How did the rookies on the Kansas City Chiefs play in the 27-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Kansas City Chiefs have now won three straight games for the first time all season thanks to their Week 10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Which rookies saw playing time against Tennessee and how did those players perform?
The Chiefs selected ten players in this 2022 NFL Draft, with nine of them making the final roster after training camp, and eight have seen playing time on offense or defense so far this season. Despite making the final roster, Darian Kinnard has only dressed for one game this season, in which he only saw six snaps on special teams, and Nazeeh Johnson is on the practice squad but has dressed in several games this season, playing only special teams snaps.
Here are the snap counts for every rookie in Week 10:
- Trent McDuffie, CB: 63 defensive snaps
- George Karlaftis, EDGE: 56 total snaps (51 defensive and 5 special teams)
- Joshua Williams, CB: 46 total snaps (32 defensive and 14 special teams)
- Isiah Pacheco, RB: 39 total snaps (35 offensive and 4 special teams)
- Jaylen Watson, CB: 37 defensive snaps (22 defensive and 15 special teams)
- Leo Chenal, LB: 33 total snaps (11 defensive and 22 special teams)
- Bryan Cook, S: 32 total snaps (15 defensive and 17 special teams)
- Skyy Moore, WR: 17 total snaps (16 offensive and 1 special team)
Skyy Moore, Wide Receiver (Round 2, Pick 54)
One could argue that no player saw their short-term role affected more after the Kadarius Toney trade than Skyy Moore. In what is becoming a trend, Moore had another quiet game this past week. He recorded one catch for six yards on a single target, although he ran ten routes. Due to the muffed punts, his special teams role has disappeared.
We’ve likely seen the best of Skyy Moore when it comes to his 2022 season. Fans will call him a bust, which is unfair, but he is a rookie receiver from a small school, so some leniency is in order. I’m still a believer in him, although his disappointing rookie campaign will put a lot of pressure on him in 2023.
Bryan Cook, Safety (Round 2, Pick 62)
Bryan Cook had another quiet game against the Jaguars. In 15 defensive snaps (14 of which were on passing plays), he had two tackles. In 14 coverage snaps, Cook was never targeted.
Bryan Cook is having one of the more quiet rookie seasons of Kansas City’s 2022 draft class, which is not a bad thing, in my opinion. He is playing well and has earned the opportunity to be the third safety on the defense. He’s gotten better as the season has progressed and could be an x-factor once the playoffs arrive.