KC Chiefs have very real competition at right tackle

Lucas Niang

In the wake of Remmers’ back injury, the player who has benefitted the most is rookie tackle Lucas Niang.

So far in camp, Niang has been getting work on the left and right sides, which insinuated that the team was preparing him to play a swing tackle role in his first year in the NFL. Behind Orlando Brown and Remmers, there’s definitely a need for someone to occupy that spot and it could given Niang a nice learning curve as he adjust to the NFL and a year away from the game.

Remember, Niang came to Chiefs camp in ’21 having lost a full season due to opting out last year. That’s not to say Niang was out of touch with the organization or lounging in the Caribbean somewhere. He was, in fact, staying in touch with Chiefs staff and coaches and working out on a regular basis to stay in shape. But being in shape and being in game form are two different things and Niang was given an early learning curve by the Chiefs in camp.

Remmers’ injury might have changed all of these plans. Instead, if Niang can show he’s got a firm grasp on the position and can grow into the sort of player he was drafted to be, Coach Reid might be comfortable moving forward with a third rookie along the offensive front, knowing the early playing time will yield dividends down the road.

Let’s not forget this: The Chiefs drafted Niang in the third round of the ’20 draft and Brett Veach said afterward that they had Niang rated a full round higher on their own draft board. That means they thought Niang was a second-round lineman (same as Creed Humphrey). The potential is there to be a good-to-great starter outside and he might be learning faster than expected.