By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs are blocking out the slander thrown out at them for trading away Tyreek Hill – as they strive to return to the big dance. With that said, I’m going to untwine 10 bold predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.

• Jerick McKinnon has 1,000+ all-purpose yards

The explosive “Jet” came back from the dead and unveiled 315 all-purpose yds in the latest playoff gauntlet. It’s hard not to have hope for CEH, but I expect an in-sync McKinnon to have a large piece of the Chiefs offensive pie and dazzle with the opportunity.

• George Karlaftis has double-digit sacks

The rookie George Karlaftis has already dazzled this off-season and I expect him to carry his pre-season ability into the regular season. In fact, I love Karlaftis’s chances at cracking 10+ sacks next to Chris Jones – which should often come in the spotlight.

• Justin Reid makes the Pro Bowl

The Chiefs don’t have the Honey Badger, but they have a motivated, talented Justin Reid. The Chiefs backup kicker is out of Alcatraz, also known as the Houston Texans, and sitting behind a potent pass rush that will enjoy witnessing opposing QBs desperate to keep pace with Patty Mahomes.

• Skyy Moore records 1,000+ receiving yards

I’m not convinced that Skyy Moore will win OROY, but he can certainly oust 1,000+ receiving yards in his first season. Per Chiefs Wire, JuJu Smith-Schuster believes that the sky is the limit for Moore.

• Patrick Mahomes throws 5,000+ passing yards

I actually feel confident in the LA Chargers winning the AFC West in 2022. Still, I foresee Mahomes unleashing 5,000+ passing yards (for the second time in his career). He may not have Hill, but he still has Travis Kelce, Schuster, MVS, Mecole Hardman, and Moore. Not to mention that Mahomes has a versatile RB group at his disposal.

• Travis Kelce is a first-team All-Pro

The Chiefs illustrious TE Travis Kelce didn’t garner first-team All-Pro honors last season, but I like his odds of returning to snag first-team AP (after being first-team AP in 2020) in 2022. In the Tyreek Hill-less offense, he should demand a bit more targets and attention moving forward.

• Josh Gordon catches a touchdown

The former Cleveland Browns legend Josh Gordon has been up and down this summer, but his size should warrant him a role in the Chiefs offense at some point in 2022. He may momentarily be on the Chiefs practice squad, but I expect him to garner some playing time, catch a TD, and bring back memories of his previous unearthly production.

• Chad Henne wins a game

It doesn’t sound sexy to imagine Mahomes MIA, but he did miss two games in 2019 and a contest in 2020. In the brutal AFC West and 17-game season, he may miss a match-up in 2022. With that said, I believe that Chade Henne (who has impressed in big moments) steps up to the plate & wins a show-down.

• Mecole Hardman makes the Pro Bowl as a returner

Mecole Hardman has a lot of juice, yet he doesn’t have the most superb experience as a KR. I believe the return-man that flashed a ton of greatness last season became more comfortable this off-season and he’s bound to put it all together in the upcoming season.

• Orlando Brown Jr is an All-Pro

Orlando Brown Jr. has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the past few seasons. Yet, I believe he will shine against his best competition (such as Khalil Mack) in the upcoming season, which will really shine the lamp on his abilities.

The post 10 bold predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs were not close to being an impressive pass-rushing force last season. The Chiefs ranked 29th in sacks (31 sacks) — which trended in the opposite direction of their passing offense (fourth in passing yards and sixth in passing touchdowns). It was clear that KC needed to shop for more superb pass-rushing talent this off-season and I honestly believe the Steve Spagnuolo-led defense should feel more optimistic about their pass-rushing abilities in 2022.

The splash addition on the Chiefs DL is unequivocally the first-round pick George Karlaftis. The native of Athens, Greece certainly has the mentality to be a strong DROY candidate — as he dropped 10-15 pounds in the pre-draft process. The rook DE is also currently training with Patrick Mahomes. Bleacher Report compared Karlaftis to the legendary DE Ryan Kerrigan, who has seven seasons of 8.5+ sacks. It’s safe to say that Frank Clark will be delighted to see the 21-year-old edge rusher line up on the same DL as him.

