With the 2021 college football season drawing closer, it’s a good time to get to know some of the ascending prospects who could leave for the NFL in 2022. Our friend Luke Easterling of Draft Wire recently unveiled his latest two-round projections for the 2022 NFL draft.

You’ll see that the Chiefs are picking at No. 32. The draft order used is based on the current Super Bowl odds at BetMGM. With just over a month to the start of the 2021 NFL season, Kansas City remains the favorite to win Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.

Moving on to the mock draft, Easterling made an intriguing choice for the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round and stuck with his guns in the second round. Here’s a quick breakdown of the two players selected:

32. Clemson WR Justyn Ross

Ken Ruinard – The Greenville News

Ross burst onto the scene as a freshman at Clemson in 2018, recording over 40 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games played. The following season he caught 66 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns for the Tigers. His sophomore season was where he hit a snag, missing the entire year after undergoing a congenital fusion on his spine, repairing two fused vertebrae and a bulging disc.

There hasn’t yet been an official announcement that Ross is cleared to resume football activities since his injury, but the expectation seems to be that he will eventually be cleared for full-contact practices. If he is cleared, expectations will be high as Ross is the most veteran receiver in the Clemson locker room.

For the Chiefs, they’ll obviously have to medically clear Ross before they even consider making a pick like this in the first round of the draft. The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine will be of dire importance in that regard.

As far as fit is concerned, Ross is the type of player who can help fill the shoes recently vacated by Sammy Watkins. The 6-foot-4 receiver is extremely talented at the catch point, where if you even put the ball in the zip code, he’s coming down with it. He has the versatility to play inside and outside, winning at both spots. He also has that extra gear of acceleration that you often hear talked about in the NFL game.

64. Washington CB Trent McDuffie

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Chiefs also grabbed McDuffie in a previous projection from Draft Wire. Here’s what we had to say about the talented corner out of Washington back then:

“McDuffie is a little bit undersized (borderline 5-foot-10) but Chiefs Kingdom is going to love the way this guy plays ball. He’s extremely smooth in man coverage with great change of direction ability. He has a good feel for making plays in tight coverage and he aggressively pursues the football in run support (3 career forced fumbles). Overall, there is a lot to like about what he’s already accomplished in two seasons with the Huskies.

After Washington only played four games in the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19, I think the key for McDuffie will be showing improvement through a full 13-game season. He’s going to be the top dog on the Huskies defense with Elijah Molden heading to the NFL in the 2021 NFL draft. Ideally, you’d like to see more ball production in Year 3.

Kansas City, of course, hasn’t invested a lot of high draft capital in the cornerback position. They’re overdue for making a top-100 selection at the position and getting McDuffie late in the second round could turn out to be a steal. It’s possible that by the end of the 2021 college football season that he’s considered a first-round pick.”