Ranking Chiefs biggest NFL draft gems of the last decade

7. Leo Chenal

With a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Chiefs nabbed Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal to help bolster their linebacker room. Chiefs fans don't need to be reminded of the Ben Niemann days in Kansas City, which is another reason fans love Chenal and the new linebackers so much. They turned a position of weakness into a major strength.

Sticking with Chenal though, he's been a staple in the Chiefs defense since entering the league in 2022 and now has two Super Bowl rings to show for it. What Chenal will be most remembered for, however, is his efforts in Super Bowl LVIII where he could have been crowned MVP if Patrick Mahomes didn't end up garnering the award.

Chenal had two impactful plays in the championship victory over the San Francisco 49ers. One such play was on the first drive of the game when the 49ers offense was running roughshod over the Chiefs defense. Chenal forced the football out of Christian McCaffrey's hands and the Chiefs recovered, taking away what likely have been at least three points for the bad guys.

Another such play was when Chenal blocked the 49ers' extra point attempt. Had Jake Moody's kick not been blocked, the Niners would have been up 17-13 and that would have forced Kansas City to score a touchdown on the final drive of regulation to win the game rather than a field goal to tie it.

Chenal came up clutch in the biggest moments on the biggest stage so while a third-round pick might not be considered a "gem" to some, no one expected him to have this kind of impact. He belongs on this list for outperforming what was expected of him.