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Did the Kansas City Chiefs almost go a different route with pick No. 250 in the 2023 NFL draft?
The Chiefs selected Ball State CB Nic Jones in the seventh round, and to this point in the offseason program, he’s been a standout. Apparently, Jones wasn’t the only player the team was considering at pick No. 250.
Speaking on the Three Point Stance podcast with Kaleb Everhart and Derwin Gray, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie OT Spencer Anderson revealed that he thought he was going to be drafted by the Chiefs.
“When we were getting towards the final round of the draft, the phones start picking up more and more. Teams start reaching out, the 49ers, the Ravens, whoever it was. I had no clue that I was going to go to Pittsburgh,” Anderson said. “I was on the phone with Kansas City and I remember that Kansas City had the pick right before the Steelers. Kansas City had told me they were going to with me or a DB. If their DB went off the board, they were going to go with me. I remember, I was on the phone with Andy Reid, I was talking to him. He was just like, ‘Sit tight.’ And I was like, ‘Cool.'”
Anderson said that he saw a defensive back or two get drafted leading up to pick No. 250 and he thought that he was in the clear to join the reigning Super Bowl champions. But then a few picks before the Chiefs came on the clock, something happened.
“I was still supposed to be staying on the phone with Andy Reid,” Anderson said. “He’s like, ‘You’re a heck of a player.’ And all of that stuff. . . and then I got a call from (Steelers GM) Omar (Khan) . . . He put me on the phone with Coach Tomlin. He was like, ‘Hey, man, versatility is your calling card, so we’re going to go ahead and submit you with our next pick.’”
The Steelers held pick No. 251, one selection following Kansas City. They took Anderson there with the Chiefs selecting Jones at pick No. 250.
What Anderson says he can’t discern is whether Kansas City passed him over because he hung up on Andy Reid to speak to Khan and Tomlin or if Jones was actually the defensive back they wanted in the first place. I think the latter is probably the most likely, but it’s certainly interesting to hear that the Chiefs had an interest in this offensive tackle. It’ll also be unique to follow the careers of both players to find out whether Brett Veach got it right.
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