It appears that Bullard will move from the nickel/STAR role to strong safety to replace Christopher Smith II in 2023. The versatile defensive back was the defensive MVP of both College Football Playoff games and finished last season with 46 tackles, seven TFLs, 3.5 sacks, seven QB hurries and a pair of interceptions.
I don't know who will end up winning the Super Bowl and picking at the end of the first round, but since we went off championship odds for this exercise, Kansas City has the honor here... again. The Chiefs signed Jawaan Taylor, but Lucas Niang has only started nine games in his career and missed nearly all of the 2022 season with a torn patellar tendon, and Donovan Smith is turning 30. Barton is 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, and he has 30 starts under his belt. If the Chiefs are happy with their offensive line or opt to reload that group in free agency, maybe they bring in a receiver for Patrick Mahomes like LSU's Malik Nabers or boost the run game with a running back like Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson.
Nubin would have been a Day 2 pick had he declared for the 2023 draft, but he elected to return to Minnesota for his senior year. With his athleticism and opportunistic ball skills, he has NFL starting ability.
The Chiefs currently boast a solid rotation at defensive tackle with veteran Chris Jones obviously the star attraction. Kansas City doesn't have a single defensive tackle signed past this upcoming season, however, and may be looking to the 2024 draft for reinforcements. Stackhouse started all 15 games for the Bulldogs last year and could be on the verge of a breakout.
Nazir Stackhouse may have been a bit overlooked at Georgia with all of its elite talents, but scouts are intrigued by his strength and sneaky athletic ability, and that will appeal to the Kansas City Chiefs. Many think he is going to have a breakout 2023 season and become another Bulldog first-round pick. You see flashes of his ability; he needs to put it all together and play more consistently.
Outside of the Ohio State duo, Odunze is the most productive returning Power Five receiver.
The junior's 605 yards against single coverage trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr. among that group. He's also the third-most valuable returning Power Five receiver, according to PFF's wins above average metric.
Newton wouldn't fill a need, but his talent and versatility could make him too valuable for the Chiefs to pass up. Both Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi are slated for free agency next spring, and while Jones is unlikely to go anywhere Nnadi might depart. Newton would be a proper replacement and follow a recent trend of Illini players drastically boosting their draft stock under Bret Bielema.
Time to find Travis Kelce's successor? The eight-time Pro Bowl tight end will turn 34 in October, and Kansas City's offense must be recalibrated whenever he retires or begins to slow down. The 6-4, 249-pound Sanders can create the kind of matchup problems Patrick Mahomes would love to exploit.
