The Kansas City Chiefs head into the 2023 NFL Draft with the last pick in the first rounds after winning the Super Bowl last season. The Chiefs draft in 2022 played a major role in the team doing as well as it did, and to keep the good times rolling in Kansas City, general manager Brett Veach needs to crush the draft again. That means making smart selections and avoiding players like wide receiver Jordan Addison from USC and edge-rusher Nolan Smith from Georgia.

As the Chiefs’ payroll continues to grow (especially the Patrick Mahomes contract), the team has to let go of expensive veterans who aren’t absolutely crucial to the team’s success, and (hopefully) replicate their production with cheap rookie contracts.

This offseason, that meant letting WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and DE Frank Clark go and making those two positions a priority in the 2023 NFL Draft. There are plenty of solid choices at those two spots for the Chiefs to make at No. 31. However, avoiding Addison and Smith should also be a consideration.

WR Jordan Addison, USC

The Chiefs will draft a wide receiver in the first few rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, and taking one at the end of the first isn’t out of the question. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney are a good group, but the team can use some more options.

There are several interesting WRs who could be available at No. 31. This includes Zay Flowers from Boston College, Jalin Hyatt from Tennessee, or Josh Downs from North Carolina.

Jordan Addison is the player they need to avoid, though.

Addison is a decent college receiver, but his game doesn’t seem like it is going to translate to the NFL. He is average at just about anything but route running. The Pittsburgh transfer measures 5-foot-1, 178 pounds at the combine, and he is not a strong or stout player at that size.

He also ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash, 21st among receivers who ran at the combine. He is a precise route-runner who was excellent as a junior with Kenny Pickett but didn’t have a great final season at USC.

Receivers who work best with Patrick Mahomes are dynamic playmakers who can not only get open but use their athleticism to find space when a play breaks down. Maybe Addison is a good enough route-runner to consistently shake NFL defensive backs. If not, though, he may have a hard time playing with Mahomes’ free-wheeling style.

If there is even a question that Jordan Addison may struggle with Mahomes, it is best for the Chiefs to avoid him altogether. There are better options at pick No. 31, even if Flowers, Hyatt, and Downs are gone.

If the Chiefs are deadest on taking a wideout and Addison is the only one of the top four or five prospects left, Veach should take a chance on someone with more upside like Cedric Tillman from Tennessee, Tyler Scott from Cincinnati, or A.T. Perry from Wake Forest.

EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia

Georgia pass-rusher Nolan Smith is one of the most polarizing players in the 2023 NFL Draft.

He has the technique, moves, and speed to be an excellent pass rusher, but he’s never had more than 4.5 sacks in a season. He’s also missed a lot of games over the course of his college career. Maybe he’s had some bad injury luck, but at 6-foot-2, 238 pounds, maybe he’s just too small to hold up in the trenches of the SEC, let alone the NFL.

Smith ran a blazing 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, which caused him to skyrocket back up draft boards. He was thought of as a sure first-round pick heading into last season, but after playing just eight games, a torn pectoral knocked him out for the season and hurt his draft stock.

Now, there’s a chance he could be around when the Chiefs draft at No. 31. If he is, the temptation will be there to make a possible value pick to replace Frank Clark.

Don’t do it, Brett Veach.

For one, the road of first-round NFL draft busts is littered with undersized pass-rushers, and Nolan Smith definitely fits into that category. However, Aaron Maybin and Barkevious Mingo aren’t the only reason the Chiefs draft shouldn’t include Smith.

When eth 2023 NFLPA team report cards came out, the Chiefs ranked near the bottom of the league for their training room (D+) and dead last for their training staff. The players savaged head trainer Rick Burkholder in the report, and that’s not great news.

A team could possibly draft Nolan Smith and turn him into an excellent NFL player. However, that team will have to have a great coaching staff to put a player of his size in a position to succeed and a fantastic training staff to keep him on the field.

The Chiefs only have one of those two things.