Clark is aiming on making his fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance, but he will aim on having a bigger sack number in 2022. Clark had a mere 4.5 sacks in 2021 — which was his lowest sack tally since his rookie season. He also missed a career-high three games last season. So, a healthy & motivated Clark will aspire to return to the Pro Bowl w/ a double-digit sack number.

It should also be noted that the Chiefs best pass rusher and best defender Chris Jones wasn’t always available last season. Unfortunately, Jones also missed three games in 2021. Jones and Clark both made the Pro Bowl last season, while missing a chunk of games. The healthy DT-DE combo with a large, new friend from Greece should routinely lick their chops against opposing AFC quarterbacks that believe they can overshadow Patty Mahomes.

The post Why the Chiefs pass rush should really improve in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs are a complex Tyreek Hill-less team in 2022. With that said, I’m going to peg three KC players that could turn heads in 2022 and 3 profiles that are honestly overrated. Let’s begin.

Underrated: Justin Reid

I’m sure that countless Chiefs fans would prefer the Honey Badger over Justin Reid, but I believe that the safety out of Stanford can be a consistent play-maker in KC next season. Chiefs Wire pointed out how Reid had a beautiful interception at OTAs yesterday. It’s clear that the gifted athlete at S is feeling more comfortable out of Houston and I believe that he should excel against offenses desperately seeking to keep pace with Patrick Mahomes.

Overrated: Frank Clark

The Chiefs have asked Frank Clark to be the most effective pass rusher since Justin Houston, but he’s only ousted 10.5 sacks in the past two seasons combined. I will admit that he has shown up in some playoff battles. Although, he slightly lived below expectations in 2020, and then he even had less production in the 2021 regular season. Despite his miraculous two Pro Bowl honors in 2020 and 2021, he hasn’t lived up to his contract (which he restructured this off-season). He will still need to be a lot more effective in the firework AFC conference with his new deal moving forward.

Underrated: Skyy Moore

The Chiefs may have spent a lot of cash on MVS, but he doesn’t carry the same potential as the rookie Skyy Moore. I expect Andy Reid to have a perfect vision for the WR that has the similar ability as Tyreek Hill and he should honestly be the x-factor in the offense. Patrick Mahomes will have countless screens and quick passes lined up for the WR that impressed scouts this summer and was a draft steal in my opinion.

Overrated: Clyde Edwards-Helaire

It seems all too true that the healthy, first-round pick in CEH needs to have his best season in 2022. The former LSU RB hasn’t been a receiving machine, efficient in a superb manner, or friendly in big moments (cough, cough, against Baltimore). I’m not quite sure that he will prove his worth in an offense that brought in R-Jo and still have impressive receiving depth. Despite Mahomes wanting the Chiefs to draft him, I don’t believe he will come close to the magic that Jamaal Charles brought to KC.

Underrated: George Karlaftis

George Karlaftis may be a late first-round rookie, but he can prove to be a stud in his first NFL season. The 6’4, 270 DE has already brought excitement to DC Steve Spagnuolo with his power. Kezirian from ESPN believes that the Chiefs rookie can even win DROY via his motor and the pass-rushing opportunities in KC.

Overrated: Andrew Wylie

The Chiefs projected starter at RT Andrew Wylie may be scrappy and reliable, but he hasn’t been very heartwarming. Kristian Gumminger from Arrowhead Pride pointed out how PFF gave Wylie a 65.2 grade in pass block leading up to January 2nd. Wylie may have re-signed to the Chiefs this summer and he can likely start, but he absolutely can’t be a liability on the edge against the juggernaut AFC West pass rushers.

The post 3 underrated and 3 overrated players on the Chiefs in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Kansas City Chiefs can’t take the foot off the pedal without Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu. The Show Must Go On. The Chiefs will need to work with the Honey Badger and Hill replacements while improving other vital positions. With that said, I’m going to untwine three positions to watch in Chiefs OTAs.

LDE

The Chiefs 2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis will be asked to replace Melvin Ingram and excel in his rookie season. Karlaftis was selected as the DPOY by USA Today and the Chiefs may have discovered a diamond in the rough in him. He reminds me a lot of Everson Griffen with his power and impressive motor. He is a darkhorse DROY candidate, as the powerful human will have lots of opportunities to sack opposing QBs.

