Chiefs take an EDGE in Cynthia Frelund’s new mock draft

On Thursday, NFL.com analytics expert Cynthia Frelund published her second mock draft of the season.

“I always do my NFL mock drafts a little differently from the traditional method,” explained Frelund, “in that my team-prospect pairings are based on optimizing for wins in the upcoming season only.”

Frelund went into a little more detail about her process in her first mock draft in February.

She also noted that even though their situations remain unsettled, her picks are based on Aaron Rodgers ending up with the New York Jets and Lamar Jackson remaining with the Baltimore Ravens.

But despite her different approach, Frelund projected a now-familiar player to Kansas City in the first round.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State

Bryan Bresee, Will McDonald and Adetomiwa Adebawore all flag as valuable picks here, too, but Anudike-Uzomah slightly edges them all out. Oh the puns. The former Wildcat ranked eighth in the FBS last year in pass-rush win rate on true pass sets (34%) and seventh in pressure rate (28%), per PFF.

In her first mock draft on February 10, Frelund projected Auburn EDGE Derick Hall to the Chiefs. So she still believes that Kansas City will want to prioritize a defensive end in the first round. But this time, she sees the former Wildcat (and Kansas City native) as the right player.

She is not alone.

In the 57 mock drafts we’ve tracked this offseason on Arrowhead Pride, only Tennessee wideout Jalin Wyatt has been mocked to the Chiefs more often than Anudike-Uzomah (and Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith).

Since March 20, however — when most of the league’s free-agent signings were on the books — 54% of the Kansas City picks have been evenly split between Anudike-Uzomah, Wyatt and Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones. Each one of them has been the pick in 18% of the mocks.

Since that opening week of free agency, edge rushers (at 35%) are the ones most frequently mocked to the Chiefs. Offensive linemen (all tackles) are second at 29%, while wide receivers take third place with 18%.