2022 NFL DRAFT DEEP DIVE: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
By Simon Carroll
The NFL Draft is over, and we cannot head into the three-month abyss that is the offseason without looking at what all 262 selections mean for each franchise. Whilst too early to judge just how successful a draft class each team’s was, we can look at how rookies fit within schemes, where they stand on depth charts, and who we can expect to make an impact in 2022. We continue our team by team series with the Kansas City Chiefs:
Draft Haul
| RND | PICK | PROSPECT | POS | SCHOOL |
| 1 | 21 | Trent McDuffie | CB | Washington |
| 1 | 30 | George Karlaftis | EDGE | Purdue |
| 2 | 54 | Skyy Moore | WR | Western Michigan |
| 2 | 62 | Bryan Cook | S | Cincinnati |
| 3 | 103 | Leo Chenal | LB | Wisconsin |
| 4 | 135 | Joshua Williams | CB | Fayetteville State |
| 5 | 145 | Darian Kinnard | IOL | Kentucky |
| 7 | 243 | Jaylen Watson | CB | Washington State |
| 7 | 251 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | Rutgers |
| 7 | 259 | Nazeeh Johnson | CB | Marshall |
Day One
The Chiefs entered this year’s draft with more capital than you could shake a stick at, courtesy of sending Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins. That gave them back to back picks towards the end of the first round, but with the sheer number of selections they had, it was unsurprising to see them use some late rounders to move up the board on day one.
Brett Veach made his move as the always willing trade partners Patriots were on the clock at pick number 21. Sending New England a 3rd and 4th rounder, KC moved up eight spots to snag Trent McDuffie, the Washington cornerback who had split opinion amongst draftniks. Undersized and with a lack of length, McDuffie compensates for a shortfall in measurables with excellent burst and impressive physicality at the catch point. He heads to a franchise that prioritises competitiveness in their secondary, and looks to have the perfect mentality to feature in the back end of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. With L’Jarius Sneed looking set for a permanent role on the outside, expect McDuffie to come in and command nickel duties from the get go.
Nine picks later, the Chiefs found themselves back on the clock, and added some much needed pass rush to their front seven. It was surprising to see Kansas City let Melvin Ingram leave town – the former Charger joined The Chiefs midway through last season after an unsuccessful stint at Pittsburgh, and his arrival sparked an improvement in fortunes for Spag’s defense. With Frank Clark being inconsistent since he came to Arrowhead, only Chris Jones offered a real threat to the QB, from the interior.
In George Karlaftis, The Chiefs continue to add pieces that fit Spagnuolo’s style. A power rusher who can constrict the pocket or bully his way into the backfield, the former Boilermaker racked up 14 sacks and 29 TFL’s in his Purdue career. He might not have the elite speed or bend that some blue chip edge prospects possessed, but he knows how to be productive. In a division that has an astonishing level of quality under center, that production will certainly come in handy.
Day Two
Day two provided more opportunity for the Chiefs to add talent to their roster, and boy did they succeed in this regard. In Skyy Moore, Veach and Reid add a receiver who was considered by some to be a borderline first round prospect. The former Western Michigan wideout brings plenty of production both outside the numbers and in the slot, and is a consummate route runner.
Day two also saw The Chiefs further bolster their defense after their day one exploits. Bryan Cook is a very physical safety who has the size and presence to command snaps where he can come downhill and attack the box. Despite the addition of Justin Reid, consider this further mitigation by The KC front office for the loss of Tyrann Mathieu – they might not be able to get the whole package that The Honey Badger offered, but at the end of the second round Cook is a high floor prospect who excels at fitting the run and erasing big slot receivers.
A rare breather in a big draft weekend saw The Chiefs go forty one picks before making their next selection. Leo Chenal had become the hipster’s choice at linebacker through the draft process thanks to his violent tape and impressive testing. Once again, Chenal fits the type this franchise looks for – almost a carbon copy of Nick Bolton, the former Wisconsin Badger is the quintessential downhill thumper. He brings questions about his pass coverage, but as an early down run stuffer there’s a hell of a lot to like about the physicality and mentality with which he plays.
