KC Chiefs rookie report: George Karlaftis records first sack

Bryan Cook, Safety (Round 2, Pick 62)

One of the more under-the-radar storylines of the game was that rookie safety Bryan Cook started the first game of his career in place of the injured Juan Thornhill. He also recorded the first sack of his career as he tackled Bryce Perkins for a five-yard loss on a third down early in the second half, which forced a Los Angeles punt. He played 24 coverage snaps throughout the game and was never targeted.

Other than the sack, Bryan Cook did not have a flashy game, but that’s okay given he’s a rookie safety. Since returning from a concussion in Week 7, Cook has played extremely well in every facet of the game, including tackling and coverage. In my opinion, he’s outplayed Juan Thornhill by a comfortable margin and should be the starter next to Justin Reid, even when the former returns to action.

Trent McDuffie, Cornerback (Round 1, Pick 21)

Although he gave up his first career touchdown, Trent McDuffie had his best performance of the season on Sunday. In 29 coverage snaps, he was targeted six times and allowed two catches, 13 yards, a touchdown, and an 81.9 passer rating. He also had a pass breakup and was covering Van Jefferson on L’Jarius Sneed’s interception in the middle of the fourth quarter. Even on the touchdown he gave up to Jefferson, it wasn’t egregious coverage, but he was beaten nonetheless.

McDuffie, in my opinion, has the best chance to be a superstar out of any player in the Chiefs’ 2022 draft class. If Kansas City wants to win Super Bowl LVII, they’re likely going to have to play receivers such as Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, and Tyreek Hill, which will put the secondary under a ton of pressure. McDuffie is going to be one of the most important players on the team as he and L’Jarius Sneed are the two best cornerbacks on the team.

Joshua Williams, Cornerback (Round 4, Pick 135)

It’s now abundantly clear that Joshua Williams is the third cornerback on the Chiefs depth chart, behind only McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed. He did not have his best performance on Sunday, especially against the run, as he missed a tackle in that portion of the game. Before Sunday, run defense has been a relative strength of Williams. He’s shown to be solid in that aspect so far this season. In 30 coverage snaps, he was targeted six times but allowed four receptions for 37 yards and an 83.9 passer rating.

Overall, Williams has been having a really good rookie season, particularly for a day-three pick from a Division II program. He has the traits of a starting-caliber cornerback but he is still developing, which was expected given his college background. Some expected 2022 to be a “redshirt” season for Williams, but that has not been the case so far. Steve Spagnuolo and the rest of the coaches have demonstrated their trust in him as he’s now playing regular snaps for the team and they traded Rashad Fenton away due to his play.

Who knows if he will be a true #1 or #2 cornerback for this team but he’s playing at a level this season that has proven Brett Veach and Co. right for taking a flyer on him in the fourth round of the draft.