Trey Smith is diamond in the rough for KC Chiefs

The K.C. Chiefs have had some good luck with late round draft picks within the past couple years. Nick Allegretti stepped in as a solid replacement for Kelechi Osemele last season just one year after being selected in the seventh round. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Zach Fulton were both sixth round starters. However, the ceiling for Trey Smith, the Chiefs latest late round lineman, is higher than any previous hits.

Before the draft, Smith was my seventh-highest rated interior offensive lineman and was a top 70 player overall on my big board. The term”‘diamond in the rough” shouldn’t even apply to him, due to how highly people thought of Smith coming out of college. He is a star who just needs an opportunity to shine.

Background:

Smith was a five-star recruit out of Jackson, TN. The five-star recruit had offers coming out of the wazoo, including some from the biggest schools in the country. After debating his choices, he decided to stay close to home and commit to the University of Tennessee.

Smith, was a 6’5″, 310 lb. recruit who was able to win up front by simply bullying players who were trying to get to his quarterback. 24/7 Sports had him as the 14th ranked player nationally, the fourth ranked offensive tackle, the first ranked overall player in Tennessee, and 339 overall ranked player all time. As you can tell by looking at those rankings, he was a force in high school and that didn’t stop in college.

Strengths:

Trey Smith is an incredibly athletic offensive lineman and a true competitor. With his competitive toughness, he is a absolute monster and has a great edge to his game. With his elite frame and size, he was able to make some of the best defensive tackles and edge rushers in college look small.

Smith is a absolute mauler on the field, as he will take on anyone who challenges him and he will not stop until they are on their back. His anchor is incredibly strong, and in terms of upper body strength, there were not many prospects in this draft who were able to man-handle someone quite like Smith. He is very smart when it comes to recognizing defensive schemes and how to adjust.

Weaknesses:

There is a lot that of good in Smith’s game, but there are some big holes as well. Smith, although very good in pass protection, does have slow feet that drag behind him. With slow hips and feet, he is late to the point of attack against speed rushers.

One controversial thing that I’m sure will upset people is that I decided to put his versatility as a weakness. Although he played both guard and tackle at Tennessee, he doesn’t have the footwork or the mechanics to be a NFL tackle, and it scares me that the Chiefs might ever want to look at him at playing the position. He has a ceiling as a guard to be one of the league’s best, so there’s no reason for the Chiefs to consider him outside.

Conclusion:

The Chiefs are getting a potential star with Smith. The fact that they got him in the sixth round makes it that much sweeter. Although, there are certainty flaws within his game, his ceiling and what he will offer the Chiefs going forward is going to be worth every concern he must overcome. He could be a top 15 guard in the NFL.

Grade: A