Chiefs Addressing Defensive Concerns in First Round of NFL Draft

The Kansas City Chiefs are working to return to the Super Bowl after losing in the AFC Championship, and the 2022 NFL Draft showed their commitment to the process.

The Chiefs, stocked with a surplus of picks after the Tyreek Hill trade, used their 2 first round picks to move up in the first round on Thursday night to select cornerback Trent McDuffie and using their No. 30 pick to pick Purdue pass rusher George Karlaftis.

Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Odds

The Chiefs are still looked at as a contender, +900 to win Super Bowl at WynnBET Sportsbook, and looked to improve their defense in the first round. While the team no longer has Hill, the team knows they need more playmakers on the defense with McDuffie, who was seen as the consensus No. 3 cornerback and Karlaftis who is a dynamite pass rusher.

Kansas City Relying on Patrick Mahomes

The Chiefs have 3 picks on the second night of the draft and can address their void at wide receiver on Friday with still several talented pass catchers still on the board.

Georgia's George Pickens and Alabama's John Metchie III may slide down into the middle and later stages of the second round, opening up an opportunity for the Chiefs to pick them at No. 50, for example.

Again, the Chiefs made it clear they are going to address the defensive side of the ball on Thursday night and trust star QB Patrick Mahomes to work with several targets in house like Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman. We'll see how GM Brett Veach handles the remainder of the draft, but the team is committed to fixing the defense and trusting Mahomes to keep it up on the offensive side of the ball.