Chiefs: A Couple of OT Draft Options – by David Bell and Laddie Morse – There’s been a ton of talk about how the Kansas City Chiefs GM, Brett Veach, needs to hurry up and sign a Free Agent Offensive Tackle. Although he may still pull that off, David Bell and I are going to offer a couple of alternatives at Tackle, who could end up wearing red and gold this Fall, but more importantly, will still be on the draft board in round one, or even two, come late April, when the NFL draft takes place.
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Let’s begin with David Bell, who offers…
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LT Alex Leatherwood: Alabama
As round one winds down in April, Brett Veach may have to deliberate trading up to get his targeted player, but of the players on my list (far below) that I think may end up being available at pick #31, and who I covet and think Veach, Reid & Co. will see this the same way, Alex Leatherwood is my choice.
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Leatherwood is versed playing the left side, which is exactly what the Chiefs need. His play shows fluidness and speed whether in pass rush or run blocking. He deliberated about entering the draft in 2020. He is a big man at:
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- Height, 6-5+
- Weight, 312 lbs.
- Wingspan: 85 3/8″
- Arm Length: 34 3/8″
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Plus, Leatherwood has large hands, is a massive force and very powerful player whose consistency at the NCAA level was very good. He’s tough to move off his intended block in pass protection.
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Leatherwood has a wide base which helps to give him leverage. He maintains his squareness to the attacking defense in pass protection and I really don’t worry about his run blocking due to his size and power. He fires off the snap with explosiveness, is aware of players in his peripheral vision (head swivels and has great eye for what the defense is doing), adjusts quickly to the rushing player, which all bodes well for the NFL speed of play. When blocking, once he takes out a block on the first level, he is very quick to get to the second level. Watching him play you can see that his balance is top notch and he adjusts on the fly to his next target. Good stuff.
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There are, of course, weaknesses which will need to be addressed by coaching. They relate to tendencies, such as letting his elbows fly, exposes him to smaller pass rushers, faster pass rushers and players whose technique varies at the pro level. Maintaining balance is an area that needs to be addressed for any player coming to the NFL but coaching should handle these exposures. This seems to me to be the largest adjustment he will need: fending off quality NFL edge rushers. He also needs work on being more consistently violent with his hands – popping the pass rusher in the chest when the snap occurs must gain in volatility and vary his use.
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Watching tape for Leatherwood can be a treat. He’s not perfect as an example for the Chiefs selection because there are more talented players in front of him as my list shows below, but with pick #31, I see him as the best possibility among the top tackles to be available for Brett Veach.
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Alex Leatherwood’s background has always been to be one of the top rated players at his position from High School, where he entered college as a 5-star athlete, to his last season at the collegiate level. Playing for Alabama, in the SEC is a superb environmental training ground for the NFL. He’s also played Offensive Guard where he started his sophomore season, so Leatherwood can add versatility to his player resume. His Senior year was spent protecting a top QB, Mac Jones’ blind side. Alabama ranked as the top on offense in 2020, averaging over 500 yards per game and showcasing his talent in the championship against Ohio State. Leatherwood was the linchpin as Bama won the coveted Joe Moore Award (awarded annually to the best collegiate offensive line) for 2020. Would I draft Alex Leatherwood? Yes. – David Bell
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Laddie Morse offers…
The Unexpected Bargain
Now, let’s take a look at my choice, Spencer Brown. However, before I go there, allow me to review a concept with you: the Unexpected Bargain. This is a life related concept and not just about football, but also relates well to the game we love. A couple of days ago, in the Disqus comments of our site, a few of us — freshmeat62, dominicscarlatti, and Chiefs-Kings-A’s — were talking about guitars and I brought up that I also own a “Johnson” guitar. Now, there’s nothing sensational about this instrument, except, I called it a mistake. Many companies like Martin and Taylor or Gibson, make high end (money and performance wise) guitars and they make low end instruments as well. In this case, Johnson makes only low end instruments but they made it so well, that I had to buy it. So, for less than $100 dollars I got a guitar whose tonal quality is nearly as nice as that of my $1,500 hand made Alvarez-Yairi. The neck is straight, the action low (how far the strings are off the fretboard), the nut and the bridge are positioned perfectly. Viola! A thousand dollar sound for cheap!
