The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a Super Bowl victory in a season where many predicted they would regress in the absence of Tyreek Hill. Clearly, that was far from the case, but like all teams, the Chiefs had holes in its roster to address during the 2023 NFL Draft
Andy Reid and Co. haven't been shy about relying on rookies early, so this 2023 draft class could have an immediate impact as the team looks to repeat as champions.
Who did the Chiefs take during the 2023 NFL Draft and will any of their picks make a fantasy impact? Let's dive in.
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Kansas City Chiefs Draft Picks
First Round (No. 31): Felix Adunike-Uzomah - Edge, Kansas State
Second Round (No. 55): Rashee Rice - WR, SMU
Third Round (No. 92): Wanya Morris - OT, Oklahoma
Fourth Round (No. 119): Chamarri Conner - CB, Virginia Tech
Fifth Round (No. 116): BJ Thompson - Edge, Stephen F. Austin State
Sixth Round (No. 194): Keondre Coburn - DT, Texas
Seventh Round (No. 250): Nic Jones - CB, Ball State
The Chiefs made a big splash in the first round, grabbing Kansas City native Felix Adunike-Uzomah to join its pass-rushing rotation. After spending a second-round pick on an additional target for Patrick Mahomes in Rashee Rice, the focus went back to the front seven and back end of its defense.
The team made exactly one selection in each round and addressed minor or major holes in a talented roster.
Chiefs 2023 Rookie Fantasy Impact
The Chiefs only took one fantasy-relevant player, but he could make an early impact on fantasy rosters as a rookie. Rice caught 96 passes for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior last season. He projects as a volume possession receiver and could be the one-for-one replacement for JuJu Smith-Schuster as the No. 2 target in the passing offense right away.
He'll have to compete with Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore for targets, but there are no deeply established wideouts on the Kansas City roster. It doesn't hurt that Mahomes worked out with Rice this offseason and told the front office to "go get him."
Ultimately, it's important to be careful with how high we set expectations for Rice in his rookie campaign. Outside of Tyreek Hill, no Kansas City receiver has been a fantasy-viable asset week-to-week. Smith-Schuster was solid last year, but he was a veteran with a 1,400-yard season on his resume.
While having a 1,000-yard season is in Rice's range of outcomes in one of the best offenses in football, Travis Kelce is still the team's dominant target hog until further notice. Look for Rice to have a WR5 or W4 fantasy season with WR2 upside.
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