Chiefs’ 2022 Draft Class Rookie Projections: Day Three

Late-round rookies rarely make an impact, but the early returns on some Chiefs Day Three picks are positive.

Finding one early impact player on Day Three of the NFL draft is usually considered a success. The early returns on Kansas City Chiefs' late-round rookies this year, however, indicate that Kansas City could beat that number.

It still remains to be seen if the five Day Three rookies the Chiefs are currently rostering — with four of them being on the 53-man roster — actually carve out a serious role this season. With that said, the buzz around a few of them has surpassed the expected buzz for a player picked so late in the draft.

What should be the realistic expectations for these players when the buzz is taken into account? Let's find out. 

Pick 4.135 - Joshua Williams (CB)

Joshua Williams is a small-school, long and athletic cornerback prospect. In other words, he's the prototypical Brett Veach and Steve Spagnuolo cornerback. Williams has already generated some buzz in training camp by performing well throughout the practices covering the new Chiefs wide receivers. In the preseason games, however, it was rough at times for Williams. These growing pains should be expected of a player from an HBCU that needs time to learn and grow at the NFL level.

Right now, Williams and a player that will be talked about later are probably depth at the cornerback position. The first three cornerbacks to hit the field will be Trent McDuffie, Rashad Fenton and L’Jarius Sneed, and it's hard to see Williams supplanting them. He needs to be solid on special teams and use this year to learn how to play in the NFL. If he plays serious snaps, it will be due to an injury.

Pick 5.135 - Darian Kinnard (OL)

Darian Kinnard was drafted to compete at right tackle in the offseason to see if he could supplant last year's starter, Andrew Wylie. As the preseason ends, though, he failed to do so. It isn't too much of a shock due to Kinnard’s raw mechanics and lack of elite athleticism but after the Chiefs hit it big on Trey Smith last year, there was hope that they had cracked the magic code on Day Three offensive linemen.

With Kinnard locked in as solely depth, he will only see the field if Wylie struggles or if there's an injury or two.

Pick 7.243 - Jaylen Watson (CB)

Jaylen Watson is in a very similar spot as Williams but the seventh-round cornerback might actually be a bit ahead of Williams in terms of his development. Watson was a more polished college player and also went to a higher-profile college (Washinton State). He's had positive reviews for his preseason play in both the training camp practices and preseason games. Watson profiles like Williams by being a long, athletic cornerback who will play on the outside.

An interesting subplot to Watson’s season is intertwined with Williams’s season: Which rookie cornerback would come in the game if a starter got injured? If the Chiefs go solely by preseason play, that answer could be Watson. Barring that event, though, Watson’s season will go similarly to Williams’s — play well on special teams and get coached up.

Pick 7.251 - Isiah Pacheco (RB)

Hype train? Hype plane? Hype spaceship? It's hard to accurately portray what has exactly happened with Isiah Pacheco over the course of the preseason this year, but it is definitely an abnormal news cycle for a rookie running back from the seventh round. While Pacheco’s draft capital wasn't substantial, one interesting thing to remember was that Veach said before the draft that there would be a 1,000-yard rusher that is drafted in the final round or signed as a UDFA. Was Pacheco one of the running backs he was indirectly referring to?

Pacheco never really had a shot in college behind a very poor Rutgers offensive line. He is still a specimen, however, while also running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash. That's speed the Chiefs haven't had at running back since Jamaal Charles.

It's hard to predict the realistic impact of Pacheco this year. Seventh-round picks rarely work out but they also rarely get the hype he's gotten. If Pacheco can be trusted to pass block, then a role in the same vein as Darrel Williams should be safe to project. Williams was trusted to be the third-down back a fair bit over the last few years and was used as a short yardage back as well. He played 25% or more of the snaps in each of the last two seasons. That feels like a fair, but substantial, role for Pacheco to see after getting glowing reviews in training camp.

Pick 7.259 - Nazeeh Johnson (DB)

Nazeeh Johnson didn't make the starting 53-man roster but did get signed to the practice squad. The path for him is simple: take advantage of the year on the practice squad to become a football player and hone his incredible athleticism. He should have a serious shot to make the roster next year if he can impress heading into the 2023 season. For now, he sits on the practice squad.

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Overall, Day Three of the Chiefs' draft will be defined by what Pacheco becomes and whether the young cornerbacks turn into contributors. If both Pacheco and one of the young cornerbacks hit, Kansas City clobbered a home run late in a draft with other quality draft picks on Days One and Two.

This draft has such a high ceiling that it's easy to let the mind wander and think it could become a famous draft like the 2017 New Orleans Saints draft did. The reality of it is that some of the players outlined over the last two weeks will not work out, despite that imagination. At the same time, it's fair to be optimistic about this young group of rookies.

All signs are pointing to the Chiefs getting serious contributions from their 2022 draft class — now it's time to see if those signs are correct.