Checking in on Felix Anudike-Uzomah’s Sophomore Season: Growth for Chiefs DE?

With the Chiefs' bye week arriving, it's a good time to look at where Felix Anudike-Uzomah is in his second season in the NFL and what he brings to Kansas City.

Sep 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) is hit by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah (97) and fumbles the ball during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The 2023 NFL Draft was a historic moment for the Kansas City Chiefs, who were the reigning Super Bowl champions and playing host to the draft. They even selected a local product with their first-round pick and added to the Kansas City theme.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah was a raw prospect but brought a different skill set than other Chiefs edge rushers. His ability to win quickly was viewed as something that would help bolster the team's pass rush and complement the position group. Anudike-Uzomah's rookie season was mostly looked at as a developmental redshirt year. Now that we are five games into his sophomore campaign, we can look back to see what he currently brings to Kansas City and the potential for growth that still exists.

Through five games, Anudike-Uzomah has played 78 defensive snaps broken down as 45 pass rush, 32 run defense and one coverage snap. On those 45 pass rush reps, the second-year defensive end has recorded five pressures and converted one into a sack. He's also logged seven defensive stops, according to Next Gen Stats. He ranks fifth on the team in pressures and 12th in defensive stops. While ranking fifth in pressures in encouraging, it doesn't tell the whole story about his pass rushes.

Anudike-Uzomah's only sack came off a blown protection where he was unblocked. It's still a good play by him to take advantage, get the sack and even force a fumble, but that's a rare situation. Time to pressure is a way to measure how quickly a pass rusher is affecting the quarterback. Anudike-Uzomah has an average time to pressure of 3.30 seconds but when removing the unblocked one, that average jumps up to 3.70 seconds. That would be the second-longest on the team for defensive linemen; the only one with a longer average time to pressure is Mike Pennel.

That's a concern for a player brought in to add quick pressures. Traditionally, the Chiefs have leaned towards getting rushers with power profiles to crush the pocket from the outside. That style can lead to a longer time to pressure rates. Anudike-Uzomah's athleticism and ability to win around the edge made him an attractive candidate to complement George Karlaftis and Mike Danna. However, he hasn't brought that to Kansas City on a consistent basis yet. There are flashes of his ability to bend the edge. For example, he had a pressure against the Los Angeles Chargers where he won up the arc and forced Justin Herbert to step up.

As a prospect, question marks surrounded Anudike-Uzomah's ability to defend the run. This season, he's been solid as a run defender. His iffy play strength still shows up sometimes, but he's not getting pushed around like many were concerned about. He especially succeeds on the backside of runs. He can close the cutback lane and prevent the running back from finding a hole if the front is clogged. Another reason that his run defense has been a positive is his effort. There were never questions about it, but seeing him never give up on a play is excellent. There have been at least two plays this season where the action is behind Anudike-Uzomah, but he hustles to make the tackle.

Overall, Anudike-Uzomah still has a ways to go to live up to his first-round potential. He has improved as a run defender, using his natural athleticism and playing with an exceptional motor. One would like to see him grow as a pass rusher, though, especially with his technique and plan. Right now, there's a lot of trying to out-athlete the opposing tackle. That works in college, but everyone in the NFL is a great athlete so unless you are truly in the upper echelon, technique and plan are critical.

Anudike-Uzomah might not be the player some expected to this point, but there are positive takeaways to believe that he will continue to grow and improve over the course of the season.

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