By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The Kansas City Chiefs filled a need on the defensive side of the ball by drafting a local player with the last pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft Thursday.
The Chiefs selected Kansas State defensive end and Lee's Summit High School graduate Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the 31st overall pick in the draft, concluding the first round of action at Union Station in Kansas City Thursday night.
Anudike-Uzomah, who played all three of his college seasons at Kansas State, had 20.5 sacks and 97 tackles in his career.
“You try to take the best player who’s available to you, and he’s that guy," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. "We had a chance to hang with him during our local pro day, and we enjoyed meeting with him.”
He fills a void on the defensive front for the Chiefs, left by the departure of defensive linemen Frank Clark and Khalen Saunders this past offseason.
Anudike-Uzomah earned first-team all-state honors as a senior at Lee's Summit High School. His sophomore year was a breakout season, as he shared the Big 12 Conference Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year award with Iowa State's Will McDonald IV.
Anudike-Uzomah had another outstanding season in 2022, earning third-team All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors with team-highs of 11 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks in 14 starts.
He helped Kansas State to a Big 12 championship and Sugar Bowl appearance against Alabama.
“To have a local kid get that call on draft night when the draft is in Kansas City, needless to say he was excited," said Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.
According to an overview on NFL.com, Anudike-Uzomah is "a hard-charging edge prospect...has good strength and a long frame that should continue to fill out."
"His run defense is unrefined and in need of better fundamentals, but he’s clearly gone to school on his pass-rush approach, adding several new wrinkles to his attack in 2022."
"His urgency leads to playmaking opportunities, but he will need to harness that energy and play with better control to become a more efficient defender. There is more polish needed, but Anudike-Uzomah’s NFL rush potential should eventually make him an NFL starter."
The Chiefs have nine picks left in this year's draft. They'll select at No. 63 overall in the second round and No. 95 overall in the third round. Rounds 2-3 of the draft start on Friday night at 6 p.m. central.