what is most important about the draft and can construct their own draft board. I thought I would look at the prominent players in the draft and by anticipating a consensus of possible players the Chiefs would rate as true round #1 talents, build a board based on position groups. I’ll start with Edge Rushers. Who do you think the Chiefs have as round #1 players?
Here is My List, My Top Five Edgey Guys:
#1 Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – Anderson recorded the most ever pressures by any player in the current era. In 2022, Anderson had a sack in three straight games–all against three top-25 teams. He is a 6′ 3 1/2″ 255 LB Edge rusher and the smallest among the top 5 that I list here. For that reason, he is a Speed Rusher which I value but is probably not ideal for Joe Cullen — maybe a better fit for a 3-4 defense. Still, I like him.
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#2 Myles Murphy (Clemson) – Murphy is highly regarded due to his physical traits. Murphy is 6’5″ 265+ LB Edge Rusher. He has top-level speed and athleticism. His video demonstrates he has several varied moves of his pass-rush moves. It is that variable that makes him succeed. He will be NFL-ready. The Thing about Murphy is he has size, speed, and power. If I had to earmark a player that I believe will become a top-notch sack artist at the next level, I would wager that Murphy will become such a player. He has all the tools to succeed at the NFL Level. In fact, maybe I should rank him as #1 and move Anderson to #2.
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#3 Will McDonald IV – What moved his ranking up? The Scouting Combine results. McDonald had an 11-foot broad jump – tied for 1st. This is an indicator of explosiveness. On the field, McDonald has a spin move that is outstanding. His rating has also risen in the past couple of weeks.
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#4 Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech) – Wilson is a 6′ 6″ 270 LB player from Henderson Texas. He has 35 5/8″ arms with an 86-inch wingspan. His combination of strength and length will combat the best offensive linemen plus the wing span will fend off blockers allowing him to get at the opposing QB quickly. Wilson only did the bench press at the combine and I have not seen pro-day numbers. Once again, the player metrics fit the size and length that DL Coach Cullen finds most valuable. At the Liberty Bowl this year, Wilson had 2 sacks and 3 tipped balls. He is a legit immediate starter in the NFL.
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#5 Lukas Van Ness (Iowa Hawkeyes) – My view of Van Ness has grown to new heights as the days dwindle before draft day. Perhaps Van Ness has become my favorite choice for Pick 31. At the completion of the Combine, Van Ness demonstrated his prowess in both the 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle. I was not anticipating this result. He ranked 2nd in both categories. This is good stuff for a big man – who stands 6’5″ and weighs 270 pounds. Van Ness has the size that DL Coach Joe Cullen values. In 2022, Van Ness recorded 37 Total Tackles, 6 sacks, 10.5 TFLs, 31 hurries, and 2 blocked punts… in 13 games (Big 10).
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If I eliminate Anderson and Murphy it would probably leave three potential draft picks: McDonald, Wilson, and Van Ness. Are there others? Uncle You Bet!
It appears to me that the only edge rusher who would be available to the Chiefs would be Will McDonald IV. I originally posited BJ Ojulari as a likely possible draft pick at #31. Laddie liked Army’s Andre Carter while KSU’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah is also in the picture. Whatever happens, it’s likely that if the Chiefs draft an edge rusher, it would be from the top five listed above. I would say that in the range of pick #31 or trade-up if necessary for the Veach & Scouts potential pick.
I have no clue whether the Chiefs see things the same way. Who knows? I hope they take the BPA in round one which might mean an OT or a WR.
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David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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