The Kansas City Chiefs’ draft grade was an A+ according to the PFF grades. Did these moves in the draft fix every position needed for KC?
The Chiefs had a very slow offseason, they seemed to lose more than they gained and it seemed like they weren’t going anywhere until the 2022 NFL Draft. They had a lot of needs that needed to be fixed and they went after them, specifically at the defensive back, defensive line, and wide receiver positions.
After losing Charvious Ward, Tyrann Mathieu, and Daniel Sorenson to free agency, bringing in new defensive backs was an important position to address in the draft. With the 21st pick in the first round, KC selected Trent McDuffie and then selected four more defensive backs in the rest of the draft. They got safety, Bryan Cook, from Cincinnati, corner Joshua Williams from Fayetteville State, corner Jaylen Watson, and safety Nazeeh Johnson. Adding depth to a unit that had a lot of problems throughout the year was a need that Brett Veach certainly took care of and it will be interesting to see how they gel as a unit in 2022.
Not only did the Chiefs get better on the back end of the defense, but they also added some talent to the front seven. With the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 draft, the Chiefs selected George Karlaftis, a defensive end with a lot of upside. Karlaftis will be playing opposite Frank Clark and he has a very high ceiling. Karlaftis is a raw prospect with a great motor and should get plenty of playing time to show what type of impact he can bring to the defensive line unit which has struggled over the past two seasons. The Chiefs also added a linebacker/defensive weapon by drafting Leo Chenal out of the University of Wisconsin in the third round. Chenal is going to be very fun to watch as he seems like he can play any position in the front seven and welcomes the challenges of learning the defense. Chanel and Karlaftis seem like they are going to be impact players in the Chiefs’ front seven and once again, Veach seemed to get players who fit on this new defensive roster.
Also, the Chiefs added more firepower on offense, adding Skyy Moore, Darian Kinnard, and Isaiah Pacheco. Moore was seen as one of the better wide receivers in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he might be the weapon the Chiefs need to get over the loss of Tyreek Hill. Kinnard will be competing for a starting role on the offensive line as he fell in the draft for the Chiefs, look out for him to start at right tackle this season. Isaiah Pacheco is going to be a reserve running back this season but has the ability to be a quality starting back if he can stay healthy. Offensively the Chiefs were going to find a way to still be explosive, adding these guys give Reid more flexibility and creativeness to continue what he was doing before, but more efficiently.
The Chiefs addressed all of their weaknesses in the 2022 NFL Draft and it seemed to help ease a lot of the frustrations the fans have been having this offseason. They still have some issues in spots, but there will be moves made before camp and it seems like Brett Veach is well aware that he can fix anything thrown his way.
