It was over 1,000 days ago that the Kansas City Chiefs compiled one of the most impactful draft classes in NFL history in April of 2022.
General Manager Brett Veach and his staff selected 10 players over the course of that weekend, and while there's always hope and excitement surrounding a new draft class, this particular group turned out to be the rocket fuel for a dynasty.
Nine of those 10 players are still with the team – the only exception being offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, who's ironically on the Eagles – and over the last three seasons, they've combined to go a ridiculous 67-0 in the playoffs. That figure doesn't even include left guard Mike Caliendo, who was signed as an undrafted free agent that year, or linebacker Jack Cochrane, another rookie free agent signee who appeared in seven postseason games over the last two years.
The long hours amassed by Veach and his crew assembled a class of rookies that very well may go down as the best of all-time if Kansas City defeats Philadelphia on Sunday, and as the Chiefs prepare to take their shot at history, it's a group worth celebrating.
The class is highlighted by cornerback Trent McDuffie (No. 21 overall), who has earned All-Pro honors in each of the last two years, and defensive end George Karlaftis (No. 30 overall), whose eight sacks in 2024 led the team.
Linebacker Leo Chenal (No. 103 overall) has grown into a jack of all trades on defense and special teams, exemplified by his game-winning field goal block against the Broncos earlier this year.
Safety Bryan Cook (No. 62 overall) started 17 games this year and logged multiple interceptions, while cornerbacks Jaylen Watson (No. 243 overall) and Joshua Williams (No. 135 overall) have appeared in nine postseason games each, combining to tally three interceptions between them.
Cornerback Nazeeh Johnson (No. 259 overall) made numerous plays on special teams in 2022, and now a year removed from a season-ending knee injury, he carved out a role in the secondary in 2024 with six starts.
Tailback Isiah Pacheco (No. 251 overall) leads the Chiefs in rushing over the last three seasons, and even wide receiver Skyy Moore (No. 54 overall), who spent the majority of the 2024 season on Injured Reserve, played a major role in the Chiefs' march to a title in 2022 with impact plays in the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LVII.
All nine have played in at least one Super Bowl, and four – Pacheco, Karlaftis, Watson and McDuffie – started Super Bowl LVII as rookies.
This group has known nothing but winning Super Bowls, and now with an opportunity to win three-straight titles just a few days away – something that's never been done before – the journey isn't lost on those who joined the Chiefs that fateful draft weekend.
"It's been such a blessing, and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything," Karlaftis said. "We've kind of banded together. There's been a nucleus of guys who have been here – it's been consistent. There's love and there's trust there."
The roots of that consistency – at least for the defensive players – rests with Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who trusted six rookies – Karlaftis, McDuffie, Chenal, Williams, Watson and Cook – to combine for 3,057 defensive snaps in 2022.
"He did such great job with us – throwing us in the fire as rookies," Chenal said. "He put so much on our plate to test us. He put us through all those stressful situations to prepare us for battle."
That preparation paid dividends numerous times defensively that year, such as when Watson and Williams each intercepted Bengals' quarterback Joe Burrow in the AFC Championship Game. If the narrative wasn't already good enough, Williams' pick was off a leaping deflection by Cook.
Then, in Super Bowl LVII, Chenal logged a sack while – on the other side of the ball – Pacheco and Moore each found the end zone.
The following year, Karlaftis ranked third among all players in terms of pressures during the postseason with 19. As for Super Bowl LVIII, McDuffie allowed just two catches for nine yards to San Francisco's top-ranked scoring offense while Chenal blocked what turned out to be a pivotal extra-point attempt.
The list of impactful moments is truly endless. It's rare for a draft class to even stay together for three years, but in the case of the Chiefs' haul in 2022, each member of the class has made at least one play that's led to one of the greatest runs of sustained success in NFL history.
"It's special that we've all been able to not only be on the roster, but to contribute," Chenal said. "You go down the board, you see contributors."
Those collective efforts have the Chiefs on the doorstep of some all-time history if they can beat the Eagles on Sunday, and they're well aware of what a victory in Super Bowl LIX would mean.
"After we beat the Bills, I remember sitting with B-Cook and saying, man, we actually have this opportunity now. We can't let anything get in our way or distract us from accomplishing this goal," McDuffie said. "Everybody around here wants to have a lasting legacy on the game, and this is an opportunity for us [to do that]."
