Kansas City Chiefs select Keondre Coburn in 6th round of 2023 NFL Draft

Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Keondre Coburn has been selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Keondre Coburn came to Texas as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2018, per the On3 Industry Ratings. He was the 17th ranked defensive lineman in that class and the 111th ranked player overall.

Coburn played in five different seasons for Texas. Over the course of his career at Texas, he became a key piece of the Longhorns’ defense, earning 45 starts in 51 games. In 2022, he earned Second-team All-Big 12 honors and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention the two previous seasons.

During his career, Keondre Coburn proved to be a force in the interior of the Texas defensive line. He had 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks during his career. He also forced three fumbles.

At the Texas Pro Day, Coburn came in at six-foot-two and 344 lbs. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 5.22 in the 40-yard dash. He also put up 24 reps on the bench press.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Keondre Coburn

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down Keondre Coburn as an NFL prospect. He started by comparing Coburn to Dan Williams. Out of Tennessee, Williams was a first round pick in 2010, playing for the Cardinals and Raiders in his career.

Zierlein explained that Keondre Coburn has great experience, which has helped him to develop skills like the ability to mirror lateral movement. He also reacts quickly to different blocking schemes and can blow up gaps with his strength.

However, when blockers do get to him, Coburn’s hands need to be more efficient. He’s also slow to come off blocks and be ready to make a play. Part of that is due to inconsistent technique, particularly against double teams. Importantly, he also needs to become a better tackler against the running game.

“A stout but athletic nose tackle with nimble feet, Coburn can sit down and muddy run lanes or create difficulties for pin-and-pull blocking schemes with his interior agility. While he’s not a three-down lineman, he does have the bull rush and activity level to cause issues as a rusher,” Zierlein wrote.

“He’s more than capable of pressing and separating from blocks as a two-gapping plugger but requires more consistent technique to improve his consistency in that area. Coburn’s blend of girth, power and agility could be coveted by teams looking for help along the interior.”