After back-to-back trades on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs kept things going on Day 3 with a trade-up to pick No. 119 in order to select Virginia Tech DB Chamarri Conner.
The team has made quite the investment in the secondary just last year, adding guys like Trent McDuffie, Bryan Cook, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson. Their latest addition brings an element to the table that others they have selected in the draft lack.
“(He’s) just a versatile defensive back,” Veach said of Conner. “He’s a guy that can play free safety, he can play down low at the strong safety position (and) he also has some big nickel flex. I think he’s a guy that can come down into the box and cover some athletic tight ends. I mean, he’s a big kid, (he’s) really smart. You’re talking about a two-to-three-year captain there (at Virginia Tech). (He) does everything the right way. We were just really excited to add him.”
Veach even revealed that the Chiefs liked Conner so much that they actually considered taking him in Round 3 where they selected Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris.
“He was one of those guys, you know, obviously we we’re super high on Rashee and we didn’t want to get too cute with him,” Veach said. “(Chamarri) Conner was a guy that, I mean we – (laughs) it was right there with him and Wanya (Morris) in the third round. I was talking to his agent today and just congratulating him and the values are right there. Then when we had a chance, this goes about being selectively aggressive, and then we selected Wanya and it could’ve easily been the Virginia Tech safety. Then we get back in round four and we’re sitting there and once you get into that window where this makes sense for us and he’s going to be gone pretty soon, we went up there to get him.”
Ultimately, the Chiefs feel like they’re landing a multi-role contributor on defense, who will also play a key role on special teams. He’s someone who they seem to expect to contribute right away, even as a fourth-round draft pick.
“But I think, (the reason) why you like this kid is because he’s extremely versatile,” Veach said. “He’s long, he’s athletic and he ran a 4.4 at the Combine. He has some free and safety flex. (He) should be a great special teams contributor (from) day one and at the same time I also think there’s some nickel flex, some big nickel flex, to match up with some of these athletic tight ends that these teams have throughout the league.”
Veach mentioned the ability to cover tight ends as AFC teams were active in addressing the position in the draft. The Las Vegas Raiders added Notre Dame TE Michael Meyer and the Buffalo Bills added Utah TE Dalton Kincaid — so it makes sense that they’d want to add a player who can help defend against those types of skill sets.
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