Our draft from the Dane Brugler draft guide

[The Franchise]

Since everyone didn't have the guide before the draft, I figured I would put his write ups for each player.

First round:

#21 - Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
#2 rated CB.
#12 in the Top 300 list.

2. TRENT MCDUFFIE | Washington 5106 | 193 lbs. | JR. Westminster, Calif. (St. John Bosco) 9/13/2000 (age 21.63) #22

BACKGROUND: Trent McDuffie, who is the second-youngest of five children, was born and raised in Orange County, Calif. He started playing flag football at age 6 before starting tackle football the next year, playing mostly running back through Pop Warner and youth leagues. McDuffie started his prep career at Mater Dei High as a freshman before transferring to Servite High, a private Catholic school, for his sophomore and junior seasons. He moved to cornerback (a position he had never played before) in high school and registered 50 tackles, 12 passes defended, two interceptions and two forced fumbles as a junior, adding four touchdown catches as a receiver and running back and one punt return touchdown on special teams. McDuffie transferred to his third school in four years when he moved to St. John Bosco High, another private Catholic school, for his senior season. He led the program to a 13-1 record and 2018 conference title with their only loss coming to Mater Dei in the championship game. McDuffie earned Second Team All-State honors with 37 tackles and three interceptions as a senior. He also lettered in track, setting personal bests of 10.82 in the 100 meters and 23’8 in the long jump and competed in the 4x100 relay team at state in 2018.

A four-star recruit out of high school, he was the No. 12 cornerback in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 19 recruit in the state of California. He received scholarships from most of the top programs around the country, including Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon. But McDuffie picked Washington over Stanford and USC because of the program’s track record of producing defensive backs. He wears No. 22 because that was the jersey number of his older brother (Tyler), who died when Trent was in eighth grade. His mother (Michelle) was a sprinter at UC Irvine. McDuffie decided to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

STRENGTHS: Above-average athleticism and anticipation … explosive in his click and close because of his balanced pedal and footwork at the top of routes … quick and patient with his transitions and doesn’t panic, which allows him to stay attached to receivers … covers with the confidence and mental process of an NFL veteran… has a quick processor to handle double-play calls and make appropriate checks based on formation and situation … fundamentally focused, and the Huskies scheme has him well-prepared for NFL life … creates leverage in the run game with his pursuit angles and ability to shake blockers … low, controlled tackler with plus [230]
competitive toughness … energetic motor and makes tackles from the opposite side of where he started … averaged 8.2 yards per punt return (9/74/0) … highly coachable and mature with a process-oriented mindset.

WEAKNESSES: Doesn’t have elite size or length and is near maxed out physically … receivers can shield him from the catch point … his lack of inches will show on comebacks or jump balls … unimpressive ball production, including only two interceptions (none in 2021) … gives up inside position too easily to route runners and needs to develop his jam technique (played a lot of press-bail) … missed one game as a senior because of an injured left ankle (September 2021).

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Washington, McDuffie was an outside cornerback in former head coach Jimmy Lake’s defensive scheme. After earning a starting job as a true freshman, he quickly established himself as one of the top cover corners in the country, even though that wasn’t reflected in the stat sheet because offenses would often throw away from him. McDuffie is fluid in both man and zone coverages and rarely appears stressed athletically because of his feel for timing and spacing. While he is a top athlete, his mental skills might be even more impressive with eyes that are dialed in and the processing to sort through everything and communicate like an extra coach on the field. Overall, McDuffie might not hit ideal size thresholds for some, but he is an easy sell in draft rooms because he has
outstanding athleticism, intelligence and is well-schooled in various techniques. He has a high ceiling and a high floor and should start as an NFL rookie.

GRADE: 1st Round (No. 12 overall)

#30 - George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
#5 rated EDGE
#18 in the Top 300 list.

BACKGROUND: George Karlaftis (CAR-loft-tis), who is the oldest of four children, was born and raised in Athens, Greece, where he was a standout goalkeeper on Greece’s 16-and-under national water polo team. In June 2014, his father (Matt), who was a native of Greece and an accomplished professor at the National Technical University of Athens, died unexpectedly from a heart attack at 44. His mother (Amy) moved the family halfway across the globe to her hometown West Lafayette, Ind., to be closer to her family (after meeting and falling in love while studying at Purdue, Matt and Amy moved to Greece, married, and started a family).

