
6. Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith vs. contract year Derrick Nnadi
The Chiefs selected two interior offensive linemen in April’s draft, and both have some outlying traits that could point them to greatness. Center Creed Humphrey has outstanding athleticism (fellow Oklahoma Sooner said watching Humphrey’s Pro Day was “like watching Frankenstein”). He graded as the top center ever on Kent Lee Platte’s grading system:
Creed Humphrey is a OC prospect in the 2021 class. He scored a 10 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1 out of 484 OC from 1987 to 2021.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 12, 2021
Splits projected, unofficial testing, but on his way to possibly having the highest #RAS for a Center ever.https://t.co/4M42BZppb4 pic.twitter.com/v77szZl5im
That’s high praise.
Meanwhile, Tennessee guard Trey Smith has been quite possibly the most-talked-about sixth-round pick in Chiefs history. And for good reason, again from Platte:
Trey Smith was drafted with pick 226 of round 6 in the 2021 draft class. He scored a 9.91 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 11 out of 1152 OG from 1987 to 2021. https://t.co/ZBf4fy7Rpm #RAS #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/T05KuS5ypi
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 1, 2021
So, in summary, the Chiefs just came away from the 2021 NFL Draft with not just one, but two of the most athletic offensive linemen in the last 30 years. Chew on that for a minute. The athletic profile fits a lot of what Reid likes: rangy, versatile blockers who can get out and move in the screen game, guys who can pull and track down a linebacker—you know the type.
But one question we have is: will the Chiefs implement more power in 2021? If so, how will Humphrey and Smith fare against veteran Derrick Nnadi, an immovable force in the middle of the Chiefs run defense? Nnadi, a former second-round pick, is entering a contract season with the Chiefs. The former Florida State Seminole will provide us with a very good idea of how Humphrey and Smith can perform in the run game at the NFL level.
What other head-to-head battles do you look forward to when the Chiefs take the field at Missouri Western University? Let me know in the comments section.