With the NFL draft set to begin tonight on April 25, Kansas City Chiefs fans are reminded that you can still win a Super Bowl without your first-round selection making an immediate impact as a rookie.
In 2023, just ahead of their second consecutive Lombardi trophy, the Chiefs took Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the No. 31 overall pick. And he proceeded to practically redshirt his first NFL campaign.
Having said that, Anudike-Uzomah appears to be working hard to make sure his second year in the league is much more memorable than his first. Taking a page out of 2022 first rounder George Karlaftis’ book, “FAU” was recorded training with legendary Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali on April 24.
“Stay working stay studying your craft never become complacent,” Hali voiced while sharing the video. Within it, the pair of pass rushers are working on hand placement and different hand-fighting techniques that help defenders win off the line of scrimmage.
A second Hali post noted that he and Anudike-Uzomah were up at 6 a.m. for this training session, working with jiu-jitsu instructor Tyson Kilbey and Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Dave Smarr.
Hali ranks second all-time for the Chiefs in sacks, with 89.5. For comparison, current KC superstar Chris Jones still only has 75.5 career sacks.
Training With Tamba Hali Appeared to Help George Karlaftis in 2023
Karlaftis had a much stronger rookie season than Anudike-Uzomah, with 6.0 sacks and eight tackles for a loss. Of course, there was also more opportunity with 17 starts and 730 defensive snaps compared to zero starts and just 218 defensive snaps for FAU.
Either way, training with Hali appeared to help Karlaftis take his game to the next level.
In 2023, the Purdue product posted 10.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss. The jump up to double-digits sacks is the key though, and Anudike-Uzomah would take any sort of rise in production this year — considering year one only yielded 0.5 sacks and two tackles for a loss.
It’s not just finishing where FAU has to show some improvement, it’s pressure rate and win percentage.
According to Pro Football Focus, Anudike-Uzomah’s 3.3% pass rush win-rate and his 11 total quarterback pressures comes out to 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.”
Among other edge rushers around the league with a minimum 20% of snaps played, Anudike-Uzomah’s win-rate ranked 116th out of 118 eligible qualifiers. His PRP ranked 109th out of the same group of 118 players.
Chiefs Expected to Draft Offense in Round 1 of 2024 NFL Draft
After targeting defensive pieces in round one of the NFL draft over the past couple of offseasons, it is largely expected that the Chiefs will go offense in 2024.
The two betting favorites — in terms of position — are offensive line and wide receiver. But as A-to-Z Sports Kansas City reporter Charles Goldman relayed on April 25, the odds have shifted a bit heading into draft night.
“If you’ll recall from our story earlier this week, as of 3:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 23, BetMGM (-120) and DraftKings (-105) odds for the position of the first player drafted by the Chiefs strongly favored the wide receiver position,” Goldman reminded. “As of 10:00 a.m. CT on Thursday, April 25, the odds for both sportsbooks have taken a dramatic shift to an entirely different position.”
“BetMGM now lists offensive lineman as the favorite for the first position selected by Kansas City at -125, while the wide receiver position is listed at +125,” he explained. “The same goes for DraftKings, who now lists offensive lineman as the favorite at -120, while wide receiver has shifted to +120.”
If Kansas City did shock the oddsmakers to select a round one defender for the fourth time in three years, it’d likely be a cornerback — although you can never rule out defensive line. After the L’Jarius Sneed trade, CB is the most glaring need on the defensive side, but the Chiefs already have a plethora of in-house candidates to replace Sneed in 2024 and beyond.
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