2023 NFL Draft: Why the Chiefs made a better first-round pick than the previous six Super Bowl winners

The Kansas City Chiefs are at the top of the football world. Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the roster were able to travel to the desert and come out with their third Lombardi Trophy in franchise history after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII. This is the second title under the Reid Mahomes regime as they seem to be a burgeoning dynasty and it seems like the rich are getting richer.

As we now turn to the offseason, there’s an interesting crease that could make these Chiefs even stronger than some of the previous Super Bowl champions. In a typical offseason, the last team standing gets the last pick in the NFL Draft. While that’s the case for the Chiefs here, they don’t own the #32 overall standings in the first round like those who have worn the title belt in the past. You actually move up a notch.

With that win, Kansas City is officially seeded 31st overall in the 2023 NFL Draft later this spring.

The reason the Chiefs are in a unique position to move up a spot in the draft is because the Miami Dolphins were stripped of their first-round pick from the league last summer. That loss of their first-round pick was due to the organization having “improper communications” with Tom Brady while the quarterback was still under contract with the Patriots and Buccaneers. The NFL investigation also found that Miami had “improper communications” with Sean Payton’s agent when they reportedly attempted to illegally lure both the quarterback and coach to the Dolphins.

So the first round of the draft will only feature 31 picks, putting KC a step above what would normally be the case and setting them up to draft a player who would otherwise be off the board if they picked at their usual Place at No. 32.

This isn’t entirely uncommon, however, as the league has stripped teams of first-round players in the past.

You’ll have to go back to the 2016 NFL Draft to find out the last time there were 31 picks in the opening round when there were 32 teams in the league. That was because the Patriots lost their first-rounder thanks to the Deflategate saga. That year, Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos held the 31st pick and rose to 26th to draft quarterback Paxton Lynch. There were also 31 picks in the 2008 NFL Draft after New England was penalized for Spygate. That year, the reigning Super Bowl champion Giants drafted defenseman Kenny Phillips from Super Bowl XLII to 31st.

It might not be a seismic leap for these Chiefs, but it’s a remarkable leap that puts them in a draft position they wouldn’t normally have, which is a nice little bonus that comes with yet another Super Bowl title. CBS Sports senior NFL draft analyst Ryan Wilson has questions about who they could take to roll that championship draft into the future Mock draft after the Super Bowl.