Kansas City Chiefs 1st Round Draft Prospects: Offensive Lineman
Offensive line is a need area for the Kansas City Chiefs. Should they address it in free agency, the later rounds of the draft or with their first pick? We’ll try and answer the latter question today, but looking at the five top offensive linemen available in the draft, according to ESPN’s Scouts Inc.
Stanford’s Jonathan Martin is the most likely top prospect to be available when Kansas City picks, and you can read more about him in the analysis of other players, regardless of position, who would be good fits at that spot.
The top offensive line prospect on the board is USC’s Matt Kali. He already plays a polished left tackle in both pass protection and run blocking, and scouts like his nasty edge. But as of now, it’s unthinkable that he’d fall to Kansas City. Any team that wants him may need to get into the top five, and I don’t think its worth that kind of investment.
If you want to go the other route and trade down, while still getting a quality offensive lineman then the players to look at Mike Adams at Ohio State or Zebrie Sanders from Florida State, both tackles. Adams and Sanders are graded at a level which would put them towards the end of the first round or the early part of the second round.
Adams, a good physical package at 6’7” 323 lbs, comes strong off the ball, but forward and backward, but he’s unpolished. Scouts say his shoulder swing too easily in the midst of a pass rush, creating a lane for the rusher, and his recognition of stunts in the running game is poor. These are both correctable problems, and if that’s the worst you have to deal with for getting a good prospect at a lower pick, it might be worth it.
I like Sanders even more. Run blocking is his strength, which is an imperative in the Chiefs’ system for the time being, and at 6’5”, he uses his arms well in pass protection. Sanders combines both intelligent play with a work ethic that leads him to play to the whistle. His ceiling isn’t high enough to invest the 11th or 12th pick in the draft on him (as KC awaits a coin flip with Seattle to see where they pick), but if you can get him late first round/early second and add some extra picks through a trade, it would make sense.
The real intrigue at this spot comes with Riley Reiff at Jackson State. He’s currently graded at a Top 10 pick, but it’s not a lock that he couldn’t fall a couple spots further. Furthermore, Reiff could be that draft-day phenomena, the falling pick. His physical tools are there, the technique problems fairly minor for a rookie. But there are off-the-field issues with public intoxication—which I think can be dismissed, and another incident where police found him undressing in the alley and looking disoriented. That’s a little less normal and a reason he may start sliding and be available for Kansas City. Then it’s up to the people who meet these kids personally and try and understand their character to earn their money.
My own view? I don’t consider any of these options ideal, save for trading down, and even that’s kind of pushing it. Furthermore, the top offensive line prospects are all tackles, and center is the biggest need for the Chiefs. It makes sense to look for veteran help on the free agent market or wait until at least round two of the draft.
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