The Kansas City Chiefs are the defending NFL champions thanks to their victory in Super Bowl LVII over the Eagles. A significant reason why Kansas City won their title was because of their outstanding rookie class. In the AFC Championship Game, four rookies played at least 25 defensive snaps in the secondary alone, plus two other rookies saw at least 25 snaps in the win over the Bengals.
Brett Veach and his crew drafted ten players in total, including three players on offense and seven on defense, and all but one saw game action in the regular season and playoffs. Seven of those rookies played at least 350 offensive/defensive snaps and two of the three that didn’t were key contributors on special teams.
In the days after the 2022 NFL Draft, our crew gave the 2022 class high marks, but little did we know that those great expectations would be exceeded. Even though we’re only a year removed from the 2022 NFL Draft, the 2023 Draft is just days away. In honor of the one-year anniversary, let’s go ahead and re-grade the awesome 2022 Kansas City Chiefs draft class.
Trent McDuffie, Cornerback, Round 1, Pick 21
As the first pick in the most anticipated Chiefs draft class in years, there was a lot of pressure on Trent McDuffie to have a strong rookie season, especially considering the team traded up eight spots to get him.
His season got off to a rough start as he left the opening game due to a hamstring injury and ended up missing six games. Once he returned, he hit the ground running as he played like the starting caliber cornerback that he was drafted to be. Although his season wasn’t as strong as many fans believe, especially considering he surrendered 173 yards in three postseason games, the team should have zero regrets about the pick. He has the tools to be a star in the making and will be a prime candidate to break out in 2023.
The Grade in 2022: A-
The 2023 Grade: A-
George Karlaftis, Defensive End, Round 1, Pick 30
Out of every edge rusher in the 2022 draft class, only #2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson recorded more pressures, and only Hutchinson and his teammate James Houston had more sacks.
Although the surface-level statistics are excellent, I’m in the camp that believes Karlaftis’ season wasn’t as strong as most believe. First, he had a lot of problems defending the run and had the highest missed tackle % among rookie edge defenders (with at least 200 defensive snaps), per Pro Football Focus ($). In addition, he was very streaky throughout the season and didn’t flash as much as I hoped he would.
With all of that being said, I’m still a huge fan of George Karlaftis and I fully expect him to take the next step forward in year two. His run defense will improve significantly and he will take the next step as a pass rusher.
The Grade in 2022: A-
The 2023 Grade: B
Skyy Moore, Wide Receiver, Round 2, Pick 54
Perhaps the most controversial player on the entire roster last year was rookie receiver Skyy Moore. He muffed three punts, including two that gave the Chiefs’ opponent the ball in the red zone.
In the regular season, he recorded just 22 receptions for 250 yards and no touchdowns. But Moore made up for his quiet regular season with the dividends he paid in the Super Bowl run. Against the Bengals in the AFC Title Game, with under a minute left in the game, Moore returned a Drue Chrisman punt 29 yards to about midfield. That return put Patrick Mahomes and the offense within striking distance of field goal range. Harrison Butker, of course, ended up making the field goal to give them a 23-20 victory. In Super Bowl LVII, Skyy caught a Mahomes pass for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Chiefs a 35-27 lead in the 4th quarter.
Overall, it was a disappointing debut season, but Skyy Moore did have his moments when the lights were shining brightest. When we all look back at this run in a couple of decades, we all need to remember what Moore did for this team in the most crucial moments of the season.
The Grade in 2022: A-
The 2023 Grade: C
Bryan Cook, Safety, Round 2, Pick 62
One of the more “under-the-radar” from the 2022 class is Bryan Cook. When he was originally selected, many fans were intrigued as the Chiefs had just signed Justin Reid and already had Juan Thornhill on the roster. After the team let Juan Thornhill hit free agency, where he ended up signing with Cleveland, it appears that Brett Veach knew from the start that Cook was brought in to be his replacement.
On defense, Bryan Cook was average in 2022. Not great, but also not bad. Special teams is where Cook paid his dividends. He logged the fourth most special teams snaps out of anyone on the team last year. He clearly earned the trust of Dave Toub and there is value in that. Although second-round picks should aim higher than special teams aces, I wouldn’t say that he failed to meet expectations on defense. For the 62nd overall pick in the draft, he had a perfectly fine rookie season.
The Grade in 2022: B
The 2023 Grade: B
Leo Chenal, Linebacker, Round 3, Pick 103
Of the ten rookies the Chiefs drafted last year, the Arrowhead Addict writers gave Leo Chenal the highest grade. Although he played nearly 300 snaps on defense last year, it was a relatively quiet season, which isn’t a bad thing in his case.
