With the NFL draft scheduled to start tonight on April 25, Kansas City Chiefs fans should remember that they can still have success without their first-round pick immediately making an impact as a rookie. Super Bowl In 2023, just before winning their second consecutive Lombardi trophy, the Chiefs selected Kansas State pass rusher
Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the No. 32 overall pick. He ended up not playing much during his first NFL season. However, Anudike-Uzomah seems to be making an effort to ensure that his second year in the league is more memorable than his first.
He was seen training with Tamba Hali on April 24, following in the footsteps of 2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis. , “FAU” was recorded trainingwith legendary Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali on April 24. Hali shared the video saying, “Stay working stay studying your craft never become complacent.” In the video, the two pass rushers worked on hand placement and different hand-fighting techniques that help defenders win off the line of scrimmage.
Secondly, Hali posted that he and Anudike-Uzomah were up at 6 a.m. for this training session, working with jiu-jitsu instructor
A Tyson Kilbey and Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Dave Smarr. is second in sacks all-time for the Chiefs, with 89.5. For comparison, current KC superstar
Hali has only 75.5 career sacks. Training with Tamba Hali seemed to benefit George Karlaftis in 2023 Chris Jones Karlaftis had a much
more successful rookie season
than Anudike-Uzomah, with 6.0 sacks and eight tackles for a loss. This was likely due to more playing time with 17 starts and 730 defensive snaps compared to zero starts and just 218 defensive snaps Nevertheless, training with Hali seemed to help Karlaftis improve. In 2023, the Purdue product posted 10.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss. The increase in sack numbers is key, and Anudike-Uzomah would welcome any improvement this year—considering that in his first year, he only had 0.5 sacks and two tackles for a loss. for FAU.
The focus should not only be on finishing for FAU, but also on pressure rate and win percentage.
According to Pro Football Focus
, Anudike-Uzomah’s pass rush win-rate was 3.3% and he had 11 total quarterback pressures, resulting in a “PRP” of 4.0. PFF defines PRP as “a formula that combines sacks, hits and hurries relative to how many times they rush the passer.”
According Among other edge rushers around the league with a minimum 20% of snaps played, Anudike-Uzomah’s win-ratewas 116th out of 118
eligible qualifiers. His PRP was 109th out of the same group of 118 players. Chiefs Expected to Draft Offense in Round 1 in 2024 NFL Draft After focusing on defensive players in the first round of the NFL draft over the
last couple of offseasons
, it is widely anticipated that the Chiefs will select an offensive player in 2024. The top two choices for the position are offensive line and wide receiver. But as A-to-Z Sports Kansas City reporterCharles Goldman reported on April 25
, the odds have shifted somewhat as the draft approaches. As of 3:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 23, both BetMGM (-120) and DraftKings (-105) favored the wide receiver position for the Chiefs’ first pick, and this changed dramatically by 10:00 a.m. CT on Thursday, April 25.BetMGM now has offensive lineman as the favorite for the first position chosen by Kansas City at -125, while wide receiver is listed at +125. The same is true for DraftKings, where offensive lineman is now the favorite at -120 and wide receiver has shifted to +120.
“If Kansas City were to surprise the oddsmakers by picking a round one defender for the fourth time in three years, it wouldprobably be a cornerback
— although defensive line should never be ruled out. After the
L’Jarius Sneed trade, CB is the most pressing need on the defensive side, but the Chiefs already have many internal candidates to replace Sneed in 2024 and beyond. Chiefs 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah was seen training with a former KC star pass rusher. in-house candidates to replace Sneed in 2024 and beyond.
