The 2023 NFL draft is months away, but we’re getting a new wave of mock drafts ahead of the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
The latest mock draft from NFL media’s Daniel Jeremiah is certainly a bit different than the norm, with some interesting names in the conversation for the first round. As for his pick for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jeremiah has the team staying at pick No. 31 and selecting EDGE Nolan Smith from the two-time national champion Georgia Bulldogs.
Here is what Jeremiah had to say about the choice:
“Smith is an outstanding athlete who reminds me a little bit of Haason Reddick when he was coming out of Temple. Smith would get a lot of pass-rush opportunities in Kansas City, thanks to the Patrick Mahomes-led offense.”
Evoking Haason Reddick after Andrew Wylie shut him down in Super Bowl LVII is probably not the most appealing to Chiefs fans. That said, the idea of adding a speed rusher who is one of the more technically sound run defenders in the 2023 NFL draft, should get them a bit more excited. Listed at 6-3 and 240 pounds, Smith’s not the biggest body at the edge rusher position. Yet, he profiles shockingly similar to Frank Clark, who has a cap hit worth $30.1 million in 2023 and could be a salary cap casualty.
The reason that a player of Smith’s caliber would be available at the end of Round 1 stems from injury concerns and a lack of production. In 2021, he missed one game with an elbow injury. Last season, Smith only appeared in nine games after tearing his pec. He’s never had more than 3.5 sacks in a single season of his college career and only has 12.5 sacks over his four seasons in Athens, Georgia.
