Chiefs draft Texas DT Keondre Coburn in sixth round of 2023 NFL Draft
The Kansas City Chiefs need more depth up front on the defensive line and they address that for the first time on day three of the NFL draft.They have addressed nearly every need they have. They got an edge rusher with their first pick, a receiver next, then a right tackle, wrapping up their three […]
The Kansas City Chiefs need more depth up front on the defensive line and they address that for the first time on day three of the NFL draft.
They have addressed nearly every need they have. They got an edge rusher with their first pick, a receiver next, then a right tackle, wrapping up their three biggest needs. Then they went after more defensive end depth, and a cornerback. Then in the sixth-round, they go after a defensive tackle, something they could definitely get better at.
With the 195th pick in the draft the Chiefs took Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn to help beef up that front unit.
Right now the Chiefs have Derrick Nnadi starting next to Chris Jones, and while Nnadi won't have the stats to show it, he is huge to the defense. He is able to use his size to plug gaps in the run game and he is strong enough to make the pocket for the quarterback smaller.
But, they do still need another guy at the position with Khalen Saunders heading to the New Orleans Saints. Coburn has a very similar build to Saunders, who was an important piece to the Chiefs Super Bowl run. Coburn, if he can make his way up the depth chart and make the 53-man roster, will have a similar role.
Keondre Coburn played 275 snaps in the B gap and 129 snaps in the A gap, where he finished with four sacks in 2022 playing at both spots. He also had 24 quarterback hurries on the year. The Chiefs think they can develop him into a key player on this team. If they want to, there are some things they will need to fix.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler broke down his weakness:
His short arms and small hands delay his ability to quickly detach from blocks … too much wasted movements with his hands and doesn’t rush with much of a plan … his secondary rush skills are uninspiring, leaving his rush stalled out … plays too reactive and needs to key blocks with better quickness … needs to better anticipate down blocks to maintain his spot … not a refined technician working through contact … had more missed sacks than credited sacks in his college career … needs to finish tackles once he gets his hands on the ball carrier.
But don't let that weakness scare you away. There are definitely things he does well too. Brugler broke that down as well in his draft guide:
Wide-bodied defender with broad shoulders and thick thighs … flashes the brute strength in his upper body to create knockback at contact or provide a bull rush … his low center of gravity helps him hold ground vs. double teams … moves well for a 335-pounder to sidestep or split blocks laterally … shifts his weight in an efficient manner to sharpen his pursuit angles … tracks the ball well in the backfield and runs hard to the football … dialed up the pass rush energy and effort as a senior … played in every game the last four seasons and averaged 34.8 defensive snaps over those 48 games.
The Chiefs needed some more depth and they got a guy who is considered a top 150 player in the draft. I'll take those numbers.
