Chiefs: The Best Offensive Line in the NFL?

I know, I know… you’re thinking that I’m just throwing out wild headlines to get you to open this article but let me assure you, the Kansas City Chiefs not only have a much better offensive line than you think they do, but there is good reason(s) to call them one of the best in the league.

Let’s begin with Pro Football Focus (PFF). PFF is often panned for not favoring the Chiefs in their rankings. Now, the shoe is on the other foot… so why not give what they have to say some credence. The K.C. Chiefs offensive line led the league in FEWEST Pressures Allowed on the QB in 2016. So, while that may not make them the best OL in all of football… they are the best… as far as giving their QB time to throw is concerned.

That’s right, Pro Football Focus has ranked the Chiefs in a tie with the Oakland Raiders for providing the most protection to their quarterback. PFF goes beyond that to say that Alex Smith has had the best protection when it’s needed the most… on third downs:

When John Dorsey signed Right Guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to a 5-year $42.4M contract earlier this offseason with $10M guaranteed and an average that tips the scales at over $8M per year… it had me shaking my head. Now, after the rest of the offseason watching film and examining the numbers on LDT, you could argue that the Chiefs have one of the best right-sides on their O-line in all of football. Take a look at this little gif of Center Mitch Morse and LDT going up against arguably the best pair of ILBs in the league:

In a ranking that Bleacher Report has done on the top 1000 players in the NFL (50 at each position) they listed LT Eric Fisher at #16 at his position, Mitchell Schwartz was ranked #4 at his RT position, Center Mitch Morse was ranked #12 out of 38 Centers, however… the Chiefs Right Guard Duvernay-Tardif was ranked #39 out of all 78 Guards in the league (however, PFF ranks LDT as the 14th best pass blocking Guard among all Guards… which if you consider what that means, he’s the 7th ranked on his side of the field, approximately).  While I think that The Bleacher Report has it wrong about LDT, apparently another Chiefs analyst, whom I have the greatest respect for, Seth Keysor, now feels like I do. Known to many as the MNChiefsfan, Keysor wrote a piece for ArrowheadPride called, “Dear Chiefs LG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, I Was Wrong For Doubting You” in which he offered the following gif, as well as some additional observations:

I should point out that the defensive linemen that LDT is manhandling is in this gif is none other than Aaron Donald, who many believe to be the best interior lineman in the National Football League right now. In Keysor’s piece he breaks down a game that LDT played against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015. Here are the results he posted:

• “Pass Blocking Wins: 10

• Pass Blocking Losses: 2

• Run Blocking Wins: 7

• Run Blocking Losses: 1 (a garbage tripping penalty that I felt dirty calling a loss)

• Neutral: 22

• Win Percentage: 40.5 percent

• Lose Percentage: 7.1 percent

LDT, those numbers are… ridiculously good. When you throw in the level of competition you were playing, they get even more impressive.”

Another sign that the offensive line might be better than we want to give them credit for being is that the Bleacher Report also ranked Spence Ware as the 7th best back in the league. Running backs don’t reach those heights without a good line in front of them. Since Spencer Ware was an UDFA rookie in 2013 for Seattle Seahawks and only had 3 rushes that year… didn’t play in 2014… only had 72 touches with 403 yards for the Chiefs in 2015… then 2016 was his first year as a starter. Consequently, his 921 rushing yards, 447 receiving yards and 1,368 yards from scrimmage are better than first glance, especially as it reflects on the offensive line (an unforeseen benefit to having Ware on the roster is his recruitment of a lineman on the other side of the ball: Bennie Logan, who he played with at LSU from 2010 through 2012).

Although I haven’t mentioned the Chiefs future at Left Guard, Parker Ehinger, there’s a reason for that. Ehinger started only 4 games last year in his rookie campaign so while there’s not enough to go on yet to determine if he’ll be a keeper for sure… he’s shown great promise in the time he was on the field. In his place, Zach Fulton ranked 27th in Pass Pressure which is not bad considering that all Guards were lumped together in their rankings (which means he’s actually ranked 13th or 14th overall, approximately). Ehinger ranked 27th in run blocking (13th or 14th overall as well). Not bad for his first four games as a rookie.

While I would not want to say that the Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Line is the overall BEST in the league, they certainly have promise as a group. Here’s where each came from and my take on their promise.

LT – Eric Fisher – first pick in the 2013 NFL draft. Has become a solid left tackle and if he takes another incremental step forward would be a top 10-to-12 LT in 2017.

LG – Parker Ehinger – 4th round pick (#105 overall) in the 2016 NFL draft. Currently a much better run blocker than pass blocker, needs to learn to plant and replant instead of getting bull-rushed and knocked back into the passer.

C – Mitch Morse – drafted in the 2nd round of the 2015 NFL draft (49th overall). Morse has become one of the better Centers in the NFL in his short tenure. He was asked to pull to block more when LG Ehinger went down and he’s done great with those duties. Can be a top 7 Center in the league.

RG – Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – was drafted in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL draft. Sat and learned the NFL game for a year. Started 16 games in 2015 but was inconsistent. Last offseason he made great strides in his training and played much improved, enough to garner a new 4-year multi-million dollar contract. His braininess has spilled over to the game of football and he’s beginning to “get” the nuances of the game. He can be a top five RG in this league.

RT – Mitchell Schwartz – drafted in the 2nd round by the Cleveland Browns (37th overall). Schwartz played out his rookie contract and in a surprise move was signed by the Chiefs last offseason for much less than anticipated (kudos and credit to John Dorsey). Schwartz has been at or near the top of the league in his play. He’s a known Von-Miller-Killer when it comes to keeping him away from the QB. Now that he’s had a year in Andy Reid’s system, he should rise to the top of the league in RT play. With one of the best kick-slides of any tackle in the NFL, he can be the best right tackle in the game.

I would place the Cowboys, Titans, Steelers, Falcons, and even the Raiders, offensive lines in front of the Chiefs. However, the ability to keep the current group together including the two backups, Zach Fulton and Jah Reid, gives this 7-man line collection a chance to break into the top ten… which should include rankings of “The Best” in certain categories like fewest pass pressures, or fewest pass pressures on 3rd downs. I’m looking forward to more top of the league rankings from this group… and if they can achieve such heights… these Chiefs can go a long, long way in post season play.

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