The Kansas City Chiefs’ selection of wide receiver Xavier Worthy garnered the headlines because of what his addition to Patrick Mahomes‘ supporting cast will mean to the offense, but it might be the meat-and-potatoes additions along the offensive line that pay the most dividends during this year’s class.
After all, Mahomes was sacked 27 times during the Chiefs‘ 2023 Super Bowl run.
Now, after investing three of seven picks during the draft along the offensive line; choosing BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia, Penn State center Hunter Nourzad, and Holy Cross offensive guard C.J. Hanson, the Chiefs just might have stabilized the offensive line in front of Mahomes.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Offensive Line The NFL’s Most Improved?
Following the NFL Draft, Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness put together a list of the most improved offensive lines across the league, and the Chiefs’ unit made the cut.
“The Chiefs needed to bring in competition for Wanya Morris at left tackle,” McGuinness writes for PFF. “And that’s exactly what they did by drafting BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia in the second round. He has experience at both tackle spots and earned a 76.3 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets last season.
“Penn State’s Hunter Nourzad, selected in the fifth round, is a nice depth addition to the interior offensive line. He played at all five spots along the line at one point or another in college and earned a 77.0 PFF run-blocking grade last season.”
The Chiefs’ offensive line certainly got deeper and more talented during the NFL Draft, but perhaps more importantly, if Nourzad, Suamataia, and Hanson all eventually develop into starters or quality rotational players, they’ll form the backbone of a homegrown and affordable offensive line for the next several seasons.
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