Karlaftis, who spoke primarily Greek growing up, was 13 and in eighth grade when they moved to the United States and he tried football for the first time. He attended West Lafayette High and spent his freshman year on the bench, where he learned the game. As a sophomore, Karlaftis saw his hard work pay off with 113 tackles and 13.0 sacks. As a senior, he led West Lafayette to a 15-0 record and the 2018 Class 3A state championship. Karlaftis finished his senior year with 106 tackles, 56.0 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks to earn Indiana Class 3A Player of the Year honors and an invite to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he received the national Defensive Player of the Year honor. He finished his prep career with 84.0 tackles for loss and 41.0 sacks. Karlaftis also lettered in basketball and track at West Lafayette, where he was the back-to-back state champion in the shot put (59 feet 5 1/2 inches as a sophomore, 60 feet 1/2 inch as a junior). He didn’t have a chance to make it three consecutive state championships because he enrolled early at Purdue.

A four-star recruit out of high school, Karlaftis was the No. 4 strongside defensive end in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 1 recruit from the state of Indiana. He received offers from almost every major program, including Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC. However, Karlaftis lived a mile away from the Purdue campus, and the family connections to the university helped lead him to the Boilermakers (he attended Purdue games since he was a toddler when they would visit family in the states). His father was an accomplished collegiate athlete at Miami (1990-94), throwing the javelin on the track and field team and walking on
to the football team (a head injury that required surgery ended his football career). His younger brother (Yanni) just finished his freshman year as a linebacker at Purdue. Karlaftis elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft. He also skipped Purdue’s 2021 bowl game.

STRENGTHS: Rushes with a quick first step and relentless energy ... not only shows physical, booming hands, but knows what to do with them ... shows bull-rushing instincts and slams his brass knuckles into the chest of blockers to drive them backward ... displays various power rush techniques, including a stab, two-hand swipe and long-arm ... has a knack for knocking away the hands/wrist of blockers ... balanced through contact and forces his way through the blocker’s shoulder ... strike power is impressive ... plays with a reliable GPS for the football and rarely takes himself out of plays ... owns a sculpted frame with a yoked upper body and thick thighs/hips ... his body is his temple, and he is religious about his training and nutrition to keep himself at peak condition (played 55.6 snaps per game in 2021) ...coaches rave about his commitment level and desire to improve each day (head coach Jeff Brohm: “He lives in the building trying to improve and get better ... he
takes everything extremely seriously and puts in the effort each and every day, well beyond what most guys do.”) ... impressive production in his three seasons in college, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks both years he was healthy.

WEAKNESSES: Shorter-than-ideal arms, allowing long-armed blockers to control his frame (see Ohio State tape vs. RT Dawand Jones) ... short-stepping rusher and appears tight in his cornering and flattening (didn’t perform the 3-cone drill pre-draft for a reason) ... average closing burst and redirection skills to the ball ...inconsistent finisher with a surprisingly high percentage of missed tackles ... needs to convert more of his pressures into sacks ... struggles vs. double-teams ... hyperfocused on the ball and can be late to read receiver motions or angled blocks ... better pass-rushing instincts than run-defending instincts ... inconsistent gap integrity vs. the run and needs to take his contain responsibilities more seriously.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Purdue, Karlaftis played primarily as a stand-up field rusher in co-defensive coordinator Brad Lambert’s scheme, also seeing snaps as a three-technique on the interior to take advantage of his quickness and strength. A Greece native who moved to the U.S. in 2014, he developed a love for football and shows an unmatched work ethic, which helped him log 30.5 TFL and 14.5 sacks over his 27 games in a Purdue uniform. Karlaftis’ hands are not only physical and violent, but they’re well-timed and strategic to get the offense off schedule. For a player with his play speed, strength and physicality, he misses too many tackles and needs to become a more controlled finisher. Overall, Karlaftis doesn’t have elite length or athletic twitch, but he has NFL power, effort and hand work to break
down the rhythm of blockers and be disruptive. He is a starting NFL defensive end in a traditional four-man front.

