Kansas City selects Keondre Coburn in Round 6

A year after the Texas Longhorns were shut out of the NFL Draft, the saw their fourth player drafted as the Kansas City Chiefs selected Keondre Coburn in round No. 6.

“Keondre is a very talented interior lineman that gave so much to our program. As a player, he brings to a team a really good first and second down run stopper who has shown over his career to continually become more versatile and effective at rushing the passer. And he’s a tremendous leader, has great work ethic, and will provide a lot to the Kansas City Chiefs. We wish him the best of luck and look forward to watching him at the next level.”

The big man out of Houston made the decision to return for an additional year of eligibility and made the most of his time. His name didn't frequent the stat sheet often, but his presence in the middle of the defense was a differentiator for the Longhorns in 2022. The man known as Snacks improved made a significant leap in performance from year-to-year, going from the No. 73 interior defender in 2021 to No. 20 in 2022.

Coburn came to Texas as a top-200 recruit in the 2018 recruiting cycle in the first full class under former head coach Tom Herman.

With his selection, Coburn joins classmate DeMarvion Overshown as the fifth member of the vaunted No. 3 class in the nation to be drafted, nearly closing the book on that group in the college ranks. If he manages to stick in the league, he will become the sixth active defensive lineman on an NFL Roster.

“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. When I got the call, there was a lot of my back, I was pretty stressed out, but my girlfriend kept getting in my ear telling me to keep praying to God and keep believing in myself, and I did. I tried to stay calm, and as soon as I did, I got blessed with a call. Even more 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. You wouldn’t want it any other way. It was a blessing to get that call and I can’t wait.”