2023 NFL Offseason report: Kansas City Chiefs

•  Free agency recap: The Chiefs’ biggest move in free agency was to let Orlando Brown sign with the Bengals and opt to bring in Jawaan Taylor.

• Best move of the offseason: Cutting Frank Clark in favor of bolstering the pass rush via the draft was a logical decision for the Chiefs to make. In four seasons in Kansas City, Clark failed to grade above 64.1.

• Outlook for 2023: Kansas City should again be considered among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

As the dust settles on the 2023 NFL offseason, it's time to assess how each team fared in their quest to improve their roster.

Recapping blockbuster trades and high-profile signings to shrewd draft selections, PFF offers an in-depth assessment of all 32 NFL teams, shedding light on the potential impact these moves may have on their fortunes in the upcoming campaign.

For more information on each team's draft selections and offseason moves, download the PFF draft guide today!

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS OFFSEASON GRADE: B-

 2023 NFL Free Agency

Free agency recap

The Chiefs’ biggest move in free agency was to let Orlando Brown sign with the Bengals and opt to bring in Jawaan Taylor. Taylor has become one of the league's better pass protectors on the right side, ranking top-15 in pass-blocking grade (76.7) and pressure rate allowed (5.2%) among tackles on true pass sets in 2022.

Charles Omenihu was our top-rated edge rusher in this year’s free agency class, but he will need to answer to misdemeanor domestic violence charges from January and could eventually face league discipline.

2023 Draft class

R1 (31): EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
R2 (55): WR Rashee Rice, SMU
R3 (92): T Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
R4 (119): S Chamarri Conner, Virginia Tech
R5 (166): EDGE BJ Thompson, Stephen F. Austin
R6 (194): DI Keondre Coburn, Texas
R7 (250): CB Nic Jones, Ball State

2023 NFL Draft recap

With the losses of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency, the Chiefs needed to look to the draft to rebuild the receiving corps.

In Rashee Rice, Kansas City may have found a gem. Rice displays the speed and agility needed to get separation at the NFL level and also displayed his competitiveness by tallying 16 contested targets and forcing 19 missed tackles after the catch in 2022.

 First-round edge defender Felix Anudike-Uzomah will garner most of the headlines, but he isn’t the only intriguing pass-rushing prospect the Chiefs added. BJ Thompson will need to add significant bulk to his lengthy frame but displayed an impressive pass-rushing skill set at Stephen F. Austin. He registered 31 total pressures and produced a 92.7 pass-rush grade, the second-best grade in the entire draft class.

Best move of the offseason: Cutting Frank Clark

Cutting Frank Clark in favor of bolstering the pass rush via the draft was a logical decision for the Chiefs to make. In four seasons in Kansas City, Clark failed to grade above 64.1, and he posted a sub-15.0% pass-rush win rate in each of the last three campaigns.

Considering that his 2023 cap number was set to be a whopping $28.6 million, it was clearly time for the Chiefs to move on.

Remaining team needs: WR Development

This receiving corps still lacks a true Alpha. This still worked in 2022 because of QB Patrick Mahomes, but the Chiefs still need at least one of their pass-catchers not named Travis Kelce to break out this year.

Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore were more role-playing gadget guys last season, but both will likely be asked to take on larger roles this year. Rice brings something a little different than the vets in front of him with his size and physicality and will also factor largely into the equation.

Early position battle to watch: Derrick Nnadi vs. Keondre Coburn

 Nnadi’s play has regressed each of the past two seasons, which could lead to earlier-than-expected playing time for sixth-round rookie Keondre Coburn.

After posting a career-best 81.3 run-defense grade in 2020, Nnadi’s performance in the category dipped to 50.8 in 2021 and fell even further to a dismal 37.0 in 2022.

Meanwhile, Coburn posted a solid 77.1 overall grade at Texas last season while also recording 32 total pressures.

2023 Outlook

As long as Mahomes is at the helm, Kansas City's Super Bowl window will almost always be open, and the Chiefs did an excellent job of maintaining the talent level on the offensive line. They also came away with a strong draft class that should improve the offense’s playmaking ability and the defense’s ability to rush the passer in the long run.

Kansas City should again be considered among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.