[TwistedChief]

Seth Keysor takeaway:

I had never reviewed a second of tape on Anudike-Uzomah prior to the draft, which puts me in a starkly different position than many Chiefs fans who also cheer for Kansas State (or cheer against Kansas State). He’s a different style of player than the other defensive linemen I reviewed heading into the draft, more of a natural edge rusher than an inside/outside guy. He’s also a player who wins more through flexibility/agility and average power than the other way around (high level power and average flexibility/agility).

After watching him, I’m very comfortable with the Chiefs grabbing him at 31. Excited even, as that potential in terms of bending the corner is something that can be built around. When you combine that with decent hand strength and a tireless motor, there’s potential there for a pretty varied edge rusher who can hold up against the run.

I do think that FAU’s floor might be lower than Murphy or Van Ness, but his ceiling is just as high given his ability to (potentially) threaten the edge in ways they can’t (well, MAYBE Murphy can, but he’s not as comfortable cornering as FAU). He’s a different sort of player than they already have on the roster, and to me that’s a good thing, as he may well be able to step in and eat up 600-800 edge rusher snaps out of the gate while working on the nuances of being a cornering defensive end. And that style may complement what Jones/Omenihu/Karlaftis/Danna do (pocket crushers) very well.

The Chiefs seem determined to keep the pass rush from taking a step back in 2023, and that’s a very good thing. And hey, grabbing a local guy who grew up cheering for the team? It’s hard to be mad at that.