KC Chiefs 2023 Mock Draft 5.0: Addressing Needs

Taking a fifth crack at projecting what might make sense for Kansas City in this year's draft.

The week of the 2023 NFL Draft is officially here, and the Kansas City Chiefs will soon be in their draft day war room navigating one of the busiest events of the league year.

This year's class features plenty of high-upside and relatively "safe" picks alike, and it has considerable depth at multiple positions Kansas City should be interested in. General manager Brett Veach spoke late last week about the state of the roster, only adding more fuel to the fire that is the mass of folks attempting to guess what he'll do in the draft. In the Arrowhead Report Chiefs Mock 5.0, let's run another potential scenario for the Chiefs' next rookie class. 

In my official Arrowhead Report Chiefs Mock 1.0, Mock 2.0, Mock 3.0 and Mock 4.0, I followed a specific set of rules that will be adhered to in this edition as well. Here's the outline:

• Normal settings were used in this mock draft
• No Chiefs trades were made for the sake of consistency
• Too many duplicate picks will be avoided (if possible) over the course of the mock series in an effort to present looks at as many different prospects as possible
• The top three available players on the board were deemed ineligible for each pick to prevent unexpected falls from sweetening the pot too much

This mock came from the NFL Mock Draft Database. You can see the abbreviated list of 10 here. Now, let's take a look at all 10 prospects in another Arrowhead Report mock draft.

Round 1, Pick 31: Anton Harrison (OT, Oklahoma)

Anton Harrison is a well-built offensive line prospect who possesses the requisite size (6-foot-4, 314 pounds with nearly 35-inch arms) that the Chiefs typically look for in their tackles. He's got a solid, sturdy base and should do well at gaining depth as needed against opposing defensive ends trying to work up the arc. Those who widen their attack angles could give him some trouble, though, as he still needs to gain experience as he ages. Harrison is far from a perfect prospect but could be a short- and long-term solution at right tackle or perhaps a left tackle should Jawaan Taylor be moved back over to the other side of the line. 

Round 2, Pick 63: Gervon Dexter (iDL, Florida)

Defensive tackle — notably nose tackle or one-technique — is a sneaky position of need for the Chiefs. Derrick Nnadi is back in the fold but his contract is of the one-year variety once again and he's coming off his most underwhelming season as a pro by far. Drafting a superior player should allow for immediate playing time and a quality succession plan, and Florida's Gervon Dexter is just that. Dexter has tremendous size and length, also possessing the athleticism to boast a considerable pass-rush ceiling while being stout in run defense. Pick No. 63 may not be the sexiest spot for a primary run defender who will need to be developed into a threat against the pass, but Dexter's upside is worth investing in. 

Round 3, Pick 95: Trey Palmer (WR, Nebraska)

Wide receiver is easily the Chiefs' biggest position of weakness, and they land a wideout here with Trey Palmer. The Nebraska product ran a blazing 4.33-second 40-yard dash and has decent length, although other areas of his athletic testing profile fell well short of expectations. With that said, Palmer is a player who can win from just about any alignment and is quick in and out of his transitions. His ability to create with the ball in his hands is an added plus. Andy Reid's offense will help Palmer avoid too much press coverage that could slow him down, and the system would also maximize his natural playmaking talent. He's a solid prospect for Kansas City.

Round 4, Pick 122: Israel Abanikanda (RB, Pittsburgh)

Kansas City's running back depth behind Isiah Pacheco is questionable, especially with Jerick McKinnon still being on the open market. Pittsburgh halfback Israel Abanikanda is one of the more exciting prospects in the class, running a 4.45-second 40-yard dash while also posting elite explosion grades on the Relative Athletic Score (RAS) scale. He's a difficult player to bring down and has the speed to turn a short gain into a big one. His rushing profile is prolific, but there are questions about him as a threat in the passing game (as both a blocker and a consistent pass-catcher) that will likely limit him to being a third- or fourth-round pick. For the Chiefs, adding Abanikanda would form a lethal one-two punch with Pacheco despite the similarities and flaws. 

Round 4, Pick 134: Davis Allen (TE, Clemson)

If you've been following the mock series here at Arrowhead Report, you've seen several mid-round picks at tight end. This is yet another one, with Clemson tight end Davis Allen being added to a room that also features Travis Kelce, Blake Bell, Noah Gray and Jody Fortson. Allen is an explosive player who could be a vertical threat on jump balls or red zone targets throughout his career, and he's a solid mover with mostly adequate size to match. This selection adds a bit of redundancy to the group, but it also creates a highly-competitive situation for those battling it out for a finite amount of roster spots. Allen is a worthwhile long-term investment. 

Round 5, Pick 166: Brenton Cox Jr. (EDGE, Florida)

The primary thing that NFL teams will have to figure out with Brenton Cox Jr. is whether he's worth their pick character-wise. Cox has been removed from a pair of high-profile collegiate programs but appears to be looking to put his past behind him and prove he's all about being a productive professional at the highest level. He's a bit undersized for what Steve Spagnuolo likes at defensive end, but Cox is still a toolsy ball of clay that any defensive coordinator should love to work with on the field. His combination of strength in run defense and a decent toolbox as a pass-rusher gives him a respectable floor but a ceiling that makes him a fun Day Three selection. 

Round 5, Pick 178: Braeden Daniels (OL, Utah)

The Chiefs love versatility along their offensive line, and Utah's Braeden Daniels provides them with that. The 6-foot-3, 294-pounder has 33-inch arms, making him primarily a guard prospect at the next level. He profiles extremely well there athletically and if he was a bit bigger, his draft stock would likely soar as a tackle instead. Daniels is a smooth player at any spot on the line but the size pigeonholes him some. At the least, however, any team drafting him would be getting a quality backup capable of being the sixth or seventh offensive lineman on the depth chart. On Day Three, a franchise can't ask for much more than that. 

Round 6, Pick 217: Cam Jones (LB, Indiana)

Indiana linebacker Cam Jones has been around for a while, and he'll turn 24 during the first couple of months of his rookie season. He's small for what most teams look for in linebacker prospects, and he doesn't have the linear nor dynamic athleticism to transition to more of a box safety role either. Despite that, Jones has a very solid understanding of all aspects of his game and doesn't play out of his capabilities very often. He could thrive as a special teams piece and someone who can insulate a room with high-floor depth even with athletic and size limitations. This is a Dave Toub pick through and through, and Veach is always a safe bet to add a linebacker.

Round 7, Pick 249: Anthony Johnson Jr. (DB, Iowa State)

Iowa State defensive back Anthony Johnson Jr. was a cornerback for his first handful of seasons in college, later switching to safety to cap off his career with the Cyclones. He, too, is an older prospect but unlike Jones, Johnson has the athletic upside to be a fun piece for the Chiefs on defense. Johnson is very smooth in the secondary and once he figures out how to react at a new position, he could turn into a key reserve for an NFL club. The cornerback-safety overlap is real here, and Johnson isn't worth much more than a flier late on Day Three, but Kansas City could like his prospects as another ball of clay to add to this class.  

Round 7, Pick 250: Demario Douglas (WR, Liberty)

Double-dipping at wide receiver is never a bad idea. The first thing that stands out for Liberty's Demario Douglas is his size, as he's 5-foot-8 and weighs just 179 pounds. On the other hand, he's also quite fast at the position and can elevate with someone of the more athletic wideouts in the 2023 group. Douglas is an efficient mover and understands leverage, also serving as a yards-after-catch threat. He has return versatility as well, which helps raise his floor considering the clear negatives in his game as a receiver (size, length, ability against press, lack of alignment versatility).