David Bell
So many fans are constantly fretting about the Kansas City Chiefs and their OTs. Their sisters are suffering from nervous fits as well. Okay, let’s look at the roster OTs to see where we stand! Today’s effort provides a view without an OT in round one. Probably.
Gone Guys: LT, Orlando BrownJr. & RT, Andrew Wylie
Orlando Brown, Jr – LOT
Looking back at Brown’s departure is an eye-opener. I had anticipated that Brett Veach would tag Brown. It didn’t happen. To be sure, Brown was a capable LOT but would likely have been far better off playing on the right side. He was too slow-of-foot. He indeed got a Pro Bowl Nod in 2022. For the life of me, I am unable to ascertain why that was the case. In many ways, I felt a sense of relief when he hit free agency. He was a prima donna and left a ton of money on the table each of the last two years. He chose poorly when finally selecting an agent. I am glad he is no longer in the Kingdom.
Andrew Wylie – ROT
In articles and comments, I have written several times that I liked Andrew Wylie as a depth player but not as a starter. Wylie departed and grabbed a hefty reward in free agency. I am glad for him.
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The Current OTs on the Chiefs Roster
Jawaan Taylor – LOT
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Jawaan Taylor – Jaguars game photo
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Brett Veach signed former Jaguars OT Taylor and signed him to a four-year contract worth $80M. That’s a large chunk of change to spend on a player earmarked as the LOT, whose NFL experience has been primarily on the right side of the OL. $20M was approximately the amount that Brown would have earned for 2023 had Veach chosen that path. Okay. They saw something in Taylor that they believed in and went out and got him. We found out after the fact that Taylor was on Brett Veach’s Big board in 2019. The factors surrounding signing him included evaluations that found key factors and traits that the Chiefs wanted.
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Taylor’s strengths were obvious. Strengths from Lance Zierlein:
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The predicates are three seasons with ups and downs, but Taylor came into his own in his fourth year. He may never be a Pro Bowl OT, but he will be solid and dependable. It appears to me that the Chiefs see something in Taylor, and they have Andy Heck to work with him for the 2023 season. I think you can Hearken back to Heck working with Eric Fisher in his early years to get an idea of what to expect.
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Lucas Niang – ROT, Drafted from TCU in R 3 in 2020
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Lucas Niang – Chiefs game photo
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I wrote last year that I thought Niang would be a “Foundation” player for the Chiefs. That has yet to come to fruition though I think it is possible. Brett Veach said of the outlook for Niang earlier this off-season: “We have a lot of hopes for Lucas (Niang)…and you know, he was the guy that actually won that starting right tackle position, then he got hurt. It’s been a little bit of an uphill battle. Um, he had a pretty bad injury there. But he has worked phenomenally to get in shape. And Rick (Burkholder) and his staff have done a great job of continuing to get him in the right positions to go out there and be productive.”
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Darian Kinnard – ROT, drafted from Kentucky in R 5
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.Kinnard #75, Youtube screen capture
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When I researched Kinnard last year, I thought Darian was a good draft pick who could play the OL with a bit of nastiness to his efforts. Brett Veach observed of him this spring:
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“I think (Darian) Kinnard, you know, I’m excited for him…I think he’ll have a chance to play, play some tackle. We certainly think he has flex, and he may end up being ultimately a better guard. He’s played right tackle in the past, and he was the guy that, you know, struggled a little early on, but I think toward the end of training camp there, and throughout the season, you guys probably don’t get to see as much during the season, but he’s, I think grown rapidly over the last few months. I know Coach (Andy) Heck is really excited for where he is, so again, I think he’s a guy that has flexibility, so he’ll probably get reps at both guard and tackle there.”
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So there you have an inkling of what Kinnard’s future with the OL might look like. Depth for the Guard and Tackle positions and perhaps the future replacement for LOG Joe Thuney. When I reviewed Kinnard’s tape, I thought he showed a lot of promise. According to his verbalization, I know that he was irritated with his late draft selection. I think he said he would make the teams that passed on him pay a price.
At any rate, he is penciled in as the #2 ROT by the Chiefs.
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Prince Tega-Wanogho
Out of Auburn, drafted by Philly- Chiefs F/A signee – LOT #2
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Prince Tega-Wanogho – Chiefs Photo.
