Chiefs’ 2022 Draft Class Rookie Projections: Days One and Two
Somehow, the only rookie from the 2022 Chiefs draft class not on the final 53-man roster is Nazeeh Johnson (who was signed to the practice squad).
Those nine rookies earning their roster spots is quite an incredible achievement for the Chiefs’ ten-player draft class. Whether these rookies made the roster due to the team's overall roster being weak in a retooling year or whether the rookies are actually good remains to be seen but considering how well-regarded the class was around the NFL, optimism should be high.
While expectations for the whole group are high, what should expectations be for each individual player heading into the year? What would be considered a “good year”? In part one of this series, let's go over the Day One and Day Two draftees.
Pick 1.21 - Trent McDuffie (CB)
It's odd to think this about the first draft pick of a draft class, especially one a team traded up for, but Trent McDuffie has flown under the radar so far. Since the day he was drafted, he's been penciled in as a starting cornerback but the question was where he would play. Would he be on the outside full-time or slide inside as a nickel? So far, it seems that McDuffie will stay outside and L'Jarius Sneed will play as the nickel cornerback.
With his spot on defense secured, a good rookie season for McDuffie is clear: continue to fly under the radar. He was never a huge turnover-causer in college and his play was built on “running routes for the wide receiver." The less McDuffie’s name is called this year, the better. If he can pair that with an interception or two and solid perimeter tackling, he will live up to his draft billing.
Pick 1.30 - George Karlaftis (DE)
George Karlaftis, who seemed to enjoy the nickname “Furious George," has had hype surrounding him this preseason. He recorded two sacks in the preseason and showed off other skills that were the reason he was a first-round pick. Karlaftis will be playing this year in an edge rusher room with some depth, but also a lot of opportunities for him to prove himself. He should be a heavy rotational player along with Frank Clark, Carlos Dunlap and Mike Danna. It stands to reason that Karlaftis should play around half the total snaps for the defense this year.
If Karlaftis does play at that clip for the whole season, expectations should be managed. Rookie edge rushers, for the most part, do not rack up sack numbers and take a while to adjust to the NFL. A season with five sacks and some splash plays should be seen as a good year.
Pick 2.54 - Skyy Moore (WR)
Being a wide receiver drafted by the Chiefs after the team trades away Tyreek Hill will always bring a fair amount of expectations. Skyy Moore has been under the microscope the entire offseason from the moment the Chiefs picked him. The results have been lukewarm, but not negative. Moore has shown in spurts what kind of a talent he is, but there has been no real blow-up point yet.
The history of Chiefs rookie wide receivers, as well as Moore’s skillset overlapping with JuJu Smith-Schuster, could lead to a somewhat quiet year for the rookie. Due to that, a year with around 650 yards and a couple of touchdowns where he flashes his skills as a route runner and dependable target should be considered a good year.
Pick 2.62 - Bryan Cook (S)
Bryan Cook steps into an interesting position during his rookie year. Cook might out-snap the two players picked ahead of him due to how the Chiefs were run the last few years. Daniel Sorensen, the third safety by snap percentage, played 62% of the snaps on the Chiefs' defense last year. If that number holds, it seems that Cook would get these snaps. Even if the Chiefs' defense doesn't operate exactly like last year, Cook should see the field a fair bit if he has earned that role.
The main reason Cook was drafted was to be a sure tackler around the line of scrimmage and in the middle of the field. If he can tackle soundly, unlike some Chiefs safeties last year, and grow as a player as the season goes along, his rookie campaign should be considered successful.
Pick 3.103 - Leo Chenal (LB)
Linebackers that lay the wood will always have quite the buzz about them, and Leo Chenal is no different. Chenal has been surrounded by an aura that oozes “football” since he was drafted. In reality, his position on the defense is not actually secured. Elijah Lee seems to have earned the SAM linebacker role ahead of Chenal for now. Due to this, the Chiefs played Chenal at MIKE linebacker late into preseason games so he could possibly fill in for starter Nick Bolton if he gets injured.
With his path to a starting spot being occupied by another player, for now, not much should be expected of Chenal. He could be used as a situational blitzer, but that's the extent of his role on defense until he actually earns playing time at SAM linebacker. Expectations for Chenal should primarily be focused on 2023.
