Kansas City Chiefs Draft Class Review: Rounds 4-7

After day three of the 2022 NFL Draft here is a look at who the Kansas City Chiefs added to their team in the late rounds of the draft.

Round 4

135th Pick: Joshua Williams, CB, Fayetteville State University

The Chiefs kept up their theme of drafting on the defensive side of the ball here with this pick. Joshua Williams has the size and skill to eventually be a solid cornerback. This seems to be a pick in which they are predicting his future based on Williams’s favorable traits for the position. He has very long arms and is able to play in any coverage you put him in. Williams will be more of a project as he didn’t face great competition in college.

Williams played in nine games as a true freshman where he racked up 16 tackles and two pass breakups. He was limited in 2020 as Fayetteville State did not play in the fall or spring due to COVID-19. Williams’s play in his final season at Fayetteville is what put him in a position to be drafted in the fourth round. He accumulated 35 tackles, three interceptions one of which he returned for a touchdown and six pass breakups. These stats propelled Williams to the first-team All-Conference for the 2021 season.

Round 5

145th Pick: Darian Kinnard, OL, Kentucky

Kansas City took Darian Kinnard for a high upside depth pick in the fifth round. Kinnard was a top 100 recruit coming out of high school when he committed to Kentucky. He played in nine games as a left tackle his freshman year. The next year the team moved him to the right side where he started all 13 games that year. In his junior campaign, Kinnard was named third-team All-American and also won the Jacob’s Blocking Trophy, which is the best lineman in the SEC award.

Darian Kinnard is a decent athlete but is limited in his lateral movement. The Chiefs will most likely move him to guard so that will be less of an issue. Where Kinnard excels is his physicality. Once he gets his hands on a defender he’s not letting go and has shown that he can move defensive linemen in the top talented SEC. Kinnard is a pick for depth and will most likely not see any substantial playing time in the beginning years of his career.

Round 7

243rd Pick: Jaylen Watson, CB, Washington State

The Chiefs added another player to their secondary here in the seventh round. Jaylen Watson was an all-region wide receiver and cornerback in high school. Watson spent his first two years at Ventura College which is a JUCO school. In his time at Ventura Watson was a two-time JUCO first-team All-American cornerback. He eventually enrolled at Washington State where he tallied 31 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and four fumble recoveries.

Watson is a big, tall cornerback who has the flexibility to eventually transition into playing safety. He is a very raw prospect but does thrive in a zone coverage-based defense. It will no doubt take time to see if Watson will eventually earn playing time but for now he could be a valuable special teams player.

Image courtesy of Steelers Depot

251st Pick: Isiah Pacheco, RB, Rutgers

Kansas City added a speedy back in Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco led the Scarlett Knight in rushing for three straight years after earning the starting gig in his sophomore campaign. In his senior year, he was named an honorable mention all-conference after 647 rushing yards and five touchdowns that year.

Pacheco has the size of a three-down running back but will most likely have to fight for a roster spot as he sits at number four on the depth chart. He excels as a one-cut, shifty runner who possesses the speed to outrun most defenders. If he makes the 53-man roster he might see some time as a returner or another role in special teams.

259th Pick: Nazeeh Johnson, S, Marshall

It’s clear that the Chiefs had a plan for this draft. Nazeeh Johnson is the fifth defensive back pick that the Chiefs selected in this draft. Johnson was a walk-on at Marshall, where he had a solid college career. In his last season, he was named second-team All-Conference-USA.

Johnson tested very well in the pre-draft process where he ran a 4.38 40 time and had an insane 42-inch vertical. Johnson is a player that could play both safety and slot corner as he did in college. He is undersized but is also a very athletic defensive back. With the Kansas City Chiefs taking so many defensive backs in this draft Johnson is going to have to impress right away to earn a roster spot.

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