Five biggest player surprises for the 2021 Kansas City Chiefs

Creed Humphrey

The Chiefs had seemingly operated on a budget at center for a long period of time, first letting star Rodney Hudson walk in Free Agency and then doing the same with Mitch Morse a few seasons back. Snapping the ball and anchoring the interior protection for the most valuable player in Chiefs history was an undrafted free agent.

Austin Reiter performed admirably through two seasons and was by no means the weak link in a line that declined precipitously to end the 2020 campaign. That said, it was clear if the Chiefs were going to build a great offensive line they’d need a long-term solution at the center position. With the 63rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chiefs picked who they believed could be that solution.

Creed Humphrey was an absolute stud in college. Playing for the Oklahoma Sooners he was the recipient, along with the offensive line unit, of the 2018 Moore Award as the top offensive line in college football. With that pedigree expectations were high he’d have a successful, long-term career in the NFL.

I’m not sure anyone thought he’d be this good this early. Through eight games Humphrey is objectively playing as one of, if not the best center in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s registering an All-Pro grade of 90.7 with only one sack allowed and two penalties.

The Chiefs have a number of challenges they have to solve, but center is not one of them. With how things are going, I’m not sure it will be an issue for a very long time.