PFF credits KC Chiefs with 20 percent of 2022 NFL Draft steals

We can all at least admit this upfront because we know it to be true: The term “steal” is said far too often when it comes to an NFL Draft. Any player taken lower than one analyst might have expected, even if taken in the first round overall, can be called a steal, so it’s all a little out of hand. However, even when used too much, the Kansas City Chiefs are still hearing it more than other teams these days.

The Chiefs are receiving exemplary grades for their rookie crop of 10 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft held last weekend, but perhaps no one appreciates the work of general manager Brett Veach and his staff any more than Pro Football Focus. Perhaps it’s because they have identified 25 draft “steals” from the three-day event and it turns out the Chiefs got five of them.

Especially when discussing the earliest picks in the draft, the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens were both credited with landing incredible value at lower spots (“Steals”) and it began at Kansas City’s first selection with the trade up to grab cornerback Trent McDuffie at No. 21 overall. That might sound too early for a steal, but they had McDuffie pegged as a potential top 10 talent that fell farther than he should have.

Pro Football Focus has given the Chiefs five of their 25 overall steals from the 2022 NFL Draft.

Even the Chiefs’ second first-round pick was termed a steal in Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis. As Anthony Treash writes, ‘Karlaftis was rumored to be sliding down boards, and one of the best teams in the NFL benefitted from it.”

From there, the Chiefs also earned “steal” labels for their second-round pick in Western Michigan wide receiver Skyy Moore, the third-round grab of Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal, and their fifth-round trade-up to get Kentucky offensive lineman Darian Kinnard.

For Moore, it’s interesting that the Chiefs got high marks there because they traded back four spots to pick up that extra fifth-round choice. With those four picks, three more wideouts were taken, which meant the Chiefs potentially missed out on Tyquan Thornton, George Pickens, and Alec Pierce. Yet coming out with Moore was a steal for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs made another five picks overall and the only high selection not deemed a steal was the second-round choice to get Cincinnati safety Bryan Cook.

Chiefs Kingdom was already well aware that their favorite team had enjoyed a strong weekend with a draft crop that laid an excellent young foundation on defense. That’s now reinforced knowing so many of those players were expected to go that much higher.