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The same idea applies to the Chiefs, and Brett Veach has been on both sides of this Unexpected Bargain equation: L’Jarius Sneed was a steal… Breeland Speaks was a total waste of draft capital, money and time. What I’m hoping to share with you here could be an Unexpected Bargain, in Spencer Brown.
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OT, Spencer Brown: Northern Iowa
Spencer Brown is a small school prospect who, consequently, hasn’t gotten a lot of attention. He’s 6-9, 321 lbs., but gets really low in his stance and does so comfortably. He’s athletic, moves well and didn’t allow one rusher past him in this Senior Bowl practice snippet. Brown is #76 in black:
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DrafTek has Brown at #147 overall and CBS Sports has him at #105, while Matt Miller has him at #86 (and is his 12th best OT). Although he may be climbing the draft boards of some NFL GMs, I’m hoping he falls to K.C. in the second round, and I would not be unhappy if Veach takes him as early as #31.
Note: Matt Miller has also mocked Brown at #36.
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Why would I want to give a first round pick for a guy who played at a small school and ranking services have such a wide opinion of him? It not only has to do with the need the Chiefs have for a quality OT to become the future at that position, but the way Brown plays, plus his off field habits.
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Being so tall, one of the first questions I had about Brown was: is he a natural bender? By that I mean, does he get low in his stance and hit defenders low? By watching a little of his tape you see he operates pretty darn low. Next, you ask: is Spencer Brown athletic? Zack Patraw at FanSided observes:
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Brown is as athletic as it gets when it comes to offensive linemen. He has an excellent vertical set that allows him to get to the top of the arch before the pass rusher does. He also has a great counter move when the pass rusher works his way back inside.
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Here’s 50 seconds of clips I pieced together from a University of Northern Iowa’s Panther Sports Talk (PST) news video:
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When everything you can find, including tape, is positive, you begin to look for the negatives. Leave it to SI.com which has these negative traits to offer about Brown:
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“While Brown posted some impressive reps in college, he isn’t ready to start at the NFL level. The jump from the FCS, combined with his rawness as a player and not having a 2020 season, makes him a draft-and-sit candidate. He lacks consistency and still needs to improve his leverage against shorter defenders, among other things. Brown has immense potential, but patience will be key in helping him unlock it.”
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When I find some of the knocks certain analysts have on a player, I have to wonder if they (Jordan Foote in this case) even saw his tape? That applies here as Brown doesn’t need to worry about lower defenders, IMO. Sure, he’ll have an adjustment to the NFl game but all collegiate players do. Will his adjustment be bigger or take longer? I’m not so sure about that. Spencer Brown seems to have the total makeup and also has the kind of temperment the Chiefs covet as well as HC Andy Reid loves his players to be multi-talented. In high school, Brown had 24 receptions for 288 yards and 7 TDs his senior year plus, he also had 17 sacks. Oh, and did I mention that Brown is strong? He set the UNI record for an offensive lineman by bench pressing 500 lbs.:
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Following are 8 plays showcasing his performance level and demeanor on the field.
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Observations on Brown’s play above:
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- Brown sometimes gets his hand outside of the shoulder pads which is a no-no in the NFL and he’ll be flagged for that
- Brown pulls well and shows his athleticism when he does, but he needs to stay lower as he gets to the next level
- Brown likes to pancake his man, but he’ll find that much tougher to accomplish in the NFL
- Brown shows good foot speed but needs to work on his core strength and upper body
- I love his attitude and desire to pancake guys, as well as playing through the whistle
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Spencer Brown needs to work on his hand pop and hitting a defender as he comes out of his stance. Hand work is something every rookie offensive lineman needs to work on and Brown is no exception, but he’s got all the natural gifts in the world to make it happen. He comes off the snap with speed, but sometimes pops straight up leaving his body exposed and losing his leverage in the process. Something I’m sure Andy Heck can help him clean up. He also has terrific quick and fluid foot pumping action, but needs to keep his hips low and knees bent more throughout the process, and do so more consistently.
