Five Things to Know About Chiefs’ First-Round Pick & Former Kansas State DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah | 2023 NFL Draft

4. A number of retailers thought of him one of many prime defensive finish prospects within the draft.

Anudike-Uzomah was broadly ranked by the assorted pre-draft guides and specialists within the actual vary that the Chiefs ended up choosing him. This is a fast have a look at the place quite a lot of retailers positioned him previous to the draft:

Professional Soccer Focus Prime 100: No. 32 total

Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Prime 150: No. 32 total

Danny Kelly (The Ringer) Prime 85: No. 37 total

5. Anudike-Uzomah is a Kansas Metropolis native who attended Lee’s Summit Excessive College.

If what occurred on Thursday night time was in a film, it frankly would not have appeared practical. The reigning Tremendous Bowl champion Kansas Metropolis Chiefs simply closed out the primary spherical – which was going down in Kansas Metropolis – by choosing a prospect who grew up only some miles from the stage.

It is nothing wanting a storybook second, and unsurprisingly, Anudike-Uzomah grew up rooting for his new crew.

“I am the largest Chiefs fan,” mentioned Anudike-Uzomah on Thursday night time. “When [defensive end] George [Karlaftis] obtained drafted final yr, I used to be leaping up and down similar to some other fan. It is loopy to be on the opposite aspect of it now.”

Anudike-Uzomah earned this second, too. It wasn’t too way back that the Lee’s Summit Excessive College alum went largely ignored in the course of the collegiate recruiting cycle. Kansas State supplied Anudike-Uzomah a scholarship two days earlier than early signing day, nevertheless, and the remaining is historical past. The Kansas Metropolis native made essentially the most of his alternative in Manhattan, and now just some years later, he is again dwelling as a member of the defending world champions.