The Chiefs Select a Local Prospect with the 31st Overall Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
April 27, 2023
With the 31st overall pick, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the defensive end from Kansas State.
Numerous sources reported that the Chiefs wanted to trade up with teams like the Dallas Cowboys, but they stayed put and drafted the kid from the metro area.
Anudike-Uzomah started his football career at Lee’s Summit High School. Under head coach Eric Thomas, the Kansas Citian earned a second-team all-state honor as a junior and a first-team all-state honor as a senior from the Missouri Football Coaches Association. In three years, he posted 184 tackles, 55 tackles for loss (TFL), and 13 sacks.
After high school, Anudike-Uzomah continued his journey in Manhattan, Kansas. Even though he did not play much in his true freshman year, the local prospect exploded in 2021. In 12 games, he carded 51 total tackles, 14.5 TFLs (11 of those were sacks), and six forced fumbles.
A year later, his numbers slightly decreased, with only 46 total tackles, 11 TFLs (8.5 sacks), and two forced fumbles.
Anudike-Uzomah earned multiple award nominations during his time in college. The Big 12 selected him as the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning a 2022 Second Team All-American selection from the Associated Press. He also was a semifinalist for the 2022 Chuck Bednarik Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award.
After a successful run in the NCAA, FAU will now get to learn from the likes of defensive end George Karlaftis and defensive tackle Chris Jones. With recently-signed defensive lineman Charles Omenihu officially working inside the trenches with Jones, Anudike-Uzomah will have the opportunity to start in the 2023-2024 season.
William Bell • Apr 28, 2023 at 8:39 am
Great to see you get this copy up on the website, Cristian. Maybe he’ll give us an interview down the road. You may want to add a quote from his post-draft press conference.