Have the last two drafts hollowed out our depth?
 

I know we should give draft classes three years to develop fully, but how do we feel on the early returns here?

2023
1. DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
2. WR Rashee Rice
3. OT Wanya Morris
4. DB Chamarri Conner
5. DE BJ Thompson
6. DT Keondre Coburn
7. DB Nic Jones
UDFAs of note: LB Cam Jones, DE Truman Jones, RB Deneric Prince, WR Nikko Remigio

2024
1. WR Xavier Worthy
2. OT Kingsley Suamataia
4. TE Jared Wiley
4. DB Jaden Hicks
5. OG/C Hunter Nourzad
6. DB Kamal Hadden
7. OG/C CJ Hanson
UDFAs of note: TE Baylor Cupp, OT Ethan Driskell, DT Fabien Lovett, OG McKade Mettauer, DB Christian Roland-Wallace

Eh, none are 2022 but if they can get 3 good players from each draft that can play decent roles, we'll survive.

Felix and Kingsley have been F picks so far. Really disappointed in Felix relative to his draft position.

Worthy and Rice have been A’s. Great picks.

Conner and Hicks are probably B ish. Solid players that look like steals for day 3. If they can get Kingsley or Wanya to start at G that would greatly help.

An F is awfully harsh on Felix I think. The hit rate down around pick 32 is not anything special and he's only gotten better and should only continue to do so.

2023 - Overall opinion is we got 1 stud, two solid depth pieces if they end up in their correct positions, and 1 maybe.
1. DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah - Absolute shit pick. Was a shit pick when we made it. Should have taken Derick Hall if we took an ER. I know I'm a self-serving ass but my guy has been much better so waaaah. If we were taking BPA, it should have been Joey Porter Jr by a mile. The only plus is he's still young and could still end up worthwhile.
2. WR Rashee Rice - Great pick
3. OT Wanya Morris - I loved this pick but he's developing slower than hoped. He should probably move inside to OG but that's okay for a 3rd rounder.
4. DB Chamarri Conner - I absolutely hated this pick at the time but he's okay, he just doesn't belong at NB. This is a deep FS.
5. DE BJ Thompson - I mean, you can't dog him for health in this situation... He was coming on.
6. DT Keondre Coburn - Bah. I wanted Dante Stills to come home in a bad way. FML.
7. DB Nic Jones - I liked the pick but it hasn't worked out.
UDFAs of note: LB Cam Jones, DE Truman Jones, RB Deneric Prince, WR Nikko Remigio - Jones and Remigio being rosterable special teams players is a definitive plus.

2024 - Reserving judgement on this draft but I think we'll have at least 2 quality starters and 2 solid reserves from this group, if not more with the UDFAs.
1. WR Xavier Worthy - Looks like a great pick
2. OT Kingsley Suamataia - Unlike others, I think with some seasoning he's going to be a starting OT in this league on one side or the other. Sure, it's a rough rookie year and as expected.
4. TE Jared Wiley - Looks like he'll develop into a solid contributor. I'm reserving judgement.
4. DB Jaden Hicks - I think he's your starter at SS next year.
5. OG/C Hunter Nourzad - A bit behind where expected but no real push to have him play right away. He'll be a good rotational pieces and could even start at RG next year.
6. DB Kamal Hadden - I thought he'd be a great pick but turns out he wasnt. Oh well.
7. OG/C CJ Hanson - Not sure what we'll end up with here but he's further out than Suamataia is. Surprised we rostered him TBH.
UDFAs of note: TE Baylor Cupp, OT Ethan Driskell, DT Fabien Lovett, OG McKade Mettauer, DB Christian Roland-Wallace - I really like Cupp and Mettauer, I think Roland-Wallace can be a NB in this league, and Driskell could develop into at least a serviceable reserve RT. We'll see though, but I kind of like this group.

It’s difficult picking at the end of the first round every year. FAU isn’t the pass rusher we hoped for but if he keeps progressing he could turn into a Danna type player which isn’t completely useless. Rashee Rice is a star and Worthy is definitely looking like a good pick. Morris could have a Zach Fulton type career if he can make it at guard - he’s not a tackle though. Kingsley might turn into a useful player but it doesn’t seem like a good sign that they’re working him in at guard. We really need to hit on a tackle (we haven’t drafted a good tackle since Eric Fisher in 2013- unless there’s someone I’m not thinking of). Conner is a solid contributor in the secondary and I think Hicks could be pretty good next year.

One observation- in 21 and 22 we hit big on late round picks in 21 with Gray (5) and Smith (6), and 2022 with Pacheco and Watson (7) and to a lesser extent Johnson (7). It doesn’t look like we successfully hit on late round picks in 23 but it’s too early to say in 2024 with Nourzad and Hanson.

I wouldn’t say so, still plenty of time to develop.

I’m also still hopeful that BJ Thompson surprises us after recovery, like D-Ford in his 3rd year.

Coburn could have been a nice pick but for some stupid reason the Chiefs thought Matt Dickerson was worth more than a squirrel fart

Agree with much of this assessment. With the exceptions being I didn't mind the FAU pick, and seem badly wrong on that, liked the idea of BJ Thompson but didn't think he'd amount to anything, no dea why we didn't keep Coburn and similarly hated the Connor pick but I'm eating crow, minus his SCB usage.

Think the reality is 2021 was a good draft, 2022 a great one, and the last 2 have been bad and "we'll see" with Rice being the major win.

Hard to say how it'll shake out but there's been a definite drop off in standard and impact the last 2 drafts. Even Worthy, who seems decent, has a way to go imo, both hands and feet and in his rapport with Mahomes. Not entirely his fault but he's not having a Rice-level impact, yet.