Chiefs trade up to take tackle in 2023 NFL Draft — where he rejoins college teammate
The Kansas City Chiefs moved up three spots in the third round to select Oklahoma offensive tackle Wanya Morris with the 92nd pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
KC traded with Cincinnati, giving up picks No. 95 and 217 — a sixth-round compensatory selection — to get No. 92.
Morris, 6-foot-5 and 307 pounds, was a second-team AP All-Big 12 selection last season for OU after playing nine games at right tackle while starting eight.
Morris told reporters Friday he was willing to play either right or left tackle for the Chiefs.
“Shoot, I just got drafted, so I’m just enjoying this moment right now,” Morris said with a laugh. “I can’t tell you how excited I am at this moment, man. Whatever they need me to play, I’m going to play. That’s that.”
Pro Football Focus had Morris ranked 115th on its Big Board, saying he “has the movement skills and length of an NFL tackle, and he has shown intriguing development over his career.”
Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi described Morris on Friday as a “big, long athletic guy that we’ll get in the mix here at tackle.”
Morris transferred to Oklahoma for his last two seasons after starting his career at Tennessee. While there, he was teammates with current Chiefs right guard Trey Smith.
“Man, he was one of the first people who called me when I got the pick,” Morris said. “I can’t tell how good it feels to just get those acknowledgments from the guys that you see doing great in the league, and just to know that I’m going to be right there back with him. We’re going to start off where we left off. So it’s exciting.”
Borgonzi said the Chiefs had a “cluster of guys” on their big board when they decided to trade up to take Morris.
“We knew we wanted to get a tackle,” Borgonzi said, “and Wanya was the guy we were going after.”
Borgonzi described Morris as a player with “a ton of tools” who the Chiefs believe can develop in their facility.
“Now, he’s just got to put everything together,” Borgonzi said. “And we feel comfortable with our room here that he’ll learn from some of these guys.”
On a lighter note, Wanya (pronounced “WAHN-yay”) was named after Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris. He said his favorite song by the group was “Motownphilly.”
“My mom and aunt were just going back and forth what to name me. It was between Faizon and Wanya,” Morris said. “My auntie was like, ‘Wanya, because his last name was Morris, and I think that’d be pretty cool to name him Wanya.’ So that’s just how that fell out.”
