Can Texas DT Keondre Coburn Help Fill Gaps For Super Bowl Champs?

With the No. 194 pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs picked Texas DT Keondre Coburn, making him the third of four Longhorns selected on the weekend. 

Now, Coburn heads into a situation in Kansas City where he will be able to provide valuable depth and talent to a rebuilding defensive interior, led by Chris Jones.

And he could not be more excited about the opportunity to join the reigning champs. 

"My feelings are still everywhere," Coburn said. "I feel like a kid in a candy store right now I’m so excited. I’m just blessed... I think God did this for a reason, to send me to Kansas City and play for the defending Super Bowl champs and all the amazing players they have."

The 6-foot-2, 332-pound player came to the University of Texas as a top-200 recruit under previous Texas head coach Tom Herman in the 2018 recruiting cycle. Out of Houston, TX, Coburn chose to continue his collegiate career with the Longhorns with his additional year of eligibility. 

Coburn made consistent improvement at UT from year-to-year, climbing from the No. 73 interior defender in 2021 to No. 20 in 2022. And Thanks to his time at Texas, Coburn feels confident in starting his professional journey.

"I’m very prepared," Coburn said. "UT has some great coaches, from Bo Davis to Steve Sarkisian to PK (Pete Kwiatkowski), they taught me well. Being in the system the past few years taught me NFL format... Coach Davis, with him being a d-line coach in the league before he came back to Texas, he was able to showcase how it is in the league, how they work, and how they operate, so I believe I’m prepared for what I’m looking forward to."

As for the reigning Super Bowl champions, the loss of Khalen Saunders a season ago, a crucial interior piece, left the defensive line struggling. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi has been losing ground. Coburn, should he perform the way he expects in camp, will have the opportunity to fill some of these defensive gaps for the Chiefs.

"The fact that I get to go to an organization that’s known for consistently being on top, consistently working," Coburn said, "I just want to bring whatever I can to them to help them continue to do what they’ve been doing."