Looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft, here are some offensive linemen that could help the Kansas City Chiefs.
Coming off of the bye week, the Kansas City Chiefs look to kick off the second half of their 2020 season. With just over half of the regular season in the books, we can get a good feel for areas of need on the roster. The bye week is an excellent time to evaluate the team and find areas that could be improved.
The obvious areas that will need addressing this offseason are the offensive and defensive lines. Kansas City has two defensive ends under contract in 2021, including Frank Clark and Mike Danna. Finding help across from Clark would help the unit create pressure when rushing four instead of Steve Spagnuolo needing to manufacture pressure.
On the offensive line, injuries have crushed the Chiefs. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has been out several weeks with a back injury. Even when Schwartz and left tackle Eric Fisher were on the field together, the offensive line has struggled again in 2020. Looking at the interior group, one could argue that all three positions could use an upgrade.
Andrew Wylie moved back to right guard after spending last season on the left side of Austin Reiter. He has yet to flash the same production that gave us hope during his rookie season. Laurant Duvernay-Tardif will return in 2021, after opting out to help against COVID-19, but he’s struggled to stay healthy and didn’t look all that great last season.
Reiter, Kelechi Osemele, Daniel Kilgore, Wylie, and Mike Remmers are all set to hit free agency in 2021. Wylie is the lone restricted free agent but still a decision to be made. Third-round pick Lucas Niang opted out of the season, so all we can do is project what he can do in the NFL. General manager Brett Veach will need to improve the protection for his investment in Patrick Mahomes.
Each week, we will take a look at a position of need in the 2021 offseason. We will discuss three options Kansas City could look at in the upcoming draft class for that position. Not only will we be looking at players that fit the scheme and build that the coaching staff tends to like, but get a feel for options on each day of the draft. Looking at guys that could find themselves being drafted on each three days gives us a look at immediate starters, short-term and long-term projects, and quality depth.