Trey Smith is a Perfect Value Pick by Brett Veach, Caveats Notwithstanding

I cannot help but inform you that after the draft, I took a huge breath of relief as I learned of the finalized draft picks of Brett Veach in the 2021 draft. I was greatly uplifted emotionally and the sense any gloom and doom was removed from my consciousness. It was not just about the situation with the offensive line. In fact, after the adding Orlando Brown, Jr. to man the LT position, I no longer saw the weakness of the Chiefs game as being the offensive line at all. It had, in about 60 days, become a strength. Indeed, someone coined a nickname for the offensive front — the wall in front of QB and future GOAT Patrick Mahomes. This was a truly great series of moves in player acquisitions that had me resting easy. That nickname, and I do like it: Fortress Mahomes!

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So in quick review, the additions to a complete retool of the offensive line room is summarized by listing the players in order of acquisition.

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• Joe Thuney – LG: This is an almost assured position. As soon as Thuney hit the F/A market, I wrote, we should try to bring him aboard. Veach did.
• Kyle Long -RG/RT: perhaps to be the Swing player of note for the OL. Long came out of retirement invigorated & healthy and is probably take a multi-task role since LD-T is under contract with a no-trade clause.
• Austin Blythe – OC: a solid if not spectacular Center to take over for Austin Reiter. Blythe’s signing took the worry out of manning the Center role. must move position from LOG to another role.
• Orlando Brown, Jr. LT: the Left side Tackle Position was the biggest worry for Brett Veach to resolve, with no starter in our viewing window.

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Note: Existing players will compete for the ROT role including, Mike Remmers, Kyle Long, Martinas Rankin, Yasir Durant and yes, rookie Trey Smith. Most are earmarking Remmers to win the position but with Martinas Rankin is in house, he’s an OT drafted 3 positions in front of Orlando Brown four years ago.

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We Chiefs followers don’t know how well Rankin (listed as an OT on the Depth chart), plays at that position. What we do know is how capably he manned the RG position in 2019. Darryl Williams is also on the roster, a UDFA added in 2020, and Nick Allegretti who took over the starting job after Kelechi Osemele was injured in week five last year, and he didn’t let us down. Kyle Long should win the starting job RG, presuming he is fully in shape to compete. He was a Pro Bowl OG twice, and also made the Pro Bowl once as an OT, all while with Chicago.

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From this list, the Chiefs will have a completely revamped offensive line of players who didn’t start when 2020 opened. No starter from previous seasons will start in the 2021 opener.

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However, GM Brett Veach was not done. In fact, he won’t be done until the last week of camp as the team moves from St. Joe to Arrowhead Stadium. Even then expect more.

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Turn the Page to the Draft

Brett Veach forecast that the Chiefs would solve the offensive line woes and he did. I listed the Free Agents acquired but Brett Veach went far deeper than I expected. He drafted with second round pick, Creed Humphrey-OU‘s top notch center and the best center in this years draft. This was covered in an article by James McGregor. I salute the pick but I believed. improperly. That Creed would not be chosen due to his left-handedness. Shut my mouth. Brett Veach one-upped the rest of the NFL on bringing Humphrey aboard.to establish a “Chiefs Own” internal presence at Center.

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Finding Trey Smith

pulled him into the Kingdom. Smith was a valid 2nd or 3rd round rated player, a top 100 choice. Even if you do not accept the second round appraisal, Smith was widely evaluated as being a top 100 draft prospect. Lance Zierlein had him as a 3rd round rated player as an example. I do follow Zierlein and had taken note early that Smith had to be on my draft board. At any rate, early on, I wanted to select him in the fourth round and that would be, in my view, a “Value” selection and a steal in round four.

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Trey Smith was also a starter at OT for the Volunteers, as well. Most evaluations place him as an OG, where he won 2 All SEC Conference bids. If slimmed down, I can see him as a tackle as well.

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When Veach signed Joe Thuney and Kyle Long, I viewed Smith as a value selection, but as for position of need, it was no longer in my forecast and not a priority need. The NFL.com appraisal of Smith gave him a 6.25 player rating at OG. The way I usually see their ranking is to pay close attention to any player rated over 6.0. I don’t believe that Brett Veach and Company worry about what other evaluators do, but they are complete in the process, doing their due diligence and selecting players by choosing them according to their own system, and working to filling in position selections based on anticipated impact in the game. With Trey Smith, they choose the BPA with an eye on positions of need.