Day Three
After a very successful first two days, you’d excuse Brett Veach if he took his eye of the prize by day three. But The Chiefs continued to add pieces that look capable of offering production early, including the long lean cornerback Joshua Williams from small school Fayetteville State, but more impressively Kentucky’s interior offensive lineman Darian Kinnard. Veach and his team did an excellent job finding Trey Smith in the 6th round in 2021, a tackle that kicked inside to guard and is now a quality starter on this Chief’s offensive line. Kinnard has the opportunity to mirror that route to meaningful snaps considering his impressive tape playing on an o-line that continuously knocks out NFL calibre talent:
Further attention was paid to the secondary with the acquisitions of Washington State’s Jaylen Watson and Marshall’s Nazeeh Johnson, but there is one other name on the offensive side of the ball that is worth a look at. Rutgers ‘offensive weapon’ Isiah Pacheco is listed as a running back, and was a productive ball carrier for the Scarlet Knights. But his ability to line up as a receiver is exactly the kind of versatile skillset that Andy Reid loves and excels in maximising. He also has some kickoff return experience – expect Pacheco to find his way to some manufactured touches this season.
One To Watch: Skyy Moore
Skyy Moore, for me, was an absolute steal late in the second round, and has found the perfect home to flourish in the NFL. A perfectionist as a route-runner, Moore was Kaleb Eleby’s go-to target at Western Michigan as the pair brought unprecedented success to Kalamazoo during their time at college. The perfect blend of agility and aggression, Moore gets natural separation but works hard at the catch point and is fearless through contact with the ball in his hands. If there are yards to be had, Moore isn’t one to turn them down.
Skyy Moore was drafted with pick 54 of round 2 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 7.58 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 676 out of 2785 WR from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/3vO1yC7v4Z #RAS #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/iZiVBqoj3M
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022
The knock on Moore is his size – at 5’10 and under 200lbs, it’s inevitable questions will be asked about his durability at the next level. But then he heads to Arrowhead essentially looking to help replace the loss of Tyreek Hill, a receiver who had similar knocks on him coming out of college. This Chiefs’ receiving corps will look different in 2022, but considering the departure of one of the league’s best pass catchers, a quintet of Skyy Moore, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, MVS and Josh Gordon is still a phenomenal group of weapons. And considering his inside-outside versatility, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Moore beat out some of those other names for snaps this season.
UDFA Tracker
| Jack Cochrane | LB | South Dakota |
| Tayon Fleet-Davis | RB | Maryland |
| Dustin Crum | QB | Kent State |
| Gene Pryor | IOL | Hawaii |
| Jerrion Ealy | RB | Ole Miss |
| Komotay Koffie | CB | Northern Colorado |
| Justyn Ross | WR | Clemson |
Considering the Chiefs are one of the best teams in the NFL and had ten picks in the draft, it wasn’t surprising to see them be less active in the scramble for UDFA’s than most other franchises. That being said, of the five names they signed after the draft was over, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Justyn Ross. The former Clemson wideout had the world at his feet in 2019, posting nearly 2,000 all purpose yards and 17 TD’s in his first two seasons as a Tiger. Sadly, a hit to his back in Spring Practice led to tests that showed Ross had a congenital fusion in his spine, a condition he was born with called Klippel-Feil syndrome. There was a chance he would never play football again.
After months of tests, Ross had surgery to correct the fusion. It meant he missed the whole of 2020, with nothing guaranteed after that. And yet he recovered enough to be cleared to play, and returned for the 2021 season. His final year at Death Valley was hampered by a foot injury which Ross played through, restricting him to just 500 yards in 10 games, but flashes of his dominance on the sidelines and at the catch point were still there. Ross has the hallmarks of a beastly redzone threat, a true possession receiver who can make life hell for opposing cornerbacks. Impacting a depth chart as deep as The Chiefs’ is a daunting task for most, but considering the hurdles Ross has overcome just to play again, it’s a challenge he will attack with relish.
Conclusion
The rich get richer. As a fan of an opposing AFC West team, it’s pretty galling to see one of your rivals lose a key piece to their offense, only to seemingly get even stronger throughout their entire roster through the offseason. The secondary was a major area of focus, presumably after Josh Allen torched them in the playoffs. Considering the turnover back there it was the smart move, and via both the draft and free agency The Chiefs look to have at least got more depth, if maybe lacking the star power of a Tyrann Mathieu.
A draft very much in the mould of what we know the Chiefs to be, Brett Veach should be congratulated on not only manipulating the board and finding value, but also providing his coaching staff with the raw tools they have proven so adept at coaching up and turning into stars. There are clear and defined routes to playing time for most selections, even the later round picks, and those that seem buried on the depth chart have long-term upside waiting to be unlocked. The AFC is looking remarkably competitive, and KC have not rested on their laurels. Don’t sleep on the Chiefs for a second folks – this team isn’t going away any time soon.