Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
The Kansas City Chiefs have earned a solid reputation for getting incredible value in the later rounds of the NFL Draft, with starters such as L’Jarius Sneed, Trey Smith, Isiah Pacheco, and Jaylen Watson being selected on Day 3 in recent years.
Before they even play a snap of football in 2023, USA Today’s Doug Farrar believes the Chiefs got another draft steal in 2023 in sixth-round pick Keondre Coburn.
“Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes to have at least one massive earth-moving defensive tackle on his lines — Khalen Saunders and Derrick Nnadi have filled those roles of late — and Coburn should be a fascinating addition after Kansas City took him with the 194th overall pick in the sixth round,” Farrar wrote in his May 5 article that breaks down the best draft steals for all 32 NFL teams.
“That’s about two rounds lower than I had him based on my tape study after I watched his 2022 season, in which the 6-foot-2, 332-pound Coburn registered four sacks and 31 total pressures. Coburn may be massive, but he’s more than just a stationary earthdog — No. 99 can move quite effectively to the quarterback, and he’s not above taking a guard all the way with him, using just one arm to out-leverage the poor guy.”
State of the Chiefs Defensive Tackle Room
Prior to the draft, Kansas City’s defensive tackle room consisted of Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi, Danny Shelton, Byron Cowart, and Phil Hoskins.
Among that group of players, Wharton would have likely started next to Jones as he did to start the 2022 regular season before landing on injured reserve. Nnadi would have played a sizable amount of reps on run downs, and the others would have fought for the remaining available snaps.
But the addition of Keondre Coburn puts into question what Wharton and Nnadi’s roles will be in 2023. Coburn has the talent to be an NFL starter but will have to prove he can consistently be impactful at the line of scrimmage, which was one of his biggest issues at the collegiate level.
“Motor concerns are fairly cliché for larger defensive linemen, but they definitely apply to Coburn over the course of his career. He wore down considerably over the course of 2022,” PFF wrote of Coburn during the pre-draft process regarding what he can improve on.
If Coburn can consistently display his talent at the NFL level, then the Chiefs will have found themselves a defensive starter in the sixth round. But if he continues to be an inconsistent producer on the football field, then Kansas City can make him a rotational player or cut him altogether since it only used a Day 3 draft selection on him.
Twitter Reacts to Chiefs Drafting Keondre Coburn
Twitter users reacted to the Chiefs drafting Keondre Coburn in the sixth round.
“There wasn’t a single draft pick I didn’t like but Keondre Coburn just strikes me as a dude that’s gonna outperform and exceed expectations sooner than anyone else the Chiefs got in this draft class,” one Twitter user wrote.
There wasn’t a single draft pick I didn’t like but Keondre Coburn just strikes me as a dude that’s gonna outperform and exceed expectations sooner than anyone else the Chiefs got in this draft class.
“Keondre Coburn is exactly what the #Chiefs Needed,” another user wrote. “Interior Defensive Lineman out of Texas. Big body that can stop the run and can play a true nose if needed.”
Keondre Coburn is exactly what the #Chiefs Needed. Interior Defensive Lineman out of Texas. Big body that can stop the run and can play a true nose if needed.
“The Chiefs needed a run stuffing monster in the middle of that d-line next to Chris Jones. Keondre Coburn is going to be able to help the Chiefs stop the run & help Chris become even more dominant than he already is,” Braiden Turner of KC Sports Network wrote.
The Chiefs needed a run stuffing monster in the middle of that d-line next to Chris Jones. Keondre Coburn is going to be able to help the Chiefs stop the run & help Chris become even more dominant than he already is