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KC Chiefs rookie report: Trent McDuffie struggles against Texans

By Lucas Strozinsky

KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 06: Trent McDuffie #21 of the Kansas City Chiefs adjusts his mouthguard against the Tennessee Titans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 6, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - NOVEMBER 06: Trent McDuffie #21 of the Kansas City Chiefs adjusts his mouthguard against the Tennessee Titans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 6, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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How did the rookies on the Kansas City Chiefs play in the 30-24 overtime victory over the Houston Texans?

The Kansas City Chiefs have now won the AFC West for the seventh season in a row thanks to their Week 16 victory over the Houston Texans. Which rookies saw playing time against Houston and how did those players perform?

The Chiefs selected 10 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. Safety Nazeeh Johnson is on the practice squad but has dressed in eight games this season, playing only special teams snaps.

Here are the snap counts for every rookie in Week 16:

  • Trent McDuffie, CB: 68 total snaps (63 defensive and 5 special teams)
  • Leo Chenal, LB: 50 total snaps (27 defensive and 23 special teams)
  • George Karlaftis, EDGE: 37 total snaps (32 defensive and 5 special teams)
  • Isiah Pacheco, RB: 33 total snaps (27 offensive and 6 special teams)
  • Jaylen Watson, CB: 31 defensive snaps (20 defensive and 11 special teams)
  • Skyy Moore, WR: 29 offensive snaps
  • Joshua Williams, CB: 29 total snaps (16 defensive and 13 special teams)
  • Bryan Cook, S: 27 total snaps (9 defensive and 18 special teams)

Bryan Cook, Safety (Round 2, Pick 62)

It was an unexciting day for Bryan Cook as he only played 9 defensive snaps, 8 in coverage, and was never targeted. He also recorded a tackle. After averaging around 28 defensive snaps per game between Weeks 4 and 12, Cook has only played 27 total over the past three games. He’s had a solid rookie season so far, and one can argue he’s outplayed Juan Thornhill so far and should see more playing time as the year goes on.

Joshua Williams, Cornerback (Round 4, Pick 135)

After playing at least 21 defensive snaps from Week 6 on, Joshua Wiliams saw his playing time drop to only 16 snaps against the Texans. Although his playing time went down, he played well in the limited action. In 9 coverage snaps, he was targeted only once and recorded a pass breakup, and also had a tackle in the run game.

The Chiefs played more base defense this game, which explains why his playing time decreased, so I don’t foresee this becoming a regular thing. It’s possible that Steve Spagnuolo opts to play more base on a regular basis, but that will depend on the offense they play.

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