SS

The loss of the Honey Badger is enormous and it won’t be easy for their Honey-less pass defense to heal. Mathieu was an All-Pro in 2019 and 2020, so it will be a tall task for Justin Reid to be near the same caliber of safety as the former Chiefs force. PFF recently ranked Reid as one of the worst safeties in the league, so the former Texans first-round pick needs to have a strong 2022 off-season to prove his doubters wrong.

WR

The Chiefs WR position has been very entertaining this off-season, to say the least. Tyreek Hill is out of Kansas City and there are a few new faces in the Chiefs WR room. JuJu Smith-Schuster will need to develop strong chemistry with Patrick Mahomes early on, but it will be fascinating to see how the second-round rookie Skyy Moore and MVS become utilized in the Chiefs offense.

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By: Tim Rodriguez

The NFL draft really is something to marvel at. The process, which begins about eleven months prior to draft day, is constantly in flux. Some of the players that are “first-round picks” in the summer, find themselves falling all the way until day three. The draft is a fluid process, and scouting in itself is so subjective that seeing drastically different opinions on players is not uncommon. With that, risers and fallers are natural. However, there are always some prospects who seem to slip through the cracks in summer scouting, but find themselves in first and second-round mock drafts by the time March and April roll around. Whether that be injury history clearing up, finally breaking out in college, or a positive combine performance, mock drafts vary in the span of eleven months. With the 2022 NFL draft just eight short months away, who could be this year’s Jaelan Phillips, Zach Wilson, or Terrace Marshall?

George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue 

Purdue’s George Karlaftis burst onto the scene as a Freshman in 2019 with 7.5 sacks and finds himself in many first-round mock drafts going into his junior year. Karlaftis lost most of his sophomore year to injury. Had he not been injured in 2020, we may have seen him put even better sack and pressure numbers. A rare blend of strength and athleticism makes Karlaftis a tantalizing prospect. As Karlaftis gears up for an extremely important 2021 season with the Boilermakers, his 2019 film indicates a healthy Karlaftis can be a top 15 pick. The tweet below (via Ben Glassmire) is a great example of the type of player an NFL would be getting with Karlaftis.

Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina

Ah, the 2022 quarterback class. It makes no sense. For the most part, everyone agrees that Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler has the best chance to hear his name called first, but it’s rather confusing after that. After names like Malik Willis and Carson Strong, there is a long list of guys with massive question marks. One of those is Grayson McCall, the breakout star for Coastal Carolina in 2020. As a redshirt Freshman, McCall was efficient and showed the ability to make plays with his feet. With a full off-season and a bonafide weapon in tight end Isaiah Likely, McCall has an opportunity to be a riser if he declares in 2022. 

The entire tight end class 

There may not be a Kyle Pitts in the class, but there is a massive amount of talent and depth at the position in 2022. It may all start with Alabama’s Jahleel Billingsley but continues on with Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely, Ohio State’s Jeremy Ruckert, and many more after. A surprise riser may be SMU’s Grant Calcaterra, who is back after medically retiring following an injury-riddled career at Oklahoma. The 2022 class may end up producing more quality tight ends than 2021. As the tight end position grows in college football, classes like 2020 appear to be an anomaly.

Joey Porter Jr, CB, Penn State 

Yes, Joey Porter’s son is draft eligible. You are old. Moving past that, the younger Porter is one of the more intriguing cornerback prospects this year. As a redshirt sophomore, there’s no guarantee that Porter declares, and it may be wiser to stay as the 2022 cornerback class is chock full of talent, pushing him down the board. He has a great chance to shine on a Penn State defense that features NFL-caliber players at every level. With tremendous length and size, Porter will certainly be on NFL radars after being thrust into a starting role midway through the 2020 season. 

Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota 

This mountain of a man-made headlines for the Gophers when people started to realize how absolutely massive he is. Previously standing at 6’8”, 400 pounds, Minnesota offensive tackle Faalele is without a doubt the largest player in the draft. However, there were questions about whether or not he could play in the NFL at that weight. He has since lost at least 30 pounds and continues to drop to a more realistic weight. If Faalele puts out some good tape in 2021, he is going to shoot up draft boards.

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