David Bell
I see very little work to do with the Kansas City Chiefs roster. So, I will highlight position groups I think may be exposed. Those position groups are: LOT, Cover Slot CB, and namely whoever can take on the role of Charles Omenihu until he returns to full time action. The latter two positions will be covered soon. If there are deficiencies, these three groups comprise what I view as the biggest exposures.
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LOT: Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia
Will Battle It Out for the Starting Role
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Wanya Morris Run Blocking – Credit, Adapted from ArrowheadPride
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My concern for the position group is that it is a second-year player and/or a rookie: Wayna Morris and Kingsley Suamataia. Wanya Morris could not win out over Donovan Smith last season, but he did see action when Smith was injured. I think he got 4 starts and thought he played pretty well… for a rookie. Since I think games are won in the trenches, LOT is my largest consideration and I will provide that outlook with the greatest scrutiny.
I don’t think Brett Veach will acquire a veteran for the LOT role before the pads have gone on. This will give HC Andy Reid and OL coach Andy Heck time to learn where these young players stand in their ability to take on a starting role. Plus, I think that timeframe may extend into pre-season games.
The Comparisons of Three Players:
Morris, Suamataia, and Patrick Paul
As you probably recall, I liked Patrick Paul over Kingsley Suamataia before the draft. Paul had more starting experience than Suamataia at LOT. His massive size and wing span were both factors in my thinking and I still would have liked Veach to have reached down and selected Paul. Instead, there existed the Andy Reid-BYU connection which won out for Suamataia. Even now, I think Paul would have been a better choice.
Three Relative Athletic Scores (RAS)
Wanya Morris was a good draft pick in round 3 in 2023. Recall that I wanted his playing partner who started on the left — Anton Harrison, OU LOT, but Harrison was selected with pick #27 by the Jags, in front of the Chiefs who had pick #31. When Brett Veach used picked at #92 to bring Wanya Morris on board, I applauded the choice. Nate Taylor gave the pick an A Grade (subscription required), but the Chiefs signed Free Agent Donovan Smith who the starting position outright. Morris was moved to LOT to compete although he was the ROT for OU. This was written about by Nate Taylor prior to last season:
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“Wanya Morris is really talented. His foot speed is terrific and he plays with good physicality. Morris has the requisite length as well. He mainly need to clean up his hand placement and punch. I love adding Morris to the right tackle room and having him compete with Lucas Niang, Darian Kinnard and Prince Tega-Wanogho. I would bet Morris wins the job.”
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Note: Darian Kinnard was signed off the Chiefs Practice Squad by the Eagles at the end of last season.
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Here are the RAS’s of each of the three OT under comparison:
Wanya Morris RAS
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Kingsley Suamataia RAS
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Patrick Paul RAS
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This looks like a solid metric, except for height. I think you can see why I made the prediction for Paul, but Kingsley has better feet than Paul, and as noted, the choice was made for Suamataia as the result.
Laddie Morse has looked at both Morris and Suamataia and has posted that he thinks in the competition between the two players, that Kingsley wins the starting role. I am not so sure about that, but either way, K.C. would be choosing a young player over signing a veteran, like Donovan Smith.
Morris played well enough in 2023 to be considered a viable candidate for the starting role in his second season. I didn’t think Smith played well enough to earn high marks as a starter and I would rate him as adequate. Better than Orlando Brown Jr. — and that’s not saying much — but not good enough to sign to a big money deal.
I do know this much: Andy Reid indicated the Chiefs will first get a look at the two young players who will be fighting it out. That is the right decision. Besides, I do not have a clue about how much Donovan Smith is seeking in a new contract. That amount may preclude his return.
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Replacing Left Guard, Joe Thuney
Sooner than I might like, LG Joe Thuney will depart. It could be a cut or Thuney could retire. That’s why I like this draft and wish to specifically to bring it to the forefront, with the selection of PSU’s Hunter Nourzad (IOL). This may have been a master’s stroke when Brett Veach had the great discernment to make this draft choice and… I am sure part of the reason for this was the looming departure of Joe Thuney. Rest assured that Joe will not be a Chief for more than 2 more seasons.
Also, consider the fact that Nick Allegretti left in Free Agency (signing for a big bag of moolah: 3-years for $16M with the Commanders). I have truly appreciated Nick Allegretti — a 7th rounder in 2019 — and his versatility. Allegretti could man all three Interior OL positions.
When examining Hunter Nourzad’s film, it shows that he has the feet, strength, and agility needed to be a depth player immediately… at the very least. Nourzad can play any position on the interior. I was sad when Nick Allegretti left as a free agent earlier in 2024, but GM Brett Veach saw an excellent Interior Offensive Lineman in Nourzad and brought him aboard.
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Hunter Nourzad’s RAS is incomplete:
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Due to the missing testing components, watching film becomes a crucial factor. Nourzad played Center for Penn State University in 2023 –> also an important position value. Here is a film review via KCSN’s Kent Swanson and Craig Stout. Check it out below! I think if you view this short segment, you will understand why I am pretty high on Nourzad.
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Another view of Nourzad’s Highlights is offered by “Prospects”:
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The more I looked, the more I saw what Seth Keysor saw in his Nourzad Film review. Nourzad’s RAS is incomplete, but Kent Lee Platt provides what stats are shown above. I thought that Seth Keysor’s view of how Nourzad fits was on target. He summarized his view this way:
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“In a draft where I’ve struggled to avoid being overly optimistic, Nourzad is another guy whose film makes so much sense as an addition to the Chiefs. He’s got positional versatility that will allow him to fulfill a role of backup OL for this season (similar to Nick Allegretti in recent years), and the Chiefs could very well consider him as a potential replacement for any of their three interior offensive linemen. He’s got more than enough lateral agility and athleticism to execute the looks that Andy Reid favors, and he’s also got the upper-body power and hand usage needed to hold up 1×1 as a pass blocker.”
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“Where the Chiefs ultimately see Nourzad playing likely depends on what happens with Humphrey, Thuney, and Smith. They can’t keep all three in 2025. Will they cut loose Thuney (even with his recent restructure, they can save $16 million against the cap in ‘25 by doing so)? Will they choose to let Humphrey and/or Smith walk in free agency? It’s nearly certain that one of those three things will occur (if it were me, I’d like Thuney’s contract play out, extend Humphrey, and let Smith hit FA).”
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Who knows what will happen with the IOL? Keep in perspective that the Chiefs have allowed Rodney Hudson and Mitch Morse to slide away in free agency in recent years, so, it could be that they let Creed Humphrey depart. Or, it could be ROG Trey Smith — your guess is as good as mine.
Brett Veach also drafted an offensive Guard with the round 7 with pick #248: OG, C.J. Hanson out of Holy Cross. He is the first player to be drafted from Holy Cross in over 3 decades. Hanson’s RAS shows why he was the late-round pick of Brett Veach.
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Hanson has elite marks except for Weight. I am sure that Hanson will be a “developmental player” with a specific eating plan and weight program that adds muscle mass… but who knows? He could surprise everybody! It certainly appears that the Chiefs scouting crew did their homework and I hope that the choice pays off!
I do not have concerns about the ROT position. There should be stiff competition for the starting role. The players who will fight it out in Camp and Pre-season Games are Jawaan Taylor and Lucas Niang. Here you could add in Chukwuebuka Godrick or possibly Mike Caliendo. There is enough competition at ROT to make it work.
Next up? I want to take a look at Cornerbacks and Safeties in another piece.
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David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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