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Prior to the 2022 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs hadn’t spent a first-round draft pick on a defender since the 2015 NFL draft when they selected Washington CB Marcus Peters.
The Chiefs had a plan to beef up the defensive side of the ball this offseason, with Brett Veach making it a focus in both free agency and the draft. When the results of the first round came to pass, Steve Spagnuolo was as happy as could be, with two new playmakers for his defense. Speaking to reporters for the first time since the draft, Spagnuolo spoke on the selections of Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis.
“We were just sitting there waiting, letting Brett Veach and his crew do their work,” Spagnuolo told reporters on Thursday. “He’s asking questions and does all that but made the decision to go up and we certainly love that we did because of the players that we got. I think Trent (McDuffie) is going to help us. George (Karlaftis), it was nice to have a second first-round pick, right? And George was there. I think Brett probably went through all that. We’re just really happy we got two really good football players. And two guys that I think are what we look for in character, passion for the game of football, work ethic, all those things. And it’s showing up right now.”
Spagnuolo won’t get an opportunity to see what either player is truly capable of until the pads come on at training camp, but it’s a good sign that each player’s character, work ethic and passion for the game are shining through in the early portions of offseason workouts.
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