3 Chiefs Already on Thin Ice Entering Week 1 vs. Ravens
By Joe Summers
2. Felix Anudike-Uzomah - DE
Speaking of underwhelming high draft picks, 2023 first-round DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah needs to show considerable progress to avoid the dreaded "bust" label. He only played 20% of the defensive snaps in his rookie year, though he has an opportunity early in the new campaign with Charles Omenihu still recovering from his torn ACL.
However, the early returns aren't promising. The Chiefs traded for Cam Thomas last week to bolster the defensive line rotation, and Anudike-Uzomah could lose snaps to Thomas if he doesn't get off to a hot start.
The former Kansas State star did have some impressive moments in the Super Bowl. Sometimes players take a while to develop, and it's no secret that the Chiefs already have a stellar collection of defensive linemen. Without improvement from Anudike-Uzomah though, it'll feel like Brett Veach essentially wasted a valuable first-round pick.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah will likely be in more pass-rush packages in place of Omenihu in Super Bowl LVIII
— Ron Kopp Jr. (@Ron_Kopp) February 4, 2024
That was also the case Wks 1-6. He was exclusively used off the edge, and showed an ability to cave the pocket when stunting inside pic.twitter.com/MyuoXZtmNM
Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, and Mike Danna are firmly established as the top three linemen on the team. Omenihu is a pending free agent, but Anudike-Uzomah could plant his flag and take over that fourth role if he impresses in the first month of the season.
It's rare for a first-round pick to see such little playing time, but that's the result of the Chiefs' loaded roster. Anudike-Uzomah was a luxury pick, not a need. Even still, it'd be nice to see considerable development from him in 2024.