GRADE: 1st Round (No. 18 overall)

[BossChief]

Originally Posted by PurpleJesus28

The Chiefs got great draft value for sure.I kind of thought they were gonna trade up for Jermaine Johnson,but i think they were happy that Karlaftis fell to them anyway.After reading that about Skyy i'm a tad surprised the Steelers didnt draft him since he has a connection with Tomlins son and is from Pittsburgh,i didnt know he was.But perhaps they had Pickens ranked higher,who knows,i think we'll be glad we got Skyy,still kind of blows my mind some on NFL Network ranked him number 1 from this draft.

I mentioned it a few days ago, but I think Veach intended to draft Pickens and thought Pittsburgh would take Skyy when they traded back. I think we wanted Pickens the whole time.

I love Skyy, though. Great pick at 54 and getting Kinnard with the trade back pick was amazing value.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I mentioned it a few days ago, but I think Veach intended to draft Pickens and thought Pittsburgh would take Skyy when they traded back. I think we wanted Pickens the whole time.

I love Skyy, though. Great pick at 54 and getting Kinnard with the trade back pick was amazing value.

Lol no way. Look, I love Pickens, but Moore was always the best fit for the Chiefs in that tier of WRs. He’s exactly the type of WR I’d expect them to prefer.

[RealSNR]

Everybody has whined about Veach never drafting any super stars, only ever solid dependable players or nice bench depth pieces.

Somewhere in this draft he got a super stud. Possibly two.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I mentioned it a few days ago, but I think Veach intended to draft Pickens and thought Pittsburgh would take Skyy when they traded back. I think we wanted Pickens the whole time.

I love Skyy, though. Great pick at 54 and getting Kinnard with the trade back pick was amazing value.

Why? Why do you think that?

Not picking on you specifically, because I've seen this said a couple of times.

Why, besides being a guy you liked would you think Veach wanted Pickens, but traded back and so was stuck with Moore?

When have you seen Veach sit on his hands when he wants a guy?

No, I think Moore was the guy they wanted, and they knew exactly when they could grab him.

[Kellerfox]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

Why? Why do you think that?

Not picking on you specifically, because I've seen this said a couple of times.

Why, besides being a guy you liked would you think Veach wanted Pickens, but traded back and so was stuck with Moore?

When have you seen Veach sit on his hands when he wants a guy?

No, I think Moore was the guy they wanted, and they knew exactly when they could grab him.

Exactly this. If Pickens was the guy, we would have drafted him. That's a fact.

Would we have considered him if the Steelers had taken Moore? Possibly... But I personally think the injury concerns, character concerns, and IQ concerns may have had him on Veach's do not draft list. I liked Pickens as a prospect a lot... I just don't think he was a possibility for the Chiefs.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by Kellerfox

Exactly this. If Pickens was the guy, we would have drafted him. That's a fact.

Would we have considered him if the Steelers had taken Moore? Possibly... But I personally think the injury concerns, character concerns, and IQ concerns may have had him on Veach's do not draft list. I liked Pickens as a prospect a lot... I just don't think he was a possibility for the Chiefs.

I think Vertch preferred Skyy, but was fine with that grouping that was available. With Skyy's size, I think he thought we would most likely get him, but if we didn't he was fine with the others. I agree, getting Kinnard in the 5th was a steal as well.

[Kiimo]

Pickens is such a perfect Pittsburgh receiver. Not only does Skyy fit our offense but I think he specifically does NOT fit theirs.

I think the bigger surprise is that New England took Tyquan Thornton.

I think, and have seen a lot of rankings that support this, that Skyy Moore is the best of the bunch between him, Pickens, Thornton and Pierce.

I know that we all assume the GM lies when he says he traded back and still got his guy but it can also sometimes be true.

[Couch-Potato]

how about Ealy and Ross?

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Kiimosabi

Pickens is such a perfect Pittsburgh receiver. Not only does Skyy fit our offense but I think he specifically does NOT fit theirs.

I think the bigger surprise is that New England took Tyquan Thornton.

I think, and have seen a lot of rankings that support this, that Skyy Moore is the best of the bunch between him, Pickens, Thornton and Pierce.

I know that we all assume the GM lies when he says he traded back and still got his guy but it can also sometimes be true.

I think sometimes the GM trades back specifically BECAUSE he knows he can get his guy.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

Everybody has whined about Veach never drafting any super stars, only ever solid dependable players or nice bench depth pieces.