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I can see Tega-Wanogho (PTW) as the #2 LOT, and he could be a Swing Tackle with Kinnard as the #2 ROT on the right. For that matter, in the competition, Kinnard could win the role. From the start, the Chiefs have liked PTW once he was signed to the roster. He is very athletic and versatile. We just have not seen him as a starter. PTW only had one year of experience in football in prep school but earned All-SEC 1st team honors and a Senior Bowl Birth in 2021. He is now 25 years old. Brett Veach observed this about PTW:
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“Prince Tega-Wanogho is a guy that has always kind
of steadily grown every year he’s been here.”
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PTW was signed by the Chiefs in 2021 and is in his 3rd season with K.C.. He began with a Reserve/Futures contract and rose to the Active Roster. The Chiefs are keeping him around because they like him. Matt Connor of FanSided wrote about PTW:
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“Wanogho is clearly championed in the front office by someone because he’s been around for the last couple of years… There’s never been too much of a concern around Wanogho, and whether or not he has the potential. It’s always been about whether or not he will grow into it or not. With two seasons under Andy Heck, the Chiefs might have a better understanding at this stage with several needs open to him on the roster.”
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What Connor thinks is that PTW could become the Chiefs SW/T, and I have observed the same. I would like to see more of Prince Tega-Wanogho in camp and preseason games to be able to make my own judgment. All we can observe at this point is that he will be part of the OL group as a whole in 2023.
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Where Does The Roster Outlook
Leave the Chiefs for the Draft?
GM Brett Veach and HC Andy Reid have spoken very highly of Juwan Taylor, indicating he was earmarked as the 2023 starting LOT. PTW is a drastic fallback.
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+ Should the Chiefs draft a LOT in round one?
+ Should they trade up and try to get Broderick Jones?
+ Stay Pat and take Anton Harrison?
+ Draft a Tier 2 LOT in round two?
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If you have followed my recent articles, you probably have garnered the idea that I believe that the Chiefs should take a WR, DT, or Edge player with their round-one choice and defer to a Tier Two LT. I have suggested that Matthew Bergeron, Jaelyn Duncan, or even Cody Mauch would be good choices to bring to the roster. All three have collegiate LT experience, and Andy Heck can work with one of these young men to get him ready for the NFL.
I think the best choice for an OT in round one is Jones. However, I believe that Brett Veach would have to trade up into the teens to have a shot at selecting him. If that happened, then Taylor would likely take on the starting role at RT. The depth players on the left could be PTW, who could take on spot snaps on a regular basis. It’s also true that if needed, the Chiefs could move Jawaan Taylor to the left side for a more extended duration.
One thing I am very certain about is that the Chiefs will draft an OT with one of their first three draft picks.
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Mocking About
I have consistently been able to mock Anton Harrison, a LT out of OU, with pick #31. It could be the case that Harrison would be picked by another team earlier than the Chiefs time to select so, it might be necessary to trade up to get him. Broderick Jones, the LT out of Georgia, is a valuable draft commodity and probably out-of-reach… draft capital-wise.
I’ve mentioned three names above who are Tier 2 or 3 LTs. That is also possible because Taylor’s move to the left side will come to fruition as anticipated. I can undoubtedly see Veach selecting two OTs in the draft.
David Ferguson, who has joined the ArrowheadOne writer’s group, and I have been back and forth about this dilemma. We both think protecting Patrick Mahomes is “Job One.” What it takes to do that is where we differ because David F. thinks a round one LT is a necessity. It is my view that the Chiefs made a significant investment in Taylor, and we don’t need to interfere with Taylor’s self-view about the task of making the transition.
I think a Tier Two LT should be the approach and at the same time, draft a second RT later in the draft. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if we drafted Harrison in round one. Were Brett Veach able to trade up and draft Broderick Jones would be fantastic.
Check out this “Locked On Chiefs” video where Ryan Tracy and Chris Clark are able to trade up and get Broderick Jones for the LT position. It’s called, “Chiefs GIANT Jump starts Trading Frenzy in Final Mock Draft!“
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What Happens Next?
We all wait and see, and the first step will occur in two days’ time when Day One of the NFL Draft at Union Station begins the festivities. Personally? I am not going to fret about it. The Draft is in more capable hands than my own. The WTIV acronym applies.
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David Bell — ArrowheadOne
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