This is what pre-draft scouting reports said about new Chiefs DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
In addition to joining the Super Bowl champions, there is one other perk for defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah being picked by the Chiefs.
He won’t have to move far.
Anudike-Uzomah, the former Kansas State star, is from Lee’s Summit and has been to Arrowhead Stadium as a fan. His first game was as a 7-year-old in the “Matt Cassel days,” as he told reporters.
There will be much written about Anudike-Uzomah in the coming days, but he also was featured in multiple scouting reports of the NFL Draft prospects before Thursday.
Here is a look at what those scouting reports have to say about Anudike-Uzomah.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler believes Anudike-Uzomah could start as a rookie.
This is part of what Brugler wrote: “A two-year starter at Kansas State, Anudike-Uzomah was a right end and lined up on the outside shoulder of the tackle in defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman’s 3-3-5 scheme. Despite Kansas State being his only Power 5 offer out of high school (as a blueshirt), he became one of the most decorated defenders in school history as an All-American and the 2022 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (25.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles over the last two seasons).
“Anudike-Uzomah mashes the accelerator with strength in his joints to angle his body and pry open rush lanes with his power. He can shock blockers at contact, but his refinement is a work in progress, and he is inconsistent as an edge setter versus the run. Overall, Anudike-Uzomah has only average get-off and arc speed as a rusher and must become more consistent in the run game, but he plays hard and mixes up his rush to keep his pursuit alive, which is what he does best. He projects as a physical, face-up power rusher with the impact potential to compete for an NFL starting role as a rookie.”
Athlon Sports graded Anudike-Uzomah as a second- or third-round pick.
It wrote: “Anudike-Uzomah should enter the league as a rotational pass-rush specialist with the raw talent to thrive as he diversifies his set of moves. His ability to play the run consistently is a question mark, but his passing-down potential is significant.”
The NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein compared Anudike-Uzomah to the Cowboys’ Dante Fowler Jr.
Zierlein wrote: “A hard-charging edge prospect, Anudike-Uzomah has good strength and a long frame that should continue to fill out. His run defense is unrefined and in need of better fundamentals, but he’s clearly gone to school on his pass-rush approach, adding several new wrinkles to his attack in 2022. His urgency leads to playmaking opportunities, but he will need to harness that energy and play with better control to become a more efficient defender. There is more polish needed, but Anudike-Uzomah’s NFL rush potential should eventually make him an NFL starter.”
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly listed Anudike-Uzomah as the No. 34 overall prospect in the draft.
This is an excerpt from Kelly’s story: “Anudike-Uzomah has a quick first step as a pass rusher, which he pairs with an excellent Euro-step inside counter move. He can attack the edge and dip his shoulder to flatten the pocket, ducking under blocks to move the quarterback off his spot. He stays low when he turns the corner without stumbling. He uses his arm length to his advantage, throwing out a strong long-arm at the snap to control the rep. He shows a graceful spin move and has an effective rip move, which he uses to slice into the backfield from the interior.
“His lateral agility shows up when he’s asked to stunt into the interior on a rush; he bounds to the middle and shoots upfield and into the pocket in one smooth motion. He plays a tenacious style of football, always attacking and chopping and churning. Against the run, he plays with a balanced, low base and knows how to come out of his stance low and create leverage. He shocks opponents with a heavy punch, frequently putting offensive linemen on their heels. He shows excellent upper body flexibility to absorb blocks and redirect the force to avoid getting pushed back off his spot.”
The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez had Anudike-Uzomah as the No. 62 overall prospect.
This is part of what Sanchez wrote: “While Anudike-Uzomah has played in multiple alignments at Kansas State, I believe that he should be viewed as an alignment-specific player. When Anudike-Uzomah is reduced to an interior alignment, it reduces his effectiveness as a player against the run and the pass. Against the run, Anudike-Uzomah appears to lack the strength to take on double teams and maintain the line of scrimmage. As a pass rusher at the interior defensive line position, it appears that Anudike-Uzomah lacks the overall strength to overpower interior offensive linemen. He lacks the power to collapse the pocket with a pure pass rush.”