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I imagine that Trey Smith’s position on Veach’s draft board still had him as a 3rd round value, or even better… but with a medical caveat and idea that OG was no longer a position of need. That’s how Smith was so easily made the 6th round pick, he was a passed over interior lineman. If there is a gamble involved in bringing Trey Smith to K.C. it is related to a health concern, which was a nebulous factor at that point.

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Smith’s Medical Specifics

In 2018, Smith had played very well as a freshman. The next year, in 2018, as a starter, it was discovered that he had blood clots which had formed in his lungs. He was treated and cleared but before that season ended, doctors took him off the field with concerns that the blood clots had returned. They had not and Smith was an All-SEC player for Tennessee in 2019 and 2020 as the starting LG. Mike Borgonzi, the Chiefs Director Football Operations, said Smith had been fully vetted and that the Chiefs viewed him as one of top IOL prospects in the NFL draft.

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The Once Over

The Draft Network (TDN) determined OG was Smith’s best fit in the NFL adding:

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“He brings exceptional power to the table and dominates in a phone booth, but his lack of mobility and flexibility leads to some restrictions. While Smith is a massive and powerful people-mover, his high-hipped frame makes it challenging for him to play with consistent leverage and takes away from his functional strength, which is his best asset…”

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Watching some film is going to tell you that… the negative is over-played… especially the single video pick below. We need also keep in mind that Smith was a full four year starter for the Volunteers and at first, he played OT.

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The above may appear to be a detriment, but consider how well a similar profiled player for the Chiefs performed for the club in 2020: Kelechi Osemele. Watching the video shows a very powerful player that frequently knocks opposing players completely off their square. Take a look at this single play which captures what Smith can do.

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Two things to note: 1) The LB was trying to fool Smith on this play and once he put his pass rush burst on, Smith shows how quick he truly is and not only that, but how powerful, and 2) Smith seals the deal with a nasty, or wonderful, depends on your point of view, pancake!

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Seeing this teaser video from Unnecessary Roughness, makes you want to see more and it shows why Smith was rated as a top 100 player. That single play should explain clearly why Trey Smith is now a “Chief” and why he was a complete value pick, or you could say, “a Steal,” in the 2021 draft. Catch the intelligence, and communication, as well as a glimpse of this here:

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In his Chiefs videos, he appears to have slimmed down from his 330 lbs. as his recorded weight. That should aid his mobility and quickness and I expect to see his playing weight somewhere around 310. I project Trey Smith as a starter in 2022… he is that good. As long as his medical stays clear, I can see Smith as a longtime starter in the NFL and a player who is not just competitive with a bit of nastiness, an impact player well above being a journeyman Offensive Lineman in the NFL. Todd McShay had the Steelers selecting Trey Smith with their first round pick at one point this off-season.

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Here’s one of the evaluations of the Veach draft:

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“Absolutely love the Chiefs’ last three picks,

all in the fifth-round or later:

* Duke TE Noah Gray

* Clemson WR Cornell Powell

* Tennessee G Trey Smith

That’s day 3 value right there.”

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I feel the same. Love it! Using another source, Please observe how highly valued PFF is on Smith in their ranking of interior offensive linemen, and note that the Chiefs drafted 2 of the top 9… plus my next targeted Center is #5 on this list: Landon Dickerson, followed by Quinn Meinerz also on my covet list).

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Top 9 Interior OL in the 2021 NFL Draft

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9. Kendrick Green, Illinois

8. Aaron Banks, ND

7. Deonte Brown, Alabama

6. Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater

5. Landon Dickerson, Alabama

4. Josh Myers, OSU

3. Trey Smith, Tennessee

2. Wyatt Davis, OSU

1. Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma

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I think you can tell that I am very high on Smith’s coming to town. He is not going to be just another body competing for a role on the offensive line. When he plays, he wins! When he wins, the Chiefs win, and so does Brett Veach.

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David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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