Rookie Report Card: Midseason Grades for the Chiefs’ 2022 Rookie Class

The Chiefs had what was considered to be a very good draft in April, but how have the rookies looked during the first half of the season?

Despite a tough opening schedule, the Kansas City Chiefs reached the bye week with a 5-2 record. Before the season began, many Chiefs fans and folks in local and national media thought that general manager Brett Veach hit a home run in the 2022 NFL Draft. Through seven weeks, we’ve seen several of those draft picks contribute to the Chiefs and their winning ways.

Let’s take a look at each of the picks, in the order they were drafted, and give them a grade through the first part of the season.

Trent McDuffie: Incomplete

Unfortunately for cornerback Trent McDuffie and the Chiefs, a hamstring injury during a Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals sent the first-rounder to the IR. There was hope that McDuffie could return before the bye, but the coaching staff wanted to give him a couple of extra weeks of rest before putting him back on the field. The ideal goal for McDuffie is to be able to get right back out there with the first team on Sunday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9.

George Karlaftis: B-

George Karlaftis had a great preseason and came out of the gates with a fire in his belly. He had the most pressures of any defensive end in Week 1 of the NFL season with six. Through Week 7, he leads all rookies with 17 pressures. The disappointing stat, though, is only being able to convert on half of a sack so far. However, Karlaftis has been making his presence known. Against the San Francisco 49ers, he forced quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo into throwing an interception in the red zone and was also putting pressure on him later in the game when fellow defensive end Frank Clark got a safety on the play. Karlaftis will look to finish more plays in the second half of the season and boost his grade in the process.

Skyy Moore: F

Unfortunately for Skyy Moore, he hasn’t received many opportunities with the offense to this point in the season. In the first few weeks, he played less than a handful of offensive snaps. While he has been getting a bit more run as the season goes on, he still hasn’t contributed much. Moore has been given the opportunity to return punts to get the ball in his hands, but that experiment hasn’t gone well. He lost a critical fumble against the Indianapolis Colts which set the tone for the game in an unexpected loss early in the season and had another muffed punt against the 49ers. He will need more looks as a receiver to boost his grade in the second half.

Bryan Cook: C-

Bryan Cook has had an up-and-down campaign thus far. He hasn’t played a ton of snaps on defense and was burned (along with Rashad Fenton) for a touchdown against the Raiders. Cook has been a good special teams guy early on, however, and he will continue to have a solidified role there throughout the season. He will likely be a rotational defensive player unless there’s an injury ahead of him, so he will need to make the most of his opportunities when they arise.

Leo Chenal: D

Leo Chenal’s playing time has been inconsistent at best. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is still trying to figure out how to best use him and pick his spots with Chenal. Some thought Chenal would have an expanded workload when fellow linebacker Willie Gay Jr. was suspended for a few games, but that wasn’t the case as he was still used about the same as before. Chenal will need to prove himself in his limited snaps if he wants an expanded role.

Joshua Williams: C

After a good training camp, Joshua Williams struggled in the preseason finale and started the season as a special teams player. It wasn’t until an injury to Fenton that Williams finally got a chance. It just so happened that this chance came against one of the best offenses in the NFL when the Buffalo Bills came to town. Williams struggled in one on one coverage against the solid Bills receivers, which was to be expected, but got another shot the following week against the Niners and looked more comfortable. He even got his first interception of the season in a big spot in the red zone. Williams should continue to get better with more reps and will try to maintain his presence in the Chiefs' secondary even as Fenton and McDuffie return from injuries.

Darian Kinnard: Incomplete

Offensive lineman Darian Kinnard has been a healthy scratch almost all season.

Isiah Pacheco: B -

Isiah Pacheco has been hit or miss. At times he’s looked explosive out of the backfield and other times he has been bottled up or just not been given the proper opportunities to get in a flow. After back-to-back games with a combined three carries, Pacheco was given the green light as the starter against the 49ers right before the bye week and made the most of his opportunities by averaging 5.4 yards per carry. For the season, he’s averaged 4.9 yards per carry and recorded his first NFL touchdown in Week 1. The Chiefs have also used him as the primary kick returner. If Kansas City continues to use him as a starter after the bye, Pacheco could really start to take off and be one of the top rookies of this class by the end of the season.

Jaylen Watson: B+

Jaylen Watson has arguably been the best of the bunch to this point. He came out of the preseason as the late-round cornerback to get into the starting rotation after McDuffie went down. Watson has taken his lumps at times but has generally played well, especially considering where he was drafted. He also had the defensive play of the year to this point, a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown to turn the momentum in the Chiefs' favor and help get them a big win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The win gives the Chiefs a one-game lead over Los Angeles. If Watson continues to play well in his role, he will be a contributor for this team down the stretch and into the future.

Nazeeh Johnson: Incomplete

Nazeeh Johnson has been on the practice squad for a big chunk of the season. He was elevated to the active roster and played special teams during Weeks 4-6.

The midseason grades may not look as great as many would have hoped coming into the season, but there is still time for each of these players to get their grades up as the season progresses. These players were brought in to have an impact not only this year, but for many years ahead as they grow together as a class. This is just the start of what can still be a very special draft class for Veach and the Chiefs.