Ask a Kansas City Chiefs fan what they think about their offensive line, and you’ll probably get a negative answer. This was the unit that had quarterback Patrick Mahomes running for his life for most of the season, after all, so some anger seems justified.
Then again, maybe not. According to Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus, the Chiefs actually had a top ten offensive line this year, although they did have to sneak in at tenth to achieve that rank. Here’s the list of the best lineup he chose for his rating, and there are certainly no surprises there.
LT Josh Simmons
LG Kingsley Suamataia
C Creed Humphrey
RG Trey Smith
RT Jawaan Taylor
The caveat contained in Buday’s story is health. The Chiefs added some new pieces, but he stated that when the offensive line was healthy, it was among the best in the league. Over the first 12 weeks, he added, the Chiefs O-line ranked second in the NFL in the site’s pass-blocking efficiency rating, allowing 100 pressures and 12 sacks on 475 base pass plays.
The performance of rookie left tackle has come under close scrutiny, but Buday says the lineman “showed promise” before he got hurt. His pass-blocking grade was 75.5 this season, according to PFF, which was the second-ranked among rookie offensive lineman.
The fly in the ointment was tackle Jawaan Taylor. He was supposed to step in and stabilize the line, but instead he struggled, and that created instability to go with the injuries.
If you want to justify that high grade, though, you need look no further than center Creed Humphrey, who was once again rated the NFL’s best at his position. His overall grade was a league-leading 88.8, and Humphrey is currently a finalist for the NFL’s inaugural version of the Protector of the Year award, which was created to recognize the top offensive lineman.
The rating does muddle things a little. Taylor is an obvious cut candidate to create more cap space, but this rating of Simmons creates some uncertainty about whether the Chiefs actually have their left tackle of the future. They’ll undoubtedly draft for the offensive line but it will be interesting to see if their picks are designed for depth or another starter, and the free agent decisions in this area will play a part as well.
This is the one part of their offseason that the Chiefs absolutely have to get right. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes coming off a knee injury, he’ll need a stable pocket, and Mahomes won’t be taking off nearly as much, especially early in the season.