According to Pro Football Focus ($), Leo Chenal earned the third-highest defensive grade among all linebackers after Week 9, with at least 160 defensive snaps, at 84.7. He was also the highest-graded rookie linebacker for the entire season. Similar to Bryan Cook, Chenal made his money on special teams. He was second on the team in total special teams snaps and he was excellent the entire season.
To the average fan, Leo Chenal may have had an average rookie season, but that was not the case in reality. He recorded two sacks, one of which came in the Super Bowl, and was excellent in run defense down the stretch. Although the addition of Drue Tranquil could change things for him, I thought he was an underrated player for the Chiefs last year and should see an expanded role in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.
The Grade in 2022: A
The 2023 Grade: B+
Joshua Williams, Cornerback, Round 4, Pick 135
Coming from a Division II football program, many people, including myself, expected Joshua Williams to have a rather uneventful first year, but that turned out to be anything but true.
Starting in Week 6, except for a few weeks, Joshua Williams became a regular on the defense. The trade of Rashad Fenton mixed with Trent McDuffie’s injury forced him to become a regular player earlier than expected.
Although he finished the season behind L’Jarius Sneed, McDuffie, and Jaylen Watson on the depth chart, he was still a very good cornerback for the Chiefs this season. He recorded clutch interceptions of Jimmy Garappolo in Week 7 and Joe Burrow in the AFC Championship Game. He also saw a lot of playing time on special teams throughout the season. For a fourth-round pick, who was expected to need a red-shirt year, Williams has been a great find by the front office.
The Grade in 2022: B+
The 2023 Grade: A-
Darian Kinnard, Offensive Line, Round 5, Pick 145
By far the quietest rookie of the bunch was offensive lineman Darian Kinnard. The Chiefs picked Kinnard in the 5th round after trading up with Seattle. He was only active for a single game all season and logged just six special teams snaps that night (Week 5 vs. Las Vegas).
When Kinnard was drafted, it was well known that he would be a significant project. The majority of draft analysts projected him as a guard but some believed that he had the potential to be a tackle, with some development.
Although it’s a small positive that he was on the active roster for the entire season, he only suited up for a single game. For all we know, dressing for one game may be what the coaches had planned all along, but it’s a tough look for a fifth-round pick only to play six snaps in his rookie campaign. To his defense, he was stuck behind Nick Allegretti, Prince Tega Wanogho, Lucas Niang, and Geron Christian for a game-day depth role. Three of those players are still on the roster for 2023, not including a potential rookie or two from the 2023 NFL Draft, so Kinnard will need to take a significant step forward if he wants an upgraded role this season. For the time being, he’s on track to be the biggest disappointment of the bunch, unfortunately.
The Grade in 2022: B+
The 2023 Grade: C-
Jaylen Watson, Cornerback, Round 7, Pick 243
One of the biggest surprises of the whole season was Jaylen Watson becoming such an important player very early in the season. In just the second game of the whole season, against Justin Herbert and the Chargers, Watson returned an interception 99 yards to the house to give the Chiefs a 24-17 lead. Although it was early in the season, a serious argument can be made that play was the most important of the regular season. Who knows what happens if the Chargers score there and win that game?
Overall, Watson’s rookie year was excellent, considering where he was picked in the draft. For the 243rd overall pick, he’s already done enough to be worth the pick that the Chiefs used on him. Even if he does nothing for the rest of his career, it still would be a great pick by Brett Veach.
The Grade in 2022: B
The 2023 Grade: A
Isiah Pacheco, Running Back, Round 7, Pick 251
In a rookie class loaded with future starters and stars, Isiah Pacheco may be the belle of the ball. The Pacheco hype train was up and running early in training camp but he didn’t start to see a regular role on offense until after the bye week.
Between the regular season and playoffs, Pacheco racked up over 1,000 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. He got better as the year went on and is poised to be the team’s primary running back for the next several years.
The Grade in 2022: A-
The 2023 Grade: A+
Nazeeh Johnson, Safety, Round 7, Pick 259
Not many fans will know who Nazeeh Johnson is, unfortunately, but they absolutely should. He played exactly zero defensive snaps last season, but that’s not where was expected to contribute.
Though he’s listed as a safety, I have a feeling that Johnson was purely a special teams pick. Starting in Week 11, Nazeeh Johnson played 126 special teams snaps and was the highest-graded Chiefs special teamer over that span.
If we’re grading Johnson purely as a safety, then his grade won’t be amazing. But if we grade him based on why he was actually brought onto the team, then his grade will be excellent, especially when we remember how late he was selected in the draft.
The Grade in 2022: C-
The 2023 Grade: A-