KC Chiefs: Which 2022 draft picks will make the active roster?

Somewhat longshots to make the 53-man roster (<40%)

• CB Jaylen Watson 
• RB Isiah Pacheco
• S Nazeeh Johnson

Now we’re getting to the players truly in danger of being waived at the end of training camp. It’s low-hanging fruit to go with the three seventh-round picks as long shots but it is the reality of the situation.

Personally, I am a believer in Jaylen Watson, but he was the 243rd overall pick in his draft class and it is very common for players selected that late to be waived before the regular season. As mentioned with Joshua Williams, Watson will have to compete with other depth players like Williams, Deandre Baker, and Lonnie Johnson in order to make the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, as a seventh-round pick, the bar is a lot higher for him to avoid waivers than it is for rookies selected a lot higher than him.

In my opinion, Isiah Pacheco is the biggest long shot to make the final roster out of any of his fellow 2022 draft picks. He’s stuck behind CEH, Ronald Jones, Jerick McKinnon, and Derrick Gore on the depth chart. He will likely have to blow away Dave Toub and Andy Reid in the return game in order to secure a spot. As a true freshman at Rutgers in 2018, he returned 18 kickoffs for 348 yards, but that’s it in terms of return experience coming into the league.

Nazeeh Johnson’s best chance to make the team is via special teams. We have seen depth safeties, like Zayne Anderson, see regular season action on special teams so it wouldn’t surprise me if made the team purely for special teams reasons.

How many of the ten 2022 draft picks do you think will make the Chiefs’ final roster? Who do you think could be the surprise rookie that is waived? Feel free to let me know in the comment section or on Twitter (@StrozinskyLucas).