Old Fool’s Take
I hate to be a tedious old fool, but here I go again. First, I want to praise the players of the offensive line. The Chiefs offensive line played well in 2021. It was a completely rebuilt unit. We were left to right: Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Lucas Niang. Their play was not all perfect. We saw Nick Allegretti subbing in for Joe Thuney. We saw Niang have his ups and downs, but his play improved as time passed. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that knocked him out for the season. In Niang’s stead, Andrew Wylie filled in far more admirably than I thought was possible.
Despite the travails, the Front Five will earn an improved evaluation in 2022. They have played together for a season. They have learned the nuances of the offense’s blocking schemes. They have abundantly gained familiarity with each other — They have gelled. Even if Lucas Niang cannot begin the season as the starting ROT, the Chiefs have it covered. In the draft, they added Darian Kinnard, who will battle for the starting ROT role. Or he may offer up a position as the Swing Tackle.
At the same time, the Chiefs signed Free Agent OT Geron Christian, who brings to his 5th season extensive experience as a ROT, but also Christian started as the LOT for the Texans in 2021. That alone makes him a good candidate for the SW/T role.
I don’t think I need to write about LOG Joe Thuney. Thuney is He is one of the best technicians in the NFL. Creed Humphrey racked up one of the best years possible as the anchor and center in 2021. Talk about an ace draft pick. On the right side, Trey Smith got the nod in training camp due to injuries. He refused to relinquish the starting role. Nick Allegretti has proven his worth on the IOL, playing both right and left OG. He also was a center in his collegiate years. Austin Reiter was a starter for the Chiefs. he was re-signed after initially being released to Free Agency.
That is a ton of Chiefs’ experience with this short list of players. The experience of players with multiple years seasoning with the Chiefs plus the addition of Christian, Kinnard, and more.
Superlatives abound. Orlando Brown’s contract is unresolved, but I cannot see that being a question for long. You cannot doubt his credentials seriously, and he got a Pro-Bowl Nod last year. Creed and Trey Smith both were recognized in the top 20 by PFF.
No, the OL numbers were not great, but they excelled as a unit and were a force in a late-season 6-game win streak necessary for the approach to the playoffs.
Expectation?
There are more tools in the shop than the names I have mentioned. We don’t know if Lucas Niang will be ready in camp or for pre-season games. It would be a shame he could not compete to earn back his starting job. Andrew Wylie will compete mightily for the ROT job as well. I like Darian Kinnard. I felt Kinnard was far undervalued in the draft. Veach got an ace of a pick, far later in the draft than I expected Kinnard to be selected. Last year, a similar late draft pick was made in taking Trey Smith. Smith plays the game with violence and a role them into a pancake mentality. He also had a chip on his shoulder due to the draft. Kinnard has observed that he has a piece of lumber on his shoulder in similar vain. That bodes well for the offensive line and resolving the starter at ROT in training camp.
I wish all the players the best and pray for an injury-free camp and pre-season for 2022. This group of players is a good group of competitors, and they will form the wall protecting Patrick Mahomes and this year, steamrolling opponents for the ground attack at the same time. The OL will be strong and deep no matter who is on the field at any given snap, my prediction for the group is that they earn a top 5-rating by the end of the season. Even if they don’t climb that high, I believe it will be a judgment call in the result.
David Bell – ArrowheadOne