Somewhere in this draft he got a super stud. Possibly two.

I'm hoping there's one in there. Not sure who it will be yet.

[The Franchise]

UDFAs:

Jerrion Ealy, RB, Ole Miss
#23 rated RB

BACKGROUND: Jerrion (Jair-E-un) Ealy grew up in Leake County in central Mississippi and started playing sports at age 5. He gravitated toward baseball and football as his go-to sports, and that would continue through high school and college. Ealy attended Jackson Preparatory School in the state’s capital, where he helped the program to four consecutive state titles during his prep career. After rushing for 896 yards as a freshman and 971 yards as a sophomore, he had his most productive season as a junior with 180 carries for 1,743 yards and 32 touchdowns, adding 578 receiving yards and eight touchdown grabs in 2017. Ealy was named an Under Armour All-American as a senior with 1,526 rushing yards on 167 carries and 24 touchdowns. He finished his prep career with 5,136 rushing yards and 105 total touchdowns. Ealy was a standout baseball player at Jackson Prep, batting .373 with six home runs and 24 RBI as a senior. He also lettered in track and finished first at the 2018 state championship in the 100 meters (10.61) and 200 meters (21.98) and second in the long jump (21’9.75).[35]

A five-star recruit out of high school, Ealy was the No. 3 running back in the 2019 recruiting class (No. 29 overall) and the No. 3 recruit in the state of Mississippi (behind LB Nakobe Dean and OT Charles Cross). He originally committed to Ole Miss after his junior season, but after his senior year he decided to re-open his recruitment just weeks before signing day. Ealy visited and considered Alabama, Clemson and Mississippi State before re-committing to Ole Miss as the top-ranked player in the Rebels’ 2019 class. Out of high school, Ealy was drafted in the 31st round (No. 932 overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks but did not sign. Ealy played in 13 games as a freshman center fielder at Ole Miss and posted a .321 on-base percentage before the season was cut short because of the pandemic. He didn’t play baseball as a sophomore after offseason shoulder surgery. He elected to skip his senior season at Ole Miss and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

STRENGTHS: Two-sport athlete in college (football and baseball) and state champion sprinter in high school … shows plant-and-burst skills to stick his foot in the ground and get upfield … runs with energetic feet and balance to pick his way through traffic and come out the other side … lowers his pads and finishes strong at the sticks … catches the ball cleanly, and finished second on the team in catches in 2021 … only two career fumbles, and both came his freshman season … productive return man, averaging 25.4 yards per kick return with two touchdowns … averaged at least 5.1 yards per carry each season … finished his career as only the sixth player in school history to reach 2,200 rushing yards.

WEAKNESSES: Lacks desired size and strength for inside work in the NFL … plays fast, but his speed won’t be the trump card that it was in college … inconsistent timing with his reads and decisions … tends to dance too much in the backfield … can improve his open-field moves (I expected more splash plays on his tape) …below average in pass protection, and with his size, blocking will likely never be a strength to his game … his lack of size leads to durability concerns; missed the 2020 bowl game due to a right shoulder injury that required off-season surgery (and sidelined him for the 2021 baseball season); missed one game as a junior because of concussion symptoms (October 2021).

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Ole Miss, Ealy was the main attraction of the Rebels’ running back committee in head coach Lane Kiffin’s RPO-based scheme. Even without a grueling workload (averaged 13.7 offensive touches per game in his career), he became just the fifth player in school history to reach 2,000 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career. Although he is more quick than explosive, Ealy has athletic feet and competitive run style to give defenders the slip and create extra yards for himself. However, I expected better tempo and more chunk plays for a player of his talent (only five runs of 30-plus yards in his final 300 carries in college). Overall, Ealy has his limitations, which makes him more of a hybrid back, but his athletic versatility as a rusher, receiver and returner can be an asset in the right situation. He projects best in a Nyheim Hines-type of role.
GRADE: 7th Round

Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
#19 rated WR

BACKGROUND: Justyn Ross was born and raised in Phenix City, Ala., (near the Alabama-Georgia border) by his single mother (and by his grandmother while his mother was deployed). He attended Central High, where he lettered in basketball and football, becoming the first freshman in head coach Jamey DuBose’s 25-year stint to earn a spot on varsity. Ross finished his junior season with 38 catches for 663 yards and eight touchdowns. As a senior, he led Central to a 12-1 record with 37 receptions for 730 yards and 13 touchdowns, adding a pair of punt-return touchdowns. Ross received First Team All-State honors in 2017 and was a finalist for Alabama’s Mr. Football.

