Why Mitch Morse is the Chiefs best hope at right guard

Oct 18, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Mitch Morse (65) and teammates high five fans after they beat the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Missouri Tigers defeated the Florida Gators 42-13. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Chiefs selected Morse with their second round pick in the NFL draft this past spring. The pick surprised many (myself included) who had predicted Morse to go a round or two later. However, there were some insiders who sang Morse’s praises and said they were convinced that he could be a Pro Bowl caliber player on the interior. When the pick was announced at the draft the Chiefs listed Morse as a center despite the fact that he mainly played offensive tackle at Missouri. During the first few practices the Chiefs have followed through with that idea as Morse has been running as the second string center behind Eric Kush.

So if the Chiefs drafted Morse thinking he’d make a good center why am I advocating that the rookie is the best option at right guard when they have veterans with starting experience at that position?

The answer is simple…..upside.

While Allen and Fulton both have limitations that will likely prevent them from ever being great NFL starting players that isn’t the case for Mitch Morse. Before we get to his play on the field in college let’s just look at the raw data from the NFL combine. Below are the combine numbers for Allen, Fulton, and Morse.

While combine numbers are a distant second to play on the field in terms of predicting NFL success, those numbers do show Morse to be the superior athlete in every way. He is clearly stronger and more athletic than either Fulton or Allen. The combination of both power and athleticism gives him a higher ceiling than either of the other options the Chiefs have.

When I watched Morse’s college game tape from last season I saw a player that demonstrated both the power and speed that he displayed at the combine. That’s not to say that his tape is perfect. There is a reason that NFL teams didn’t believe he would survive as a tackle in the NFL. While he does show good athleticism, he sometimes looked a little too stiff to hang with elite edge rushers at the tackle position. Also, when it comes to power it looks to me like Morse needs to focus on his lower body strength. While his upper body is impressive I think he may need to add some bulk on his lower half to help anchor against NFL defensive tackles.

Now, nobody is saying that the Chiefs should just hand the starting job to Mitch Morse regardless of how things play out in training camp and the preseason games. However, if Morse earns the job that would be the best possible outcome for the Chiefs. Not only would it mean that the player with the most upside earned the job, but if Morse were to start at guard it would also mean that Eric Kush showed that he deserved the starting center job.

Next: Talking Kush and more