2022 NFL Draft: Grading Every Team’s 2022 NFL Draft Haul
By Hunter Haas
Chiefs (10 picks):
1:21 – Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
1:30 – George Karlaftis, DL, Purdue
2:22 – Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
2:30 – Bryan Cook, Safety, Cincinnati
3:39 – Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin
4:30 – Joshua Williams, CB, Fayetteville State
5:02 – Darian Kinnard, OL, Kentucky
7:22 – Jaylen Watson, CB, Washington State
7:30 – Isaih Pacheco, RB, Rutgers
7:38 – Nazeeh Johnson, Safety, Marshall
Much to the chagrin of the rest of the league, Brett Veach and the Kansas City Chiefs are in the “winner” discussion yet again. Coming off of a 2021 draft class that ranks among the best all time, the franchise somehow one-upped their efforts from the year prior. Armed with 12 total picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, it was a widely accepted belief that the Chiefs would inevitably move up in the first round.
This came to fruition, but due to a wild run on wide receivers, the team chose their best prospect available — cornerback Trent McDuffie. The one thing that kept McDuffie from being in the same convo as Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. is a lack of size at the position. McDuffie has one of the highest football IQ’s in this batch of rookies, and his style fits Steve Spagnuolo’s system so well, that I have little concern about his size being a detriment at the next level.
Leo Chenal is my top-rated linebacker in the class and the Chiefs got him outside of the top-100 picks! It reminds me so much of teams allowing Creed Humphrey to fall into their laps. Skyy Moore is not only a top-20 player on my board, he was born to play in an Andy Reid offense. George Karlaftis is the fourth guy with a first-round grade from this haul, showcasing just how absurd this class is on paper.
Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson both fell just outside of my top-100, but with the track record Kansas City has with day-three cornerbacks, I’d be surprised if one of them doesn’t develop into a starter. Death, taxes, and the Kansas City Chiefs making great picks in the draft.
Grade: A