It might look like the safety room is rather full for the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.
The addition of Mike Edwards and re-signing of Deon Bush, have the room looking set as far as depth and starters are concerned. As we’ve learned in the past, it’s important creating a competitive environment for the upcoming NFL season, but also to create depth for the future.
Here’s a look at some of the players the Chiefs could consider adding in each round of the 2023 NFL draft:
Round 1: Alabama S Brian Branch
Branch (6 feet, 190 pounds) is the top safety in this draft class for a lot of reasons, but I’m going to land on versatility. He can lineup as a traditional safety, but he can also play the slot corner position as well (think Tyrann Mathieu) and he also returned punts at Alabama. In his senior campaign, he led his team in interceptions (2) and had the most sacks among defensive backs (3), earning First-Team All-American honors. He’s easily the best tackling defensive back in this class and you just know that Steve Spagnuolo would love to use him on blitzes off the edge.
Round 2: Texas A&M S Antonio Johnson
At 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Johnson has the size that NFL teams covet at the safety position. He can play both traditional safety roles, but he can also play slot corner and linebacker in certain sub-packages. He’s got a quick trigger to strike when playing downhill and he’s not afraid to come in and make a big tackle. Zone coverage is where he makes his money as a pass defender, but he has the size to match up in coverage against tight ends and big slot receivers. He recorded 71 tackles, a sack, a pass defended and three forced fumbles in 2022.
Round 3: Illinois S Quan Martin
I’ve said that if you come away with one of the Illinois safety prospects, you’re automatically winning this draft. Martin (5-foot-11, 194 pounds) will be coveted for his versatility. He can start at literally any position in the secondary, with snaps in the box, slot, outside cornerback and free safety last season. He is 23 years old, which might push him down the draft board for teams. That said, he was voted team captain for the Illini last year and has plenty of experience.
Round 4: Cal S Daniel Scott
Scott is one of the older prospects in this entire draft class (24.5). He redshirted with Cal back in 2017 and took an extra year of eligibility in 2022. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds, Scott is a rangy safety on the back end with really good ball skills. He led the Golden Bears in back-to-back seasons with three interceptions. He was also named a team captain at Cal in 2022. He’s proven to be a strong run defender and also has a knack for creating forced fumbles with three in the past two seasons.
Round 5: Oklahoma State S Jason Taylor II
At 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds, Taylor became a fixture for the Cowboys’ defense as a starter over the past two seasons. One of the best ball-hawking safeties in this draft class, he was the Big 12’s leader in interceptions (6) this past season and one interception shy of tying for the FBS lead. He also led his team in tackles (99) and passes defended (13) in 2022. He also has over 400 career special teams snaps to hang his hat on. Kansas City has shown some interest in Taylor, with a meeting happening during the course of the pre-draft process.
Round 6: Alabama S Demarcco Hellams
Hellams isn’t as well-known as his Crimson Tide teammates in Brian Branch or Jordan Battle, but he’s a talented prospect with high football character. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds, Hellams often aligned at the strong safety position for Alabama. He’s someone who can play in the box, trigger downhill and make plays in the short passing game and run support. Just last year, he led the Alabama defense in total tackles. He’s also quite adept in 1-on-1 coverage against tight ends. He didn’t test particularly well, which is why he’ll likely be available into Day 3.
Round 7: New Mexico S Jerrick Reed II
Reed took a top-30 visit with the Chiefs. This 5-foot-10 and 192-pound defensive back recorded 266 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, seven interceptions, 21 passes defended and one defensive touchdown with the Lobos dating back to 2019. He proved to be a talented athlete at his pro day, posting numbers that would have him ranked among the top in this draft class at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