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Brown has a high football IQ but The Draft Network says, “… he projects with average lateral mobility when redirecting inside against quicker athletes.” I’d say his lateral movements are excellent and although The Draft Network does indicate “his length and instincts help him recover” I don’t see that as necessary either as I have a problem with their first take. Some team is going to get a very good football player for a right tackle next month. I just hope it’s the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Yes, Brown plays on the Right side, so if the Chiefs solution was to draft Spencer Brown, Lucas Niang would probably have to slide over to Left Tackle initially. If that’s the case, I could see Kyle Long moving outside to Right Tackle (Long is left handed) until Brown gets his sea legs under him. That would give the Chiefs an opening day Offensive Line of (with backups):
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- LT – Niang (Thuney)
- LG – Thuney (Rankin)
- OC – Allegretti (Thuney)
- RG – LDT (Long)
- RT – Long (Brown)
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Of course, that’s if Spencer Brown is not ready to start on day one. Some think he won’t be ready. I think his skill set is already better, in many respects, than Eric Fisher’s was when he first came to the Chiefs in 2013. However, with Kyle Long available, why go with two first year Tackles when you can have a guy out there who’s been to the Pro Bowl before at Tackle (Long, 2015)? -Laddie Morse
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David Bell also adds…
The Need at Left Offensive Tackle
It is the most glaring need for the Chiefs in Free Agency and the Draft. Does it require Brett Veach to use the 31st pick? That depends. This example addresses the pick, having already signed a “Bridge” LOT in Free Agency so therefore pick #31 doesn’t need to be used.
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Out of the possible selections, I want to call attention to the top picks as the draft opens. That player must have experience and give Andy Heck, and the coaching staff, time to work with the selected player. Originally I had been looking to make this selection in the second round, but have come to the conclusion that Veach should not gamble that a player of his choice will be available in round 2. So I now believe Veach will make a selection for the LOT in round one. Here’s my list of qualified players, considering the various ranking services.
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First Tier OT List
- Penei Sewell, Oregon – OT
- Rashawn Slater, Northwestern – OT/OG
- Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech OT
- Samuel Cosmi, UT, OT
- Alex Leatherwood – OT/OG
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Second tier list:
- Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame, OT
- Jalen Mayfield, Michigan, OT
Dillon Radunz, North Dakota StateWalker Little, Stanford, OT
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Some of these players appear highly ranked as round one selections and some round two. I crossed out Walker Little because there is too much that is wrong about him that I don’t wish him to be a Chiefs choice. What I consider the best avenue approaching the draft is to have a Bridge Tackle signed to cover the bases as this gives Andy Heck time to work on footwork and technique, bringing a drafted player forward, maximizing his talents and coaching out the weaknesses. I see him starting as the Swing Tackle (SW/T) and using competition to ensure that Leatherwood earns his stripes. This is important because we lost both our bookend tackles at the same time. Opposite my intended future LOT is another essential rookie in the person of Lucas Niang who will be playing for the first time as well. This is important for a nearly completely revamped Offensive Front line.
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OT Draft Options: Summary
Either Alex Leatherwood or Spencer Brown could serve as a solution in the coming draft to a problem only Brett Veach can fix. While we surmise that a vet will be signed prior to the draft to slot in at Left, or Right, Tackle, the possibility exists that HC Andy Reid believes that he’s got everyone he needs right now and will accept whoever Veach drafts to fill out the roster. We sure hope not, but that’s a possibility Chiefs Kingdom may have to live with.
Go Chiefs!
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David Bell and Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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