A four-star recruit out of high school, Ross was the No. 7 wide receiver in the 2018 recruiting class (No. 45 overall) and the No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama. He started receiving SEC scholarship offers as a freshman in high school and eventually narrowed down his final list to Alabama, Auburn and Clemson. Ross forged a close bond with head coach Dabo Swinney and signed with the Tigers, which marked the first time the highest-ranked recruit from the state of Alabama signed with a school other than Alabama or Auburn since 2003. His mother (Charay Franklin) had him when she was 16 and spent two tours in the Navy (2001-05) before joining the Alabama National Guard, where she has been deployed to Afghanistan (twice) and Kuwait. After back-to-back seasons affected by injury, Ross elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

STRENGTHS: Tall, limber athlete with a remarkable catch radius ... above-average high-pointer, and uses his arms to deftly fend off competition ... above-average hand-eye coordination to make midair adjustments with ease ... moves like a smaller athlete ... can control his gears to shake a defender after the catch or force overpursuit ... fluid strider to pace his routes and keep cornerbacks off balance ... shows sink at the top of his routes ... has the footwork to work the sideline ...above-average compete skills any time he steps on the field, and some of his best tape came vs. the top opponents on the schedule ... led the team in receptions or receiving yards each of his three seasons on the field.[60]

WEAKNESSES: Lean features, and has room to continue getting stronger ... not a sudden mover, and his speed is more build-up than instant ... needs to add more branches to his route tree ... benefited from a high volume of isolation routes designed to create mismatches in coverage ... might face early struggles vs. physical press-man corners ... almost all of his impressive YAC plays are from his freshman tape ... receiving and scoring production declined each season ... uncertain medicals are a red flag: missed the 2020 season because of a bulging disc and congenital fusion condition in his neck and spine (discovered when he felt a tingling sensation after taking a hit during spring practice in March 2020), requiring surgery in June 2020; missed the final three games of his junior season because of a stress fracture in his left foot that required surgery (November 2021).

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Clemson, Ross was an inside and outside receiver in former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s scheme. He looked like a future firstround pick after his freshman season, including a remarkable performance in the Tigers’ 2018 national title run with a combined 12 catches for 301 yards and three touchdowns in the two playoff wins (vs. Notre Dame and Alabama). However, Ross’ career trajectory took a detour the past two seasons because of concerning injuries (spinal surgery in 2020 and foot surgery in 2021). He isn’t an elite speed or burst player on tape, and his testing numbers confirmed that. But he can vary his route speed to keep defenders on his hip and displays the length, body control and focus to snare outside his frame. Overall, Ross’ NFL evaluation hinges on his medicals, but he is a long, limber athlete with maybe the largest catch radius of any receiver in the draft class. He is a risky prospect and tough projection because there is no guarantee he returns to pre-injury form.

GRADE: 4th-5th Round

[Couch-Potato]

Awesome Thank You!

I really like Ealy's skill set, hoping he and Ross make the roster.

[Kellerfox]

Brugler ranked the Chiefs second (behind the Jets) in his 1-32 rankings of the overall draft classes by team.

[JohnnyHammersticks]

Thanks for posting these, Franchise!

If you don't mind, what was his writeup on Travis Jones and where did he have him ranked overall? I trust 1000% in Veach and Cook is an intriguing pick, but I hope we don't regret passing on Jones for him down the road.

[Kiimo]

Originally Posted by Kellerfox

Brugler ranked the Chiefs second (behind the Jets) in his 1-32 rankings of the overall draft classes by team.

These draft rankings never take into account where the team is drafting from.


I feel like if you're going to grade a draft you should weight your grades like a handicap in golf based on where the teams are coming from.


Ranking the Jets #1 is fine, but they had two top ten picks. I mean good on them for not screwing up those picks, you just take Sauce Gardner when it is your turn and take Garrett Wilson when it is your turn and not fumble the pick.

Which is fine. But if you consider we're overall #2 with 29 and 30 heading into the draft it's far and away the best draft performance in the league.