The Kansas City Chiefs traded up to select Washington defensive back Trent McDuffie with the No. 21 overall pick on Thursday during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The New England Patriots received pick Nos. 29 (first round), 94 (third), 121 (fourth) in exchange for the 21st pick.
With the 29th overall pick, the Pats selected Chattanooga guard Cole Strange.
With their second first-round pick of the evening at No. 30, the Chiefs continued to bolster their defense, taking Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis. Karlaftis fills a huge need for the Chiefs on the edge and is coming off a third-team AP All-American season with the Boilermakers.
McDuffie will freshen up the cornerback corps of the reigning AFC West champions and portends to be a starter from Day 1. Currently slated as starters at corner for Kansas City are Deandre Baker, Rashad Fenton and L'Jarius Sneed, but McDuffie is likely to change that quickly.
A third-team AP All-American, McDuffie is undersized, but his quickness and toughness makes up for it as he'll aid in pass coverage and rush as a blitzer. Ranked No. 14 in NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah's top 150, McDuffie is a value pick for the Chiefs.
