Checking in on KC Chiefs rookies after Week 5

How have the rookies on the Kansas City Chiefs performed over the first five weeks of the 2022 regular season, including the 30-29 victory over the Raiders?

The Kansas City Chiefs followed up their dominant Week 4 win over the Tampa Buccaneers by barely beating the Las Vegas Raiders 30-29. How did the 2022 rookie draft class for the Chiefs perform in the Week 5 victory and how have they performed in the regular season as a whole? Let’s review every rookie from the team’s 2022 draft class, who’s seen consistent playing time, and how they have played in their young NFL careers.

The Chiefs selected ten players in this 2022 NFL Draft, with nine of them making the final roster after camp, and eight have seen playing time so far this season. Darian Kinnard, despite making the final roster, has yet to dress for a game this regular season and Nazeeh Johnson is on the practice squad. Trent McDuffie will be excluded from this article because he is currently on injured reserve. Joshua Williams will also not be included due to his lack of playing time on defense.

Leo Chenal, Linebacker (Round 3, Pick 103)

In the victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, Leo Chenal played 24 snaps on defense, the most of any linebacker other than Nick Bolton and Darius Harris. He played on mostly running plays and had a rough game in that regard. He missed a tackle but did record a defensive stop in the winning effort. He also blitzed three times and failed to record a pressure.

Leo Chenal isn’t having a great rookie season for the Chiefs but that was expected. He was relatively raw coming out of college and it was known that he was more of a development prospect than an immediate starter. He will be a great player for the Chiefs someday although that might not be the case in 2022.