Arrowhead Report

Chiefs Select BJ Thompson With No. 166 Overall Pick

Kansas City adds an intriguing piece who can potentially help in pass-rushing situations.

Jordan Foote

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The Kansas City Chiefs' Day 3 draft class started with a trade-up for Virginia Tech defensive back Chamarri Conner in the fourth round, and Kansas City's fifth-round pick added more depth to the roster for the reigning Super Bowl champions. 

With the 166th overall pick, the Chiefs have selected Stephen F. Austin defensive end/EDGE prospect BJ Thompson.

In his final collegiate season (he spent some time at Baylor; Stephen F. Austin was his second school), Thompson recorded 25 tackles, 6.5 sacks and three forced fumbles per the team's official website. I had him mocked to the Chiefs in the seventh round of my initial Arrowhead Report Chiefs Mock series, and here's what I had to say about the pick at the time:

Stephen F. Austin's B.J. Thompson is not a prototypical Spagnuolo edge-rusher, so this is almost entirely a pick rooted in the possibility of change and/or the influence of defensive line coach Joe Cullen. Thompson came into the process as an undersized defensive end who has since put on some weight but is hoping to maintain his athleticism in the process. If he can continue to fine-tune his plan as a pass-rusher, he could be put on the field during obvious passing situations and give Kansas City something it doesn't typically go for at the position. He's also conducted a top-30 visit with the team already.

Per Pro Football Focus' draft page for Thompson, he lined up 492 times outside the opposing tackle last season at Stephen F. Austin. Twenty-six of his snaps were over the tackle, and 34 others were off-ball. He's a high-level athlete who would've had one of the best Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) ever for a defensive end had he weighed more. Strength and size are question marks for Thompson, especially if he can't continue to add weight and/or struggles to maintain his athleticism while doing so. Nevertheless, he offers some fun upside for the Chiefs and has shown improvement throughout the pre-draft process.

Thompson joins a defensive end room that has George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu and 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah leading the way. Behind them, Mike Danna is a steady veteran presence and then the group's depth opens up to unproven players and wild-card options. Thompson would fit into the latter category, and he'll be tasked with continuing to progress over the course of the offseason in order to secure a roster spot and role as a rookie.

Read More: Chiefs 2023 NFL Draft Tracker

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Jordan Foote
JORDAN FOOTE

Jordan Foote is the deputy editor of Kansas City Chiefs On SI. Foote is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media.

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