The Kansas City Chiefs are on top of the NFL world once again after winning Super Bowl 57. It looked dicey for a while, with a 10-point halftime deficit and Patrick Mahomes re-aggrivating his high ankle sprain in the second quarter. However, Mahomes and the Chiefs showed their resolve by coming back to win 38-35 in a thriller.
Now, Kansas City enters the offseason on the highest note imaginable. Beyond just winning the Super Bowl, the Chiefs have over $11 million in cap space to work with this offseason. While key players like JuJu Smith-Schuester and Orlando Brown Jr. are about to hit the market, the Chiefs are in a better position than most other contenders when it comes to free agents and cap space.
As Super Bowl champs, the Chiefs will hold the last pick of the first round at No. 31 overall. Normally, they would pick at No. 32 overall, but with the Miami Dolphins forfeiting their first-round pick due to tampering violations, the Chiefs get to move up one spot. Although it is the last pick of the first round, it still allows Kansas City to draft a potential impact player.
But who should Kansas City take with this selection? Without further ado, here are three players the Chiefs should consider drafting with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
3. Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Kansas City's offensive line had a very strong season in 2022. The unit allowed the third-fewest sacks in the league at just 26, and finished as the fourth-best offensive line in the league according to PFF. The group's performance in the Super Bowl was the crown jewel of the season, as they allowed no sacks against the Eagles' historic pass rush. Considering how bad this unit looked in the Super Bowl just two years ago (albeit full of backups), it goes to show just how much credit both the players and general manager Brett Veach deserve for transforming the unit.
That said, the Chiefs are in an interesting spot with their offensive line this offseason. Both starting tackles in Brown and Andrew Wylie are pending free agents, and the Chiefs might not have the cap space to keep both. If they lose one or both of them, they should look to the draft for a potential replacement.
In this scenario, Georgia tackle Broderick Jones would be an excellent choice. He shined for the Bulldogs in 2022, allowing no sacks and two QB hits on 463 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF. Jones ranks 24th on PFF's big board, and with many teams needing line help, there's a good chance he won't be available at 31st overall. If he is, though, the Chiefs would be very wise to take him.
2. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
After trading away Tyreek Hill last offseason, Kansas City decided to roll into the season without a true top wide receiver. Despite having a receiving core featuring Smith-Schuster, Maquez Valdez-Scantling and Kadarius Toney, Mahomes still put up arguably the best season of his career in 2022. He led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, won another MVP, and led his team to a ring.
The Chiefs' receiving corps could take another hit this offseason, with Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman about to hit the market. However, there is a receiver who should be available at this spot and would fit perfectly in this offense. That receiver is North Carolina's Josh Downs, who could be the Chiefs' perfect replacement for Hill.
Downs was a monster over the past two seasons, with 195 catches for 2,364 yards and 19 touchdowns. The one knock on him is his size at only 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, but that's almost exactly Hill's size, and look how that turned out. With his blistering speed and effectiveness in the slot, Downs would thrive in Kansas City's dynamic offense.
1. BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
The Chiefs' pass rush had a very solid season with 55 sacks, second in the league behind the Eagles. However, over a quarter of those came from defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had a huge season with 15.5 sacks. The next-closest player was rookie George Karlaftis with six sacks, so the Chiefs could use an upgrade at edge rusher.
Additionally, Kansas City's need at edge rusher could be greater than it appears. Carlos Dunlap is a pending free agent, and Frank Clark may be a cut candidate due to his massive contract. These two players combined for nine sacks this season, and while not a ton, that's certainly not nothing.
With that in mind, the Chiefs targeting an edge rusher in the draft makes sense. LSU's BJ Ojulari will likely be the best one available when the Chiefs make their pick, so he's a natural choice.
Ojulari, brother of Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari, had a very solid college career. Over the past two seasons at LSU, he racked up 17 sacks, 27 QB hits and 59 hurries. He finished the 2022 season with a solid 75.8 PFF grade and ranks 33rd on the site's big board.
If the Chiefs decide that edge rusher is their biggest need, Ojulari is the clear pick at 31st overall.
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