Five KC Chiefs players I hope prove me wrong this season
Lucas Niang, OL
When the Chiefs made the decision to part ways with both Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz early in the offseason, the general consensus was that they would have to find a new starting left tackle, but that Lucas Niang was the likely answer on the right side. In the months since, the general consensus has shifted from Niang to an open competition between him and veteran Mike Remmers to the present popular assumption that it will likely be Remmers unless Niang surprises in camp.
So what has changed? The Chiefs made huge changes to the line and fans seem to feel really good about the additions of Orlando Brown Jr., Joe Thuney, and draft picks Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. With so many new pieces it is understandable that the Chiefs might look to a veteran like Remmers, who was solid at right tackle last season filling in for Schwartz when he was out with his back issues. The problem is that there seems to be more buzz coming from the team itself around rookie 6th round pick Trey Smith than there is about their third round pick from last season.
Maybe once camp gets underway we’ll start getting reports about how impressive Niang’s size/power looks, or that Niang is splitting reps with the first string, but right now it certainly feels like it is Remmer’s job to lose and that Niang may be looking at a depth role this season. Once again, I hope that I’m wrong. While Remmers was solid last season, he’s a veteran with a limited upside. The best possible outcome would be Niang playing so well that he forces his way into the lineup, I’m just not counting on that happening this season.
Next up, the final